'I found Dorothy just as captivating. Since it's so difficult to choose between them, I shall give them equal attention.'

Marlborough chuckled. 'You are incorrigible,' he said. 'Perhaps it's just as well that I'm taking you off to war again or Sir Nicholas would be unable to sleep soundly in bed, wondering which of his nubile daughters you would be pursuing.'

Edward Marston

Soldier of Fortune

'Why did you send him on his way like that?' said Abigail Piper.

'I did nothing of the kind,' responded Dorothy. 'I merely told him that you would not stir from your room for hours and that there was no point in his waiting for you.'

'There was every point, Dorothy. I just needed to be alone to compose myself. As soon as I'd done that — and it took no more than twenty minutes — I intended to come back to resume my conversation with Captain Rawson.'

'It had already been terminated by you.'

'That's not true at all.'

'Put yourself in Captain Rawson's position,' suggested Dorothy. 'When a young lady flees from his company in floods of tears, he's entitled to conclude that she no longer wishes to speak to him.'

'But he wished to speak to me,' said Abigail. 'According to you, he tried to follow me as I ran out. You barred his way.'

'I could hardly let him chase you upstairs.'

'He wanted to console me. I was touched to hear that.'

'You acted too rashly in charging off.'

'I was deeply upset — what else was I to do?'

Dorothy put a sympathetic arm around her sister's shoulders. Abigail was still young and inexperienced but it was not the moment to school her in the subtleties of dealing with male admirers. In any case, now that she had seen Daniel Rawson, Dorothy was certainly not going to help Abigail to ensnare the captain. She felt that Daniel deserved a more seasoned woman, one who was well-versed in the elaborate rituals of courtship. In spite of the circumstances in which they had met, Dorothy wanted him for herself.