Captain Thorne cleared his throat for what seemed like the tenth time. Cress's eyes flitted toward where he sat in the chair by her bed but then darted away when they met his. Anna, one of the Blackburns' servants, stood discreetly in a corner. It seemed as if she was deliberately making herself scarce, which only added to Cress's mortification at being left with Captain Thorne, of all people, while she was sneezing and red-faced and sitting in bed.

After he cleared his throat for the eleventh time, Cress said, "Are you getting sick, too? I—I'm sorry you had to come rescue me in the rain. I feel quite foolish about that."

"What?" he said. "Oh—no, not at all. I feel fine, actually, now that I've dried off. Lady Blackburn and her daughters has been very hospitable. I'm glad you're in such good hands."

Cress blushed at the idea that he was concerned about who was caring for her. They lapsed back into silence. She winced as he cleared his throat again.

"You know…" Captain Thorne said. "I feel rather foolish myself, as it turns out. You keep seeing me when I'm not at my best. I was with some friends when we came upon your picnic, and I'm afraid we weren't acting quite like gentlemen. You must think I'm quite a cad."

She sat up, eager to dispel that thought, but a coughing fit prevented her from speaking for a moment. She turned away from him, her embarrassment almost overwhelming her ability to form words.

"I—I don't think you're a cad," she said weakly. "I—well—you saved me. You're a hero."

He smiled widely, showing white teeth that practically sparkled. "Really? You think I'm a hero?"

And all at once, he seemed to once again be the confident, charming captain that she'd first met. He pushed back some hair, still damp, off his forehead and leaned back in his chair, still grinning.

"Well, I don't think you're a fool for getting lost, either," he said. "Those paths by the ruins are treacherous—and how were you supposed to see when the sky was darkening with storm clouds? It's perfectly understandable."

Cress smiled too, though not as broadly as Captain Thorne. In a brief moment of audacity, she asked, "I don't think you're a fool, like I said before. But might I ask you a…possibly impudent question?"

The captain's eyes twinkled. "I welcome impudent questions of all kinds."

"If you think your behavior makes you seem like a cad…why do you do it?"

Captain Thorne tilted his head, eyes narrowing as he considered the question. The smile stayed on his face, but she watched as a note of seriousness crept into his expression.

Cress found that she liked how she could see his every emotion in his face. Most gentlemen tended to hide their feelings, but Captain Thorne always seemed quick to smile or laugh or be serious. She found it boundlessly refreshing.

Finally, he spoke. "At times I wonder that same thing. And I've realized over the years that I learned to act, well…like a cad…at a very young age. Both my father and my mother paid little attention to me as I grew up. I was essentially raised by my nursemaid. I found that the only way I could draw their attention was to draw their ire. I chose less-than-ideal friends for myself, and we got into all sorts of trouble. Most of which, I'm ashamed to say, I don't regret much."

He smiled cheekily at her. Cress could tell he knew exactly how disarming that smile was, but she couldn't help but be disarmed all the same.

"That's not to say that I don't have regrets." To Cress's surprise, his expression darkened. "We all do things, I think, in an attempt to impress those who are disinclined to be impressed. Like joining the military, for example."

Cress struggled to find her voice. "You regret joining the military?"

Captain Thorne looked at her, holding her eyes for long enough for her blush to turn deep red. When she started to feel a little lightheaded, he turned his head and sat forward again. She tried to shake out of the trance he'd put her in without drawing his attention to her efforts.

"Let's just say there's no honor in an unwilling soldier," he murmured, almost to himself.

Cress shifted in her bed, not sure what to say to that. Finally, she managed to say, "I know what you mean, at least the part about impressing those who are disinclined to be impressed. I often feel out of place here, even though Lady Winter and Lady Selene have been so kind to me. I'm an orphan, after all—the only reason I even associate with people of their caliber is by the grace of Lord and Lady Park. And I don't want to be ungrateful, but…sometimes I feel that I am only a liability to them."

The captain nodded, the side of his mouth lifting. "It sounds like we have something in common, Miss Darnel."

She tried to hide the thrill that went up her arms at the sound of him saying her name. The effect that he had on her kept making her act like a ninny, and she couldn't say she particularly disliked it.

Before Cress could reply, Captain Thorne stood.

"I should be going," he said. "You need to rest, not listen to me blather on about my problems. I seem to do that a lot around you, don't I?"

"Perhaps…a bit," Cress said. Then she breathed in deep, summoning a hidden well of courage within herself. "But I don't mind. If you ever need to blather on about your problems again, know that you have a willing listener in me."

She finished her sentence with a satisfied nod. His smile had returned, and she felt weightless at the thought that she had cause it.

"Until we meet again, Miss Darnel," he said.

"Goodbye, Captain Thorne."

He left the room, and Cress sat back against her headboard, suddenly exhausted. For the second time in just a few days, she'd had a long conversation with Captain Thorne. The concept baffled her, as she'd always been too shy to make conversation with anyone much other than her closest friends. He had a way of making her feel so comfortable, though, even while every little smile made her blush as well.

She sighed happily, then turned her head and started at the sight of Anna, the servant, still standing in the corner. She saw Anna's knowing smile and flushed.

"Am I that obvious?" she muttered.

Anna just shrugged. "Only if you want to be, my lady."

Then she stepped lightly from the room and shut the door, leaving Cress to huddle back under her blankets in embarrassment.