"I should leave." But Duncan remained where he was, still gazing at the polished wood floor. His voice quivered slightly and his hands were trembling. Violet wanted so much to touch him again, just for a second, an instant. To think, Violet thought sheepishly, I just had all that time and all I can think about is my shameful desire for more.

"I should…" he took a few delicate steps toward her, treading carefully as not to disturb the carefully organized mess that covered the floor. "But I don't want to."

"I don't…" she was debating whether to tell him she didn't want him leave, or to tell him she didn't think this was a good idea. Both were true. She tilted her head as he leaned toward her on his toes. His broken lips met her soft ones. Her heart hammered at the inside of her rib cage as he pulled her closer still, continuing to kiss her. She knew the right thing to do. She should pull away; tell him she was engaged to his brother. That she loved him and not Duncan. However, this simply was not true.

But it turned out she didn't have to tell him.

"I know you love him," he began, his face still millimeters from his own. She wanted to say something. She needed to say something. But she couldn't. All she could do was stare into Duncan's dark eyes and wait for him to continue.

"What we had…well…that was a long time ago…" he looked so sad that Violet wanted to kiss his head and rub his back. It's all right, she longed to say. But it wasn't all right. It was anything but all right.

"No," was all she could say. The only word she could think to whisper in his ear. No. No. No. No.

"I wish…you…" he kissed her again, stroking her long hair. "Quigley…"

Violet thought he was merely whispering his brother's name in reference to his train of thought. Only when Duncan slowly let go of her and turned away did she think to look up. Then she said it. A name, a curse, a cry.

"Quigley," she whispered, gazing sadly at her fiancé's form, framed by light in the doorway. "Quigley," her voice broke along with her heart as Duncan left her alone with his brother, never to return.