Page 36 of An Arranged Marriage with a Mad Marquess
He could almost forget everything.
Abruptly, the music stopped, jerking Neil out of his reverie.
“What do you think?” Patrina said, and for one heart-stopping moment he thought that she was talking to him. But then Cynthia replied, and he felt almost foolish. He couldn’t exactly hear what his sister said, only that it sounded complimentary.
Patrina chuckled self-consciously. “Thank you. It’s one of my own compositions, actually. How about this one?”
For a moment, Neil imagined himself walking confidently into the room. He imagined Cynthia smiling at him in welcome, and Patrina twisting around to flash him a wry grin. He imagined standing behind her, one hand resting carelessly on her shoulder, watching her deft fingers fly across the keys.
He imagined not living in fear of humiliation and weakness, of collapsing to the ground at a moment’s notice.
You’re a fool, Neil.
He turned and tiptoed away down the passage.
