Page 76 of His Unforgettable Bride
But having tasted freedom during his voyage and since coming to live with the sisters, he had shaken loose the shackles that had trapped him back home. He was his own man now, and if forced to choose between Juliet and the crown, he would always choose her. Wouldn’t he?
Yet before making too many plans, he had to determine if Dobbin still lived and breathed. If so, his loyal friend would never return to Bascandy without him, even if that meant toting Gray’s dead body home. Fortunately, he had dodged that outcome.
However, before he boarded a ship bound for Victoria, he had to tell Juliet of his plans to leave Everly temporarily. As Cy entered the drawing room, straightening his shirt collar, Gray stood. “What’s all the racket?”
Obviously, Cy was referring to Juliet storming up the staircase.
“I barely know where to begin with my explanation.”
“May I suggest you go straight to the heart of the matter?”
The heart belonged to Juliet.
Before he replied, the sisters arrived in the drawing room. Livy patted her curls, and Tabitha carried a thick book underneath her arm.
Tabitha halted abruptly and pinned her severe gaze upon him. “Is anything amiss?”
Gray nodded to acknowledge both sisters. “I shared surprising news with Juliet moments ago. As a result, she raced to her room, but we still need to finish our conversation before I leave Everly for a short stint.”
Worry lines creased Tabitha’s brow. “I can ask if she’ll come down and talk with you.”
“Please,” he said.
As Tabitha departed, Cy hobbled toward the hallway. “I’ll heat water for more tea. Seems like all we do some days is drink the brew.”
Livy wrung her hands. “Does the surprising news have anything to do with your identity, Gray? I have a hunch it does.”
At his core, he knew he would miss living in the sisters’ home. They had nursed, sheltered, and treated him like a cherished family member. “My amnesia is over, and I recall who I am. Exactly who Miss O’Reilly claimed.”
“Oh my. That is indeed a blessing. A blessing and a curse, I suppose.” Livy had a wisdom he had grown to appreciate and would indeed miss.
“Incredibly so, and the news has understandably shaken Juliet.” Though they had pondered his identity for weeks, this scenario about him being a prince had never crossed his mind, nor hers, undoubtedly.
“It is evident you care deeply for her.”
“I hope always to have Juliet in my life. But my existence is overly complicated, and I do not know how to reconcile what we have now with what must come in the future.” Especially because he was technically betrothed to another woman.
Livy ran her finger over the velvet frippery on her cuff. “She has made great strides in becoming a lady, but a princess might be a stretch, in her opinion. I wonder if the prospect overwhelms Juliet.”
All too well, he understood the crown’s burden. “Perhaps, but in my eyes, she is perfect as she is and always has been.”
“Indeed. You have always accepted Juliet. I pray others, including your parents, will see her for the wonderful person that she is.”
Most likely, his father would not because they rarely agreed on anything in recent years.
“Gray, can you come here, please?” Tabitha called from upstairs.
After bowing to Livy, he left the drawing room and climbed the front staircase like a well-mannered royal. Tabitha stood before Juliet’s slightly ajar door. In a few steps, he reached Tabitha’s side.
“She prefers not to leave her room. However, you may converse, provided you remain in the hallway. Is that acceptable?”
They could speak through an open window if that enabled them to finish their conversation. “Yes, ma’am.”
Tabitha nodded, her eyes full of concern, then departed.
The next few minutes could set the course for his future, their future. With a deep breath, he leaned closer to the opening and whispered, “Juliet?”
Only silence answered.
