Page 64 of The Moonstone Hero
“But he has nothing of me now.”
“Oh, I think the memory of you chasing his grandfather around with your broom is embedded forever in his mind.”
“Don’t you start on me about that.” Ella kicked off her slippers and sank onto her own bed. “I was thinking of talking to Lord Fielding. Cain, Fionn, and Uncle Cormac think of us as little girls, so I cannot talk to them aboutwomanlyfeelings.”
“I think they would choke and fall to their knees clutching their hearts if we tried,” Imogen said with a laugh. “No, we could never talk to them about such things. But why Lord Fielding? Why not Aunt Phoebe? Or Chloe or Henley? I’m sure they will give you excellent advice.”
“I will talk to them, too. But I also want a man’s point of view. Lord Fielding told me that he never married because the woman he loved had not been available.”
“So he never moved on? But he lost out on having a family, finding a good, intelligent woman with whom he could have a happy life.”
Ella nodded. “This was precisely his point when talking to me the other night. He said he had wasted the best years of his life by remaining stuck in hope. The woman was now a widow, but the years had not been kind to her. She was almost unrecognizable. All these years, he had been pursuing nothing but a dream. The great love he imagined, the love that had sustained him throughout the years, had never existed.”
“But he is not yet forty, certainly young enough to make a fresh start. It is not too late at all for him to begin a family.” Imogen’s eyes rounded in horror. “Oh, Ella! Does he wish to pursue you for this reason?”
“No… He couldn’t be thinking…”
Imogen rolled her eyes. “Honestly, you are the intelligent sister. I am the artistic scatterbrain. But even I can see what Lord Fielding is about. He intends to offer for you, but knows you will never be amenable unless you give up on Caden first.”
Ella groaned and flopped back on her mattress. “Imogen, this is all getting too complicated.”
“We have months yet before your next Season starts. I’m sure everything will be clearer by then. Even if not, you still have time. I am not suggesting you give up a decade of your life waiting for Caden, as Lord Fielding did for his lady love. But how will waiting another year or two hurt?”
Anotheryear or two? Ella had yet to pass a single day and was already in agony.
Imogen scooted onto Ella’s bed and flopped down beside her. “I’m glad he gave you back this portrait. I would have been devastated if it were left behind in some hotel room. Or worse, if his grandfather had gotten hold of it and ripped it up.”
“Me too.” Feeling exhausted and fighting off a headache, Ella retired early.
Her sister decided to retire, too. But this was Imogen, very soft-hearted and completely devoted to her big sister. Evenwhen they were children, Ella barely four years old and Imogen only two, Imogen always followed her around, gazing up at her with big, worshipful eyes and certain her big sister could do no wrong.
But Ella felt so lost now.
Well, it was only one day.
The hurt felt worse because Caden did not want her writing to him, and nor did he intend to write to her. Once he left, it would be a complete break.
It felt so wrong.
What made it worse was that her family had gone along with his decision.
It was not fair. Would Aunt Phoebe not be howling and putting up a fuss if she were in Ella’s situation? She would not have let Uncle Cormac get away with such a high-handed decision.
But it was pointless to argue about it. They still viewed her and Imogen as children, and always would.
Since Ella had fallen asleep early, she was up early the following morning. So was Imogen, who had appointed herself Ella’s watchdog. What did her sister think she would do? Jump off one of the local cliffs in despair? That would be awfully stupid, wouldn’t it? Caden had barely been gone an hour, and she was not nearly ready to give up hope.
But she did have to think of her future. Would she repeat Lord Fielding’s mistake and lose out on a fulfilling life while waiting for something that could never be?
Yet again, she dismissed the concern. It was much too soon to worry about Caden and his romantic intentions.
Setting her thoughts aside, she and her sister washed up, helped each other to dress and style their hair, then went downstairs. Breakfast was already set out on gleaming silver salvers in the family’s private dining room. Cormac and Phoebehad already eaten and were gone by the time Ella and Imogen sat down.
As much as Ella loved her aunt and uncle, she was relieved not to have to face them. They would ask questions, and she had no answers.
Ella did not eat much, for her stomach was still in knots. She nibbled on a scone and had a cup of mint tea.
Imogen, she noted, also ate sparingly, having picked up on Ella’s misery, and was feeling sad herself. Once finished, they ran back upstairs to grab their pelisses, since the day was unusually cool for this time of the year. The sky was overcast, foretelling of rain.
