Page 100 of Sense and Suitability
“Well, then.” Simon stood, attempting to find his voice. “I... I suppose I must find a way to prove I’m not as daft as you think.”
Both children grinned. Lottie even giggled, and the sound hit him in the chest.
And then, as if the only response for the moment demanded it, he opened up his arms. With only a slight hesitation, Will ran to one side and Lottie to the other, both burrowing into him as if they’d been waiting for this moment as much as he had.
All ability to speak was stripped from him.
This... this was what Ravenscross needed most of all.
Before Simon could compose himself, with Will and Lottie still clinging to him, there was a knock at the door. Aunt Agatha entered in a dark blue dressing gown. Her brows rose as she took in the sight of the three of them, attempting to blink the scene into comprehension.
For a moment silence stretched, and then she cleared her throat and stood taller. “Children up at this hour? It is past ten o’clock.”
Simon gave the children a final squeeze. “I usually enforce bedtimes, Aunt, but”—he shot his siblings a wink—“Charlotte and William were sharing some important information with me, and I thought I’d make an exception this once.”
Aunt Agatha looked unimpressed, but there was a faint softening around her lips.
With a turn to his siblings, he gestured toward the door. “Off to bed now.”
Lottie and Will gave him another long look, Will even sliding in another hug, before they slipped past Aunt Agatha and disappeared into the darkened hallway. Aunt Agatha pulled her dressing coat around her and took a seat in the spot Lottie had just vacated, her chin at almost the exact tilt as her niece’s.
It was no wonder from where Lottie inherited her particular feistiness.
“The children told me of your unexpected visitor today,” Simon began, eager to address the matter directly. “I’m sorry for her intrusion and presumption.”
Aunt Agatha studied him, her dark brow arching. “Does she have reason to presume?”
“No, but that doesn’t stop her from taking every opportunity to do so.”
One corner of Aunt Agatha’s lips quivered. “It sounds as if the only way to stop her wrongful assumption is to take on the right bride.”
Simon drew a deep breath, steeling himself for this confrontation. He had faced his emotions before, but now his heart was set. Though the road ahead would be difficult, filled with months of uncertainty as he worked to restore his family’s fortune, it was a price he was willing to pay. For Emme.
And, as Will and Charlotte had made rather plain, for the children.
But he couldn’t do it alone. Without Aunt Agatha’s support, all his plans would falter.
An estate didn’t run on goodwill and affections alone.
“I must return to London tomorrow,” Aunt Agatha continued, as if she were in complete control of the conversation. “To attend to some pressing matters at my house. But I leave you in much better shape than when I arrived.” Her gaze lingered over him with that appraising look.
“I believe things are much improved,” Simon replied. “You’re aware of the business ventures I’ve taken on.”
“Hmm.” Aunt Agatha gave a slight nod. “And you’ve also secured a governess, who I trust will prove capable. I also appreciate your involving me in the interview process, which reflects well on you. That shows humility—a valuable trait in any man of the gentry.” She paused before adding, “And since she arrives in only a few days, I feel confident that my absence will not be felt too keenly.”
“Your absence is always felt, Aunt Agatha,” Simon said, attempting to lighten the mood.
Aunt Agatha’s eyes narrowed, but the faintest twitch of a smile gentled the look. “Flattery will not work on me, Simon.”
“I would never presume, Aunt.” Simon hazarded a grin at the playful tension between them.
Her lips twitched again before she mastered her expression, her voice dropping to something more serious. “You’ve made good progress in several areas, I’ll admit. You’ve stayed clear of scandal, for the most part.” She studied him a moment, clearly referring to his interactions with Emme. “But the season is nearly over, and I’ve heard no word of a bride.”
Here was the moment. The chance to change his own future.
He drew in a deep breath, accepting his fate. He would not be Willoughby. Let rumors and difficulties fall as they may. “I should like to offer you such news about a bride, but I should like clarification first.”
Both her brows rose.
