Page 85 of Sense and Suitability
Emme’s laugh bubbled out, warming him like fresh sunshine. “Is there?”
“You know precisely what I mean. She’s a meddlesome young woman with a silly sister. I had high hopes for Edward Ferrars, but I’m finding myself increasingly vexed by his inconstancy. In fact, I’m much angrier at him than Elinor appears to be.”
Her expression sobered, forehead crinkling with her frown. “Perhaps she understood him in ways others didn’t. Believed in the man she’d come to know.” She drew in a breath and looked up at him. “She must have realized a deeper reason for his apparent inconsistency of character, don’t you think?”
Was she speaking of Elinor and Edward or of him and her? “And... and she forgave him?”
They were only a few steps from the haberdashery, but he couldn’t end the conversation without knowing her answer. Without understanding her. One touch to her arm paused her steps, and when she turned to him, her eyes held a quiet intensity.
“I...” She hesitated, a watery sheen filming over those eyes. “I don’t agree with the way Edward handled things. That he didn’t explain, didn’t trust Elinor to understand. But as she gained hindsight and the story offered her more perspective, I believe she saw that the heart of his character never changed. Only his circumstances did.”
Shedidknow. She saw it. Felt it. Believed in him—and forgave him in ways he had not dared to imagine or ask.
Aster moved at the edge of his vision, but he seized the moment, refusing to let it slip through his fingers. “His feelings were constant, Emme. Elinor came into his life so unexpectedly, and once he began to care, he never stopped. How could he stop? She was perfect for him.”
“Not quite perfect.” Emme offered a small, wistful smile. “Not enough.”
The words struck him like a blow. Not enough. No. She wasmore than enough—always had been. Blast the money. Blast society’s insufferable expectations. Didn’t love matter at all?
“Emme—”
“Pardon me!” Aster approached, her tone playful as she glanced between them, her smile just shy of teasing. “I’m so sorry to interrupt your conversation, but you did promise to help me choose a hat. And Thomas has quite finished indulging me.”
Emme pulled her gaze from his, nodding to her sister before returning her attention to him, smile sad. “Good day, Lord Ravenscross. I do hope you enjoy finishing the book—particularly to see what becomes of dear Colonel Brandon and Edward Ferrars. I think you’ll be pleased.”
With that, she stepped into the shop, leaving him standing on the street, her words and their implications echoing through him.
She’d forgiven him.
She’d seen past his failures and his missteps, and she believed in him despite them.
And he knew now that his next choice would be the one either to keep her in his life—or lose her forever.
He would take every ounce of courage he’d learned from the past two years and fight for her. For them, if he had a chance to win her. He just had to make a plan.
He’d made it halfway down the street back toward his horse when Selena Hemston emerged from around the corner of Rosewood Tea Rooms, her determined steps aimed directly at him. He dipped his head with the full intention of a quick greeting and escape, but she stepped directly in his path.
“What are you doing?”
Simon attempted to bypass her, but she slipped in front of him again. What was she playing at? “Walking to my horse.”
“You do realize, Lord Ravenscross”—Selena narrowed her eyes—“that it would be folly—utter folly—to reintroducethatattachment.”
“That attachment?” He arched a brow, his patience fraying at record speed.
She gestured back toward the haberdashery, her meaning clear. Had she been following him? Watching his interaction with Emme? What absurd game was she playing?
“To which attachment are you referring, Miss Hemston?” he asked. “The gossips have been rather industrious with my name of late. I’d like to ensure I’m addressing questions about the proper lady.”
“Don’t play coy with me,” she retorted, her tone clipped. “You know perfectly well to whom I refer. Or has your memory become as unreliable as your judgment?”
Simon’s mouth twitched, though not with amusement. He forced a mock smile that bordered on a grimace. “Your concern is noted, Miss Hemston. However, I assure you, my affairs—whether social or financial—are entirely mine to manage.”
Selena took a measured step closer, her voice lowering, almost taunting. “Then be responsible, Simon. Think carefully about what you’re throwing away—what you and your family stand to lose.” She tilted her head, her tone honeyed yet edged with steel.
Her words grated against him, but Simon held her gaze without flinching. “And you, Miss Hemston, need to understand that not all things can be claimed by mere assertion. Now, if you’ll excuse me—”
But Selena didn’t step aside, her lips curving into a smile that was all calculation. “Miss Lockhart may present herself as innocent and charming, but I suspect there is more to her than meets the eye. And rest assured, I will uncover it. I only hope it is before you make an unalterable mistake.”
