Page 38 of Crash Landing
“Oh, yes. You can. The Princess of Wales can be made to see reason. You are the one choosing to put your life at risk for an undeserving brother. I just don’t get it, Florence. What has he done to earn your loyalty?”
“Him? Nothing. I do this for the sake of my family. You should understand this, considering how close you Aubreys are to each other.”
“Do you think this will make your parents love you? That it will be the magical cure to make up for their years of neglect?” With a grunt of exasperation, he slipped his hands out of hers and began to pace like a caged beast in front of her. “They will not even thank you. And your brother will repeat his foolish behavior because he suffered no consequences for his actions.”
He was going to make her cry again. Everything he said was true.
And still, she needed to do this for herself. Even if her family nevershowed her the slightest appreciation, she would know that she had saved her brother.
Her father would know it, too. This was all that mattered to her. She would not require her father to ever utter a word of praise, but she would know he understood what she had done and be grateful for it.
Her mother would also know.
Perhaps this was the real reason she felt compelled to risk her life for her brother. Her mother would know, and possibly despise her all the more for it.
But Florence would see the recognition in the woman’s eyes each time they met.I saved your golden child. Love me or hate me, I don’t care. Justfeelsomething.
Anything was better than the complete indifference she had endured all her life.
“All right, Florence. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” Trajan said. “But I want you to know the offer of marriage was sincere on my part.”
She nodded. “And my joy in receiving it was just as sincere.”
“Then why hesitate to accept me?”
Her heart gave a little hitch, for she really wanted to shout with glee from the rooftops and consent to marry him. But Eden was first in his heart, and she did not know if she could handle this in their marriage. Could she be happy being merely second best in her husband’s affections? Having to look at him every day and know he was wishing for Eden to be the one by his side?
Even if he hid his disappointment well, and even if he was kind to her—which she knew he would be, because he was a very good man—she could not spend the rest of her life as someone’s leftovers. This was what she had been all her life. She would rather remain alone than have to endure it to the end of her days, especially from Trajan…this man she loved.
No, she meant…this man shecouldlove.
Was it not too soon to admit one was in love? Or to know it for a certainty?
Perhaps she was thinking too much about this.
Could marriage to him work? Was kindness enough to sustain them in a good marriage, even though she would be the only one truly in love?
He studied her for a long while before speaking again. “This is about Eden, isn’t it?”
She tipped her chin up. “I have no idea what you mean.”
“Oh, Florence. Your heart is an open window and I can see straight through it. I am not in love with Eden. I know this is what you are thinking.”
She was, but she merely pinched her lips together rather than acknowledge it.
“I will admit to holding a torch for her when I arrived at the Bromleighs’ house party last year. But then I met a fake bird watcher,” he said with an endearingly boyish smile, “who caught my attention, and I haven’t been able to get her out of my heart ever since.”
Her eyes widened. He’d saidout of his heartand not merelyout of his thoughts.
“Me?”
He laughed softly. “Yes, you. Imagine my surprise when you tumbled back into my life yesterday. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day we met. In fact, I was lost in dreams of you when you happened to fall atop me.”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Yes. I considered returning to London in the hope I might find you there. That’s what I was doing while walking in my woods yesterday morning. Thinking ofyou. Suddenly, there you were.”
She winced. “Crash landing on you.”
