Chapter Twenty
Henley traced the rim of his teacup with one finger, savoring the rare quiet of the breakfast room. The others had drifted off, already preparing for the afternoon’s outing.
A soft rain tapped against the windows—light, steady, unobtrusive. He glanced outside. It wouldn’t last. The day would clear, and with it, the outing would proceed as planned. He was glad for it. In public, he could be near Anna without risk of impropriety.
And, if he were honest, he enjoyed the way she looked at him when he teased her—half exasperated, half smiling, as though she hadn’t yet decided whether to scold him or smile.
His thoughts slipped back to breakfast. Edwin had claimed the seat beside her, as usual, with that infuriating mix of entitlement and inattentiveness—possessive, yet oblivious. Somehow, he’d mastered that balance.
But Anna hadn’t smiled. She’d tensed at Edwin’s touch, replied without warmth, shifted away when he leaned too close.
The change was slight, but Henley noticed it. And it gave him hope.
After last night—after those stolen moonlit moments—he dared to believe her affections might be shifting.
Maybe, just maybe, the balance had tipped.
Not that he could be sure. Not yet. Not until she spoke the words—to Edwin, or to him.
He lifted the cup to his lips. The tea had gone cold, but he drank anyway. He needed the distraction, however small, from the storm he felt brewing just beneath the surface.
As he set his teacup down, he heard footsteps in the hall. The gentle heel clip indicated a feminine shoe, and for a moment he watched intently, hoping for it to be Anna. Perhaps looking for him?
His hope was immediately quenched when it was rather his sister who entered the room, frowned, and then signed dramatically. “Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?” she asked in an irritated tone.
“Well.” He lifted his teacup in a greeting. “If you were, I’d think you’d be happy to see me rather than irritated at the fact.”
Pere’s frown deepened. “This is serious. I need to speak with you.” She raised her brows and glanced around the room, as if assuring herself that they were, indeed, alone.
“About?” Henley asked, his curiosity piqued. “Is the outing canceled and you’re distraught?” he teased, attempting to encourage his sister to speak faster.
“As if I care—okay, actually I do care about the picnic, but that’s beside the point. Can we go somewhere to talk?” Pere smoothed her skirt.
Henley frowned. “Is the vacant breakfast room not private enough?”
Pere glared. “No.”
Henley stood. “Very well, this is interesting.”
Pere waited for him to meet at the door and then gestured to the hall leading toward the exit to a small and rather private garden. “You have no idea,” she muttered.
“Ah, and the plot thickens.”
“It does, and it’s your fault.” Pere playfully jabbed him in the ribs and gave him a smirk.
Henley frowned. “I’m at fault? A first, I’m sure.”
“I highly doubt that. Wait, no, I am completely sure of that.”
Henley silently replayed his sister’s words, then hesitated.
Pere carried on a few more steps and paused before the door, then, as if just realizing he wasn’t directly behind her waiting to open said door, frowned. “Henley.” She looked pointedly at the door and waited.
“What do you mean, I’m making the plot thicken…” Tension crept into his shoulders as he considered all his actions of the past month, the fight that didn’t happen, and to whom it might have been told … and how society might have twisted that, like they had twisted the original sin of last year.
“It’s not that.” Pere’s voice cut through his thoughts like a knife and it gave him immediate relief.
“Open the door for me the like the gentleman I know you are, and we’ll talk about everything.” She gestured to the door once more and waited, arching a brow.
Henley quickly opened the door and led her into the weak sunshine.
The clouds had dispersed somewhat, just enough that the rain had halted, but the air was damp and chilly.
He glanced to a nearby bench, but the light rain had left it slightly wet, so he led her around a small hedge and then gave her a pointed look.
“Please, now I’m not curious, I’m concerned. ”
“You know, I don’t always agree with Edwin—no,” she corrected herself. “I rarely agree with him, but sometimes you are a mother hen, Henley.” She shook her head. “But I’ll give you the short version and then details, so you stop worrying.”
“Please.” Henley clipped.
He hated being called the mother hen, incredibly emasculating, but it wasn’t completely untrue either. Which was why he hated it so.
“So … I know.”
“About what?” His brows furrowed.
She gave him a sharp look. “Your habit of interrupting.” Then, more deliberately, “I know about you and Anna.” She blinked, eyes wide, watching him with a raised brow.
Henley’s curiosity sharpened, mixed with a desperate need to hear what had been said. “What exactly do you know?”
She leaned in slightly. “I know you’ve been very busy—and not entirely honest with me. But strangely, very open with my best friend, the one you’re secretly in love with.”
He smirked. “That’s one way to put it.”
“I can be direct when it suits me,” Pere replied, her tone defiant.
Henley nodded. “And?”
“And…” Pere let out an exasperated sigh. “And Edwin is going to be irate with you when he finds out, because Anna just rejected his suit.”
The world stopped spinning for half a second as Henley replayed the words once more, making sure he was hearing correctly. For good measure, and before he allowed himself to dare believe it, he asked Pere, “Say that again, clearly.”
“You, with your midnight kisses and stealing her in the hall away from Edwin, all the little flirtations that send sparks in very public dining rooms, everything, has created a situation where Anna, my best friend, who just told me all this a few hours ago, mind you, has decided that the brother that I thought she was in love with wasn’t the right brother. ”
“That … wasn’t nearly as clear as your first one but more detailed … are you certain?” Henley reached out and gently grasped his sister’s arms.
“I was there, Henley. I can’t be more certain.”
Henley let the dam holding back his reaction break, allowing all the dangerous hope he’d kept so cautiously to burst forth. “Me? Anna … she rejected Edwin because of me?”
“Yes. And it’s taking a lot of convincing to get you to see that fact. I’m worried about your intelligence. It speaks badly for the family if you’re this slow, Henley.” Pere rolled her eyes.
“I’m making sure I’m not reading into the situation.” Henley’s smile was so wide it made his face ache. “I … I need to see Anna.” He released Pere and turned, only to be halted by Pere’s hand on his shoulder holding him back. “No. She’s speaking with her parents.”
“Then I need to speak with her parents first—”
“No. You need to stop moving and listen.” Pere spun him around to face her, cupping his face in both hands until his eyes met hers.
“Give her time to address this. Then you can rush in and ask for her hand. But if this isn’t handled carefully, it could go very badly.
” She sighed dramatically. “And I don’t know how Edwin will take it when he realizes he’s been rejected because of you.
Hear me—we have to handle this in order. ”
She paused. “Start here. What do we do about Edwin? It’s going to become obvious very quickly who she’s chosen—especially if you start leaping fences to get to her. So, are you going to stay put if I let go of your face?”
Henley nodded. As Pere’s hands slowly left his face, he said, “You’re right. Edwin will be at the outing, and he’ll be all too eager to make me the center of a scandal—even if it means dragging Anna down with me.”
“Exactly. Unfortunately, Henley, people will quickly believe any scandal attached to your name because of…”
“I know; it was one of my greatest reasons I nearly didn’t pursue Anna,” he confided. “I know, and even now I wonder if I’m putting her in needless crossfire.”
“You might be, but Anna is able to navigate it, if needed. Her parents can vouch for her, and state that she informed them regarding Edwin’s pursuit. So that will be taken care of, but what will be an issue is if anyone suspects you of seducing her.”
“I haven’t,” Henley said quickly—not that he hadn’t wished he could, but it wouldn’t have honored her.
“I know that. But she’s been compromised by you—more than once, if we’re being honest.” Pere rolled her eyes. “Things I never thought I’d say about you.” She shuddered.
“Thank you?” Henley blinked, unsure how to take that. “I think. But it wasn’t a … thorough compromise.”
“Dear Lord, spare me the details. I don’t want to hear them.” She held up her hands and shook her head. “Regardless, it needs to be kept circumspect from now on. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
“Good. Now, let’s find Anna—together—and make a plan.”
“Wait.” Henley caught his sister’s arm. “How did it go? What did she say to Edwin? I want to know the particulars.”
Pere regarded him quietly. “She was graceful. He was not. His pride was bruised—he wasn’t expecting it.”
“I can imagine. He didn’t … touch her? Or raise his voice?”
“He did raise his voice. But I can’t speak to whether he touched her or not.
I gave them some privacy, though I stayed just outside the door in case anyone happened by.
The last thing we needed was some busybody claiming they were alone and forcing a marriage under the guise of her being compromised. ”
“Good Lord, yes, I understand.” Henley frowned. “I’ll ask Anna.”
“You should. But I will say—it was difficult for her. She’s struggling with a bit of guilt. Not for any reasons that make sense, mind you. It just … took time to sort through her feelings. Which I’m sure you know.”
“I do.” Henley nodded solemnly.
“But the point is—she did.”
“She did.” Henley let out a deep breath.
Then he met Pere’s eyes. “I know what an honor it is, even just to have a chance at winning her heart. And you need to know, as her best friend—I love her. If Edwin had truly been what she wanted, what she needed … I would have stepped aside. Gladly. But I knew he wouldn’t have loved her, treasured her, cherished her the way she deserves.
” He paused, his voice low but firm. “And I swear to you—I will. Until my dying breath.”
Pere blinked as a single tear slipped down her cheek. “Well.” She swallowed. “I can’t ask for more than that, can I?” She gave a watery shrug. “In the face of such adoration, how could she even entertain Edwin’s suit? Maybe she’s as slow as you.” She grinned.
“She did come around,” Henley replied, lips lifting.
“She did. I’m happy for you, Henley. I always wanted her as a sister—and now I still get that. And, in my opinion, the better brother won the battle for her heart.”
“It’s not over yet.” He arched a brow.
“No,” Pere agreed. “Never stop pursuing her. But now you can do it from a place of relationship, rather than just the hope of one.”
“You know,” Henley said, narrowing his eyes playfully, “you’re wiser than you look.”
“Shh. Don’t tell anyone. I want someone to fall in love with my looks alone.” Pere rolled her eyes with exaggerated flair. “I’m brilliant, thank you very much. It’s about time you realized it.”
“Understood.” He gave her a mock salute. “Shall we go find Anna?”
“Yes. She should be finished speaking with her parents. I can’t wait to hear how that conversation went. I bet they were as shocked as Edwin.” She giggled.
Henley frowned slightly. “Hopefully not too surprised. And reasonably open to another suit.”
“Her parents are unique in that they’ll give her heart serious consideration. Besides, it’s literally the same family.” She jabbed him lightly as they walked into the hall.
“True.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Later, you’ll have to tell me what Anna said about me when she finally told you.”
Pere glared at him. “I will not.”
“Why not? Please?”
“No. I won’t betray that trust. But you can ask her.”
“I will.”
“I don’t doubt it. And just know—if you ever hurt her, I’ll come after you. You may be my favorite brother, but Anna will be my favorite sister. She’ll pull rank.”
“Understood.” Henley paused and extended his hand. “And if I ever do, I give you permission to throttle me.”
Pere looked at his hand, then took it. “Don’t think I won’t remember this.”
“I know you will,” Henley said, smiling softly. “That’s how sure I am that you won’t ever need to.”