“I fear for her, Luke, I truly do.” Jemima stepped forward. “Toward the end of the ball last night, I spoke to her again. She is truly a kind person. She didn’t run away from me or gossip. We talked at length about books. Goodness, I cannot remember the last time I had such an earnest and genuine conversation with someone at these balls.” Jemima’s words only made Luke remember how pleasant his own conversations with Miss Storey were.
“She is entertaining company, I know that,” Luke said, mirroring his sister’s stance and folding his arms.
“I do not want a lady like that to be hurt by whispers.”
“Neither do I.”
“Then why did you break your promise?” Jemima asked, stepping forward once again. Luke stayed completely still, frozen, unblinking, and staring at his sister. He even stopped breathing, waiting for words that would not come.
Eventually, the silence was broken, but not by Luke.
“Might I suggest he broke his promise for a reason you have not considered, Jemima?” Noah’s words made Jemima look away. Luke followed the gaze, too, turning to watch as Noah sat back on his armchair and lit his pipe, pulling out the tobacco from a snuffbox and preparing it.
“What do you mean?” Jemima asked quietly.
“Well, I seem to remember a time when everyone told me to stay away from a certain young lady, and I found it was the last thing in the world I could do.” Noah’s eyes were on Jemima alone. A second later, his meaning evidently became clear, for Jemima flicked her head back toward Luke.
“How much do you like Miss Storey, Luke?”
Luke glanced between the two of them before shaking his head.
“No, you are quite wrong. There is nothing between Miss Storey and I, nothing at all. Nothing like what you two share.” He stepped back from his sister and put some of the furniture between them, walking around the harp and pianoforte. His sister followed him, apparently not willing to let him escape so easily.
“Of course not,” Noah said drily. “That is why when she was dancing with Mr Knight at the assembly, you would not stop glaring at him. Poor fellow, if looks could kill, he would have dropped down dead there.”
“I was not that bad. Was I?” Luke asked, turning to look at Noah as he reached his side. Noah smirked at him in answer. “You are seeing things.”
“Is this true, Luke?” Jemima asked, following him so much that he set off once again around the room, trying to escape the attention of his sister. “You care for Miss Storey? It makes sense, does it not? She is so unlike every other lady you approach in these situations. Why else would you cross that boundary?”
“I quite agree,” Noah seconded, taking a draw on his pipe.
“Enough, please.” Luke came to a stop in the middle of the room and turned to face his sister. The strength in his voice brought her to an abrupt stop, tottering on her toes. “No more, I beg you.”
Her smile vanished, and sadness crept into her expression, one that made Luke immediately regret his harsh tone.
“I am sorry, Jemima,” he said, making his tone softer, though he spoke quickly now, with the words jumbling together. “You were right. I should have never danced with Miss Storey in the first place, and any…respectfor her that I feel is not important when it comes to considering what any association with me can do for her reputation.”
He paused, looking between his sister and Noah, their expressions both more confused than they were before. Slowly, Noah pulled the pipe out of his mouth and sat forward in his chair.
“You chose the wordrespectextremely carefully then,” Noah pointed out.
“Perhaps I did.” Luke looked away from his brother-in-law and down at his feet once more. He found it easier to talk that way when he didn’t have to meet their eyes. “In truth, I find Miss Storey fascinating.”
“That is wonderful!” Jemima declared, clasping her hands together.
“No. No, it is not.” Luke lifted his eyes once more, his voice sharp once again. “For you were right, Jemima. Any link to me causes only suspicions and whispers of her. I will not let that happen. I will not let the viciousness of the rumours in thetondestroy another’s life.” He looked about himself, deciding very suddenly that he could no longer be in his sister’s house. Ordinarily, this place was a second home to him, but not today. Now, he needed time alone. “If you would excuse me, I must head home.”
“Home? Now?” Jemima cried, following him as he headed for the door. Luke was relieved to see Noah made no effort to follow. He merely sat back in the chair once more and waved goodbye by nodding his pipe in his direction. “Noah, stop him.”
“I have no wish to, love. I think Luke needs to be with his thoughts right now.”
“Luke, please,” Jemima said, turning back and taking Luke’s arm, halting him as he had his hand on the door handle, ready to leave. “If you care for Miss Storey, truly, more than any other lady you have ever met, then you cannot ignore that. Can you?”
“I do not know her enough to declare I like her more than any other lady I have ever met. That is the truth of the matter.” Luke tried to hold onto this fact. All the attraction and all the fascination in the world was exciting, that was certain, but it said nothing of the heart. It did not hint at true devotion.
Luke glanced between Noah and Jemima, thinking of the way they were together.
Whatever is between Miss Storey and I, it is not what the two of them share. Not yet.