Chapter 25
Luke didn’t have to wait long at his sister’s door in the darkness. He only knocked once before it was flung open. Once again, the butler was not there to greet him, but Noah was. He appeared to have been waiting in the hallway for his arrival.
“You knew I would come now?” Luke asked.
“Something told me you would not come in the daytime.” Noah beckoned him inside. “Into the music room. Jemima is about to destroy our harp with the way she is playing it.”
The closer Luke got to the music room, with Noah at his heels, the more he could hear how much the harp was being tortured. The skill Jemima had gradually been developing seemed to have faded completely, for she strummed it with vigour so that each string, in turn, thrummed. It made each wrong note all the more noticeable so that both he and Noah flinched at each wrong chord as they got closer to her.
Once Noah opened the door to the room, the music abruptly stopped.
“He has come, love,” Noah said. When Luke didn’t step any further forward, Noah grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room, then shut the door noisily behind him.
“I deserved that,” Luke murmured, rubbing the sore spot on his arm.
“You deserve worse,” Noah muttered in anger. “You have done the very thing you and I have despised another gentleman for these past few years.” He shook his head and walked away, putting the distance of the room between them. Luke felt the guilt grow worse. He and Noah had always been close. The knowledge that he had let both Noah and Jemima down crushed him.
“Luke, I want an explanation.” Jemima was on her feet. As she marched past the harp, she nearly knocked it over, leaving Noah to run forward and catch it in time, huffing as he set it straight once again.
Jemima marched so close toward Luke that he backed up, not noticing the chair that was behind him. He fell into it, leaving Jemima towering over him.
“What have you done to poor Miss Storey?” Jemima cried out the words. Luke had expected a stream of shouts and reprimands, but it was not what he got. Jemima stayed silent, clearly waiting for him to offer an answer to this question. She heaved with each breath, and her eyes were red, showing that she had been crying.
“It is not easy to explain.” Luke’s voice was meeker than he could remember it being before.
“Then begin. Now.” Jemima brought forward another chair and sat down in front of him, waving at him to speak as their mother used to do. “I will continue to wait until you explain yourself.” Across the room, Luke was aware of his brother-in-law fetching himself a brandy and knocking it back in one. Luke could have done with that same relief at this moment, but he thought it best not to ask for one.
I have already taken enough liberties in this house.
“I never meant for this to happen, Jemima, please. Would you believe that?” Luke asked softly and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
“Oh, so you were just kissing Miss Storey in our study without expectation of anything coming of it?” When Luke offered no answer to his sister’s words, she sat forward, a look of realisation on her face. “Oh…you mean that this was....”
“Jemima,” Noah called across the room. “Judging by the way those two were in each other’s arms, that was no first kiss.”
Luke looked down, unable to meet either of their gazes. When Jemima struck him across the arm, angered, he winced, but he did not make a sound. He felt he deserved it.
“I cannot believe you,” Jemima muttered angrily.
“I did not intend for this to happen.”
“Then what did you intend to happen?
“I do not know, but not this.” Luke was startled by the vigour that overtook him. He stood to his feet, making his sister look up at him with a stunned expression. Even Noah paused across the room, with his brandy glass held limply in his hand.
“It just happened. One thing after another became completely natural, to the point that thinking of staying away from Annie, I mean…Miss Storey,” he corrected himself quickly, but that slip merely made Noah bang his glass down on the table beside him, angered all the more. “Staying away from her was impossible. I didn’t want to stay away from her.”
“Then you know how you feel about her.” Noah’s words were succinct. “Are you in love, Luke?”
He couldn’t answer. He looked away from his sister and brother-in-law, rubbing his hands across his face, deep in thought.
“Are you, Luke?” Jemima hurried him on.
“Yes.” At last, he gave way to the word. When he turned back to face his family, lowering his hands, he was surprised to find Noah and Jemima staring at one another across the room, their shock evident and the anger draining from their faces.
“Good, then the resolution is a simple one,” Noah said with a shrug and poured out another bandy for himself.
“Noah is right.” Jemima turned back to face Luke. “Youare the one who has destroyed her reputation, Luke, and you love her regardless. Surely you must see there is one remedy before you?”