“Go and beg, you mean?”
“Persuade was the word Mary used.” Jacob gave him a faint, nervous smile.
“You should know that the Duchess of Norfolk is quite resistant to persuasion.”
“Then it runs in the family,” Jacob said ruefully. “Look, I know this is none of my business…”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Mr. Browning—”
“It’s just Will.”
“Alright, Will. I know we knew each other only fleetingly when we were teenagers, but can I ask you, do you love Rose?”
Will stopped throwing the boxes but didn’t turn and didn’t answer.
“Because if you do love her,” Jacob was going on, “I think she is about to do something really ill-advised, and only you can stop her.”
“I wasn’t successful last time. What makes you think I will be now?”
“Because she told Mary she loves you.”
Now Will did turn and looked directly at Jacob.
“She did?” So, Rose was crying and telling her family she loved him. Even though his heart had jumped in his chest at the words, he knew he could not move faster than she did. He hid his smile.
“Well, she knows where I am,” he said brusquely.
“So you will not go to her?” Jacob asked.
“No.” Will picked up another box.
“Will you at least think about it,” Jacob said, “So I could take that back.”
Will looked at him. He seemed a decent man, and Will had been very fond of Mary.
“Oh, you can be assured that I am thinking about everything you have said.”
He put his head down and went back to shifting the boxes. When he looked up again, Jacob was gone.
That evening, Will met John at White’s Gentlemen’s Club and told him about Jacob’s visit.
“Will you go to her now?” John also asked.
“No!” Will smiled.
“Why on earth not?”
“This time, she has to come to me. She will.”
“And what if she doesn’t?”
“Then she will have made her choice, once and for all.”
“And you could live with that?” John asked.
No, Will thought.