“You must put me out of my misery. I am not going to be able to eat unless I find out what this secret of yours is,” Emma said exaggeratedly once again.
“I think…” Deborah sucked in another deep breath. “I think I have caught the very affliction that you and Peter suffer from.”
“Affliction? But we are perfectly healthy. I am afraid that I do not understand what you mean.”
“Emma, you must read between the lines. I am clearly hinting at something.”
“Perhaps I could use another hint?”
Deborah could tell that Emma was trying her hardest to figure it out but couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
“If you want me to be quite obvious, then I can tell you that it concerns matters of the heart.”
Emma gave her a knowing look, as if she already knew what Deborah was about to tell her.
“Have you fallen for someone?”
Deborah nodded before groaning loudly and burying her face in her hands. “I never thought I would find myself in this position, but here I am.”
“Do I know this gentleman who was lucky enough to have captured your heart?”
“I am afraid that you know him a little too well. In fact, you know him better than anyone else.”
Realization finally dawned on Emma, and her mouth fell open. “Deborah, do you have feelings for Henry?”
Feeling both liberated and embarrassed at the same time, Deborah nodded before training her gaze on the ground.
“Oh, my dear Lord.” Emma’s shock was quickly replaced by a wide smile. “I cannot say that I saw this coming in the slightest.”
“Please do not hate me for it.” Deborah sighed. “I tried my hardest to fight my feelings, but it seems that my heart has a mind of its own, and it refuses to listen to me. Tell me, is it really a crime to harbor feelings for someone, even when it is not right to do so?”
“Deborah my dear, you are being far too hard on yourself,” Emma soothed. “What you’ve just told me is not something that I expected. However, it’s not your fault. In fact, it is far from a crime. But you have to help me understand how this happened.”
Deborah nodded, feeling comforted that she finally had the opportunity to speak about feelings that she had been hiding away in the corners of her heart this entire time.
“Well, I suppose it is just the fact that my heart begins beating very loudly whenever he is around. At first, it was just annoyance, but then, it turned into excitement, and I found myself looking forward to seeing him.”
“Ah,” Emma said, her eyes glazing over wistfully as she remembered her own love story. “That is how it starts.”
“Can you suggest to me how to stop it?” Deborah asked, feeling helpless.
“Stop it?” Emma chuckled. “I am afraid there is no stopping feelings once they take root. From there on, they only grow larger and larger until they spill over the container in which they are kept.”
Deborah groaned loudly. “Perfect. You know, in a strange way, you have something to do with this.”
“Me?” Emma sat up a little straighter, pressing her hand to her chest.
“Yes! You and Peter. The first time I ever met His Grace, it was in the garden when I was on guard trying to keep him from finding out about the two of you.”
Emma’s face lit up with a warm smile. “Oh, my dear. If anything, that makes for an adorable story. Don’t you think?”
“Adorable?” Deborah repeated, shaking her head. “I never told you this, but…”
“Yes?” Emma prompted.
“You said that you will not judge me no matter what I tell you, correct?”
“Of course, and I haven’t judged you in the slightest, so far. So, please, tell me, because I am growing quite invested in this story that you are telling me.”
