“I don’t think that’s true. It’s perhaps an unexpected thing about you. But everyone contains surprises, don’t they?”
“It’s a shame I can’t just marry you,” Eleanor said with a smile. This was an old joke between the pair of them. There had never been any romantic feelings here, and that sentiment was mutual and untroubling. But Phineaswasa close friend and a trusted confidante. Eleanor knew that she could easily live out the rest of her life in his company without it ever feeling unpleasant. Of course, it wouldn’t be love—not in the way Marina and Jacob had found love—and that was why they would never do it. But there was security in the thought as a fantasy. Phineas would always be kind. He would always accept Eleanor for who she was. At times like these, that felt like more than she dared to wish for.
Phineas smiled sadly. “I’m sure you’ll find someone who will make you happy,” he said. “For myself, I’m less certain.”
“Still no luck in identifying a lady you might wish to marry?
“No, no luck yet,” Phineas agreed.
There was a grief in his tone of voice that made Eleanor suspect there might be more to that story, and now she was curious.Wasthere someone he wanted? Someone he suspected he might not be able to have, and that was the reason for the sadness she perceived?
She wanted to ask him. But she also sensed that he might not like the question. If he’d wanted to talk about whatever he was feeling, he would have brought it up himself. So she allowed the question to remain unanswered. Instead, she said, “You could marry anybody you liked. I’m sure anyone would have you. And when I look at how happy my sister is with your brother, and how happy my parents are to see her marrying him, I know that any lady and any family would be pleased with a match with you. “
“You’re also kind,” Phineas said. “It’s a bit more complicated than that, I’m afraid. But I do hope that someday it will all work out.”
They’d reached the river. A part of Eleanor longed to try to cross it, the way she once had as a child, but she knew better now than to make the attempt. Marina and her parents might worry that she was careless, but shehadlearned from her mistake—not that it was dangerous to be alone on the grounds, but simply that the rocks in the river were slippery, and that it wasn’t a good idea to go jumping from one to the next. Instead, she found a large stone by the water’s edge and sat down on it.
Phineas came and stood beside her. “This is a beautiful place,” he said. “Do you remember when we would play here as children?”
“Only when we could manage to convince someone to take us outside,” Eleanor said. “Even then, my parents didn’t like to see me going off and doing things they considered to be unladylike. Even as a child, they were more concerned with the way I presented myself than with whether or not I was enjoying myself.”
“I think that’s true of most parents,” Phineas said gently. “I think you may be the one who’s unusual, Eleanor, wishing so fervently to be yourself at all times no matter what others might think.”
“But I know you don’t dislike that about me,” she said.
“No, I don’t,” Phineas agreed. “I’ve always found your zest for life captivating. It’s the reason we’re friends!”
“Do you think it’s even possible that there might exist a gentleman who could love me for it, instead of seeing it as a burden he had to bear?”
“I truly do,” Phineas said. “If I were to marry a lady like you, I would enjoy that quality of her character.”
“But I’ll never find that gentleman, because my parents are determined to make my choice for me.”
“Would you like my advice?” Phineas asked.
“I would welcome it.”
“You have the week,” Phineas said. “This whole week can be spent meeting gentlemen—and allowing them to meet you. I know you would have liked more time and more freedom in which to do it. But your parents no doubt wish you to use this time to charm someone?—”
“That’s exactly what they want.”
“You have choices, Eleanor,” Phineas said. “Find someone you like. There are many gentlemen here. I’m sure you can do that. Focus your efforts on charminghim.”
“It’s still an awful way to find a husband,” Eleanor said. “I look at my sister and your brother, and what I see are two people who were allowed to spend all the time they needed cultivating their relationship. I’m expected to find the perfect person and fall in love with him in the space of a week!”
“Not love, perhaps,” Phineas said. “But you can find someone youlike. You don’t need to worry about your father pushing you together with someone horrible. You can find someone acceptable to you if you allow yourself to let that happen.”
“You’re right, of course,” Eleanor said. “You’re always right, Phineas. I’m so glad you’re here to advise me. I’ll try what you’re suggesting. Who knows? Maybe it will even work.”
CHAPTER TEN
By the time Eleanor and Phineas returned to the house, it was full of people.
“I don’t know where you disappeared to,” her mother hissed as Eleanor rejoined the family to greet the arriving guests. “Your absence was noticed.”
“I’m sorry,” Eleanor said. “Phineas and I hadn’t seen one another in so long, you see.”
She expected further reprimands, but her mother merely pursed her lips and nodded. “Very well,” she said. “To wander off and give an extended greeting to one guest is all very well. But you had best not do it again! Your father wants to know where you are at all times, Eleanor. He won’t have any of your usual nonsense during this party, and neither will I.”
