Philip nodded.
He wasn’t sure if he was convincing anyone, least of all himself, but there was no way that he would say anything else right now.
Georgina forced a smile on her face. She clearly did not seem to believe what Philp was saying, so all he could hope was that she would leave things for now. If they had to have aconversation about this, then that was something they could do later on at home.
“Come on,” Philip reminded her. “Let us continue to see the whole exhibit. I am sure there is a lot more for us to look at.”
“And to get emotional over.”
Luckily, Georgina was having such a lovely time with Lord Darlington, that she seemed very keen to get back to him. Philip observed their interaction closely for a moment to see if there was a spark there of any kind.
Lord Darlington was a respectable man with a good reputation, and he seemed genuinely interested in Georgina which was wonderful. Philip hoped that this courtship would blossom into something meaningful for his sister. He knew that would mean the world to her. But much as he knew that he had to keep an eye on Georgina, that wasn’t the easiest thing for him to do.
As they continued to walk around the exhibit, Philip was grateful that no one wanted comment from him on the artwork because his eyes were somewhere else. On Lady Verity at all times. He could not seem to help himself. All he wanted to do was bask in her presence once more. What a shame she had Lord Ambrose by her side at all times. Especially when it was very obvious that Verity wasn’t enjoying herself.
She had a strained smile on her face, and her shoulders tensed up every single time Ambrose leaned into whisper something to her. How could Ambrose not see the terrible effect that he was having on poor Verity? And in a place that she loved as well. It was heartbreaking to see it ruined for her.
Verity’s discomfort stirred a protective side of him that he did not even knew he had. All he wanted to do was rescue her. To whisk her away from Ambrose, but of course he could not do that. Not without causing an even bigger scandal than before. He had to keep his hands to himself, whether he wanted to or not.
The black cloud of a bad mood followed Philip all the way to the carriage. He could not shake off thoughts of Lady Verity even as they drove back home. It was hard for him not to grapple with the guilt that still clung to him, the fear that came with betraying Juliana’s memory by allowing himself to open his heart to another.
But then he was also struck by everyone’s words, urging him to move on, telling him that he deserved a second chance at love. He most certainly did not want a second chance at marriage, for it to be with a woman such as Lady Rosalind who he would never have anything in common with, but love… true love… the sort of love that lifted his spirits and made him feel like he could soar…
Now that was a very different story.
“Philip,” Georgina declared, interrupting his musings, her face etched with concern. “There is a turmoil that plagues you, I can see it. Please, share your burdens with me so I can help you.”
“Oh, no I don’t wish to burden you after your day with Lord Darlington…”
“Is it Lady Sinclair? Is she the one who is on your mind?”
Philip swallowed hard. He did not know that it was so obvious.
“She… I think she is a very interesting woman, which is all.”
But Georgina was too clever for that. She wasn’t going to allow him to sidestep the truth.
“She is also rather beautiful,” she said with a knowing, cocked eyebrow. “You must have noticed that.”
Philip felt his cheeks burning. “Yes, I suppose she could be considered beautiful.”
“And you seemed to have a lot to say to one another.”
“Hmm, yes, like I said she is very interesting.”
Georgina let out a little laugh. “If you are attracted to her, Philip, you know that you can tell me.”
“But Julianna…”
“Julianna wanted you to move on and be happy. She told you that, remember? I was there when she spoke those words.” Georgina reached out to hold Philip’s hands as he listened intently to her. “She would want you to find love again. The last thing she ever wanted was for you to live in the shadows like you have been doing, keeping away from everyone and everything. You know she wasn’t like that.”
Philip sighed heavily. “Those words are easy to say, but not too easy to act upon.”
Georgina nodded understandingly. “Yes, I know, Philip, but denying yourself a chance at love would be a disservice to both your late wife’s memory and your own heart. That is not how you want to live your life, is it? You don’t wish to waste the years that you have left.”
A thick ball of emotion lodged itself in Philip’s throat. He could not speak, even if he wanted to. Even if he knew what to say, which of course, he did not. When did his younger sister become so wise?
Georgina gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Promise me you will think about it, at least. Promise me you will not close your heart completely.”
