“It sounds as if you recited that from a poetry book,” Alice mumbled.
Emma giggled. “What do you think, Alice? Do you think he feels the same way?”
“I think Lord Christopher would be downright foolish if he did not, and he does not strike me as a foolish person.” Alice thought of the look the two had shared before Lord Christopher had walked away and nodded to herself. “Yes, I’m certain he does. Whenever you are around, he simply cannot take his eyes off you. It is certainly a telltale sign.”
“If that is the case, then that would mean Lord Erlington is in love with you.”
Alice looked sharply at her sister and caught the look of mischief in her eyes. “Pardon me?”
“Lord Erlington’s eyes follow you everywhere you go. Why, even when you were standing by that bookshelf, he would not stop staring at you.”
“Oh.” Alice blushed, looking away. “I see.”
“Well, then,” her sister said in surprise. “That was certainly not the reaction I was expecting to hear. Could it be that you might have fallen in love with him yourself, Alice?”
Even though Alice was certain her sister was only teasing her, she couldn’t help reacting strongly to the suggestion. “Absolutely not! I…I’ve simply come to realize that he is not the sort of man I thought he was.”
“What sort of gentleman is he then?”
Alice thought back on what he’d told her about his past love and felt her heart break all over again. “He has a soft heart,” she told Emma. “He loved once before, and because of that love’s tragic ending, he does not wish to subject himself to that again. I…I see much of myself in him, though we have two very different backgrounds.”
“Lord Erlington did strike me as a gentleman with far more layers than what you would see at first glance,” Emma agreed with a thoughtful nod. “That is truly sad to hear about his tragic love. But Alice, certainly you have not forgotten about his reputation?”
“It is that tragic love that gave birth to the man he is today,” Alice tried to explain but Emma was already shaking her head.
“You were the one who warned me to take heed when getting too close to a heartbreaker such as him. His past certainly is unfortunate, but it does not mean he will not try to charm you the way he has so many other ladies before you. You should take care to remember that, Alice.”
Alice studied Emma’s face with a slight frown, taken aback by how serious she sounded. “I did not think a day would come when you would be the one to lecture me,” she admitted.
Emma gave her a bright grin. “Neither did I, but I am most pleased that it has. It feels quite powerful being on the giving end.”
They both laughed at that but Emma’s words struck true. Her sister was right. She couldn’t let herself fall for William’s charms simply because he’d explained his past. She had to protect herself, and her own peace, above all else.
But…she didn’t want to. Even though she knew Emma was right, Alice didn’t want to be safe anymore. She didn’t want to guard her heart to the point where she shoved everyone out of her life. She wanted to know William more.
It seems this rebelliousness is still lingering from last night, she thought.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Emma called for them to enter and Nancy slipped into the room, holding a letter in her hand.
“This is for you, My Lady,” she stated, approaching Alice.
Alice accepted the letter with a smile. “Thank you,” she told her lady’s maid, who bowed her head and hurried out of the room. Alice took a better look at the letter and recognized the seal of the Earl of Brownley.
“Oh, goodness,” she sighed.
Emma caught sight of the dark seal and raised a brow. “Is that a letter from Lord Brownley?” she guessed.
“Yes.”
“It seems he has taken an interest in you.”
“I certainly hope not,” Alice responded, but she had a feeling that was the case. At his ball, she hadn’t missed the secretive looks he had given her, even though she’d tried her best to pretend she didn’t see them.
Emma giggled, coming to a stand. “I shall leave you be to break his heart then. But, please, Alice. Do be gentle.”
“I shan’t make any promises,” Alice murmured, still not opening the letter. She stared at Lord Brownley’s dark seal and felt a twist of annoyance deep within her.
The feeling was lightened a touch when Emma laughed again. “Goodness, if this doesn’t end soon you will be the sole reason for the string of broken hearts all throughout England.”
