As well he should be. The late Marquess of Haven had not been well thought of before his death, according to gossip. Lots of gambling. Drinking. Women. “I’m aware, my lord.”
“He feels responsible for what happened, though none of it was his fault. Nor what happened to his sister.” Blythe looked at her for understanding. “Has he mentioned the uncle living with him at Greenbriar?”
“He’s a drunk,” Theo replied, wondering what accident had befallen Haven’s sister. He’d only mentioned her being ill, nothing more.
Blythe nodded. “Haven is intensely private, even with those closest to him. Believe it or not, I didn’t even know he had an uncle until recently. He rarely speaks of his sister. Never of the late marquess.” A wrinkle creased his brow. “Won’t ask for assistance. His pride won’t allow it, I suspect.” Blythe hesitated, probably assuming he’d said more than he should. “I wanted you to know, we spoke of Miss Emerson several times beforeyour encounter with him in my study.”
Was knowing Haven spoke to Blythe about the possibility of courting Miss Emerson meant to make Theo feel better? Because it did not. Her feelings for Haven were tangled enough without feeling second best to Viscount Emerson’s perfect daughter.
Blythe gently took her hand. “You were doubtless in the study because of me. You were meaning to present the gift you’d brought for my birthday, weren’t you?”
Entirely true. “Yes, my lord.” Theo waited for Blythe to ask her about the gift, perhaps show some interest in what she’d planned to give him.
“It is my fault you were there,” he said in a distressed tone. “I’m so—”
“You are not to blame, my lord.” Theo interrupted the start of Blythe’s speech. So,thiswas truly why Blythe was here. Not to reassure her that his friend wasn’t an utter cad. Or to ask after her health. But to relieve his own guilt over the entire affair.
“I am sincere, my lord. I absolve you,” she said, meaning the words.
Blythe nodded, relieved. “Haven is a good man. Once you get past all the anger. He is easy to rile, especially when insulted about his circumstances.”
Or when taunted with Theo’s affection for Blythe, which was steadily waning.
“My lord, may I ask you something?” Though she knew what Blythe’s response would be, and it would change nothing, Theo needed to hear the truth from him. If nothing else, it would help her move forward, as she needed to.
“We are friends, Theodosia. At least I hope we are.” He smiled down at her.
How often had she dreamt of ways to get him to smile at her? Counted the number of times when he did? “We are friends, my lord.”
“Then ask away.”
Theo plucked at her skirts, choosing her words carefully. “If I were not compelled to marry Haven, if I hadn’t been compromised, would you have asked to court me properly? Offered for me someday?”
Once the words left her mouth, Theo looked out into the gardens, focusing on a rosebush with its cluster of pink blooms. A child’s laughter floated in the air, probably coming from the park. She thought about the day she’d spied Blythe from her studio flying a kite with his nephew. How she’d rushed down the stairs demanding Phaedra and Olivia immediately grab their shawls and follow her through the garden gate. What had she been doing before Blythe had distracted her?
I’d been looking at the sketch of my father and couldn’t bear to do so a moment longer.
Theo hadn’t seen Blythe for a year or so when he’d appeared in the park outside her studio windows. She’d thrown off her spectacles, determined to seek him out and capture his attention. The sketch of her father, one of many she’d done, had been placed back in a portfolio to be tucked away on a distant shelf in her studio.
The portfolio was still there, collecting dust across the top. She couldn’t bear to look at it.
“Please do not spare my feelings.” Theo turned back to Blythe. “I value your honesty. As I said. We are friends, regardless. And always will be.”
Blythe stayed silent a long time.Toolong. He stood, taking her hand, and bowed. His lips brushed against Theo’s knuckles.
Not so much as a tingle ran through her.
“I hold you in the highest esteem, Theodosia. I enjoy your company. But I would not have offered for you.”
She waited for a rush of pain to follow his pronouncement, but all she felt was a slight shadow across her heart, the memory of a dream she’d once had.
“Thank you, my lord.”
Blythe was so lovely with his golden perfection set against the palette of the garden, like one of her mother’s Grecian statues come to life. But the sight no longer left her in awe. For the first time since meeting Blythe, Theo considered another, more imperfect face. One just as handsome, but also possessing flaws. Like a nose not perfectly straight. A terrible haircut. A tiny scar on the chin.
Blythe squeezed Theo’s fingers before releasing her hand. “Good day, Lady Theodosia. I wish you every happiness.”
“Good day, Lord Blythe.”
