Emily laughed. “You two seem rather too at odds to not think of each other at all.”
“Well, it is rather hard not to be at odds when she seems to have taken a particular and unjustifiable dislike to me,” Blake pointed out.
“And have you not done the same with her?” Emily asked.
Blake paused for a moment, considering her words, and then said, “I do not appreciate being told how to live my life.”
“You and Jane have that in common.” Emily nodded to herself.
“I find that hard to believe,” Blake said, without thinking.
“Then you have seen precious little of my sister,” Emily replied.
Blake thought about the version of Jane who seemed to shrink into the shadows around others. “That is easily done.”
“Is it? You two seem to have rather a habit of finding one another.”
“No, we do not.” Blake tried not to sound defensive, but he was unsure if he had been particularly successful.
“For two people who profess to have no interest in one another, you do seem drawn to each other.” Emily gave him a look that he couldn’t quite place.
He frowned at her. “I cannot help it if we are both in the wedding party.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
“Nothing, just that you seem to have rather strong feelings about my sister.” Emily said the last part casually, but Blake saw the small smile on her face.
“I would argue your sister has strong feelings about me—the womanloathesme.” He thought of the anger in Jane’s eyes and softened as he remembered their exchange the night before.
“Prove it.”
“She does not loathe you.” Emily chewed her lip as if in thought.
“Does she not?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Jane does not really loathe people.” Emily shrugged.
“She could have fooled me,” Blake muttered.
“I think you wind her up, and you know that.” She met his gaze, though there was no accusation in her eyes. Rather, it was a statement of fact. “Yet, I think it is mutual.”
“You think your sister winds me up?” He inclined his head towards her.
“Yes. Though I do not think she does it intentionally.”
“Why are you so sure she has that effect on me?”
“I have eyes.”
Blake couldn’t help but laugh at the frankness with which Emily said the words. She smiled back at him.
“I had not thought our… interactions had been so noticeable.”
“Perhaps to others, but there is clearly some disagreement between the two of you.”
“It is not all my fault. I confess I find it puzzling.”
