He did not appreciate threats from anyone, but he could see that these were the well-intentioned words of a friend who loved Evelyn very much. For that reason, and that reason alone, he allowed it to pass.
“If I should hurt Evelyn in any capacity, I would punish myself long before you ever had the chance,” he told her, meaning it. “Believe me when I say that I mean to be the man that she deserves.”
I want someone who will be honest with me. Someone who does not deceive or play games. I want someone who would not be afraid to show that I am loved and that I am important. I want someone who would never, not for a moment, dream of making me feel small.Evelyn’s words circled around in his head as he thought of the mountains still to climb, and the proof it would take to make her see that he loved her and wished to be hers.
I can be him, Evelyn. I promise.
All he needed was a chance, before time ran out.
CHAPTER THIRTY
“The guests are arriving, Lady Evelyn,” Margery said, tapping lightly on the open door of Evelyn’s chambers. “You should probably be there to greet them.”
Evelyn stared at her reflection in the mirror, noting the dark crescents beneath her eyes and the pallor of her skin. She had not slept properly in days, plagued with nightmares of marrying Miles that would soon be a reality. She had not been able to eat much, anxiety filling her stomach with lead. Now, even the small, smooth jewels on her necklace could not offer any comfort.
“Lady Evelyn?” Margery repeated, hesitantly.
“I shall be down in a moment.” Evelyn exhaled a strained breath.
The last dinner party had been a disaster, and she doubted this one would be much better. Although at least her friends wouldbe there to distract her: Octavia and Selina had both confirmed their attendance.
The housekeeper retreated from the door, allowing Evelyn her privacy, as voices drifted up from the hallway, the laughter and chatter of eager guests. Evelyn cringed as she thought she heard the grating sound of Miles’ mother’s voice. The old woman would undoubtedly be Evelyn’s primary companion once she married Miles, and though she never liked to be unkind, she could not tolerate the thought. Absolute solitude would have been preferable.
I wonder if Selina will have news of her own engagement.Evelyn’s heart ached, as sore as a scraped knee.Surely, upon their last outing, Hugo will have alluded to marriage if not asked her outright to be his wife.
She was sorry not to have attended the excursion to the botanical gardens with her dear friend, not least because she adored the botanical gardens, but it would have hurt too much. Still, that did not mean she had not thought about the final outing, imagining every possible outcome.
“Come on, Evelyn,” she muttered to herself, rising. “Best get it over with.”
At the door of her bedchamber, she paused to gather herself, forcing a smile onto her face. She pinched her cheeks a little to try and bring some color back into them and, tilting her chin up and pulling her shoulders back, she headed out onto the landing.
Below, two familiar guests had just been welcomed in by the footman, who took their cloaks. Evelyn’s spirits lifted at the sight of Octavia and Selina, but as she was about to call out to them, to greet them, another figure strode in through the front door and proceeded to peel off his greatcoat.
Evelyn stood frozen. Speechless.
What is he doing here?
They had not noticed her yet, but it was not as if she could remain in her bedchamber all evening, hiding from Hugo and her friends. The party was, after all, in her honor. A celebration of an engagement she did not want, now attended by the one man that her heart desired. It was a cruel twist indeed.
“Evie, there you are!” Selina called up, as Evelyn forced a new smile, the immense effort prompting her cheeks to twitch.
She looks beautiful. Tired… but beautiful.
Hugo watched Evelyn descend the stairs, breath abandoning his lungs as she came closer. There was a smile upon her face, though it did not reach her eyes, and he could not ignore the paleness of her skin, nor the bruised crescents under her eyes. Nothing could ever detract from her beauty, from how perfect he thought she was, but he was concerned.
“I am so pleased you could attend,” she said, too brightly, as she moved to embrace Octavia and Selina in turn.
She did not, however, pay attention to Hugo. She did not even look in his direction.
“We would not have missed it,” Octavia said, a sly note in her voice.
Hugo’s sister had been informed of the loose plan, and Selina’s part as conspirator. The night ahead would be an interesting one; that was for certain.
“I hope you do not mind that I brought Hugo?” Octavia added, with the right amount of feigned chagrin. “He had nothing to do this evening, and the invitation said I could bring a guest, so…”
“Mind? Why would I mind?” Evelyn’s voice cracked, her smile becoming tighter by the second. “Please, make yourselves comfortable in the drawing room. There are plenty of refreshments. My father clearly thinks that this is a ball rather than a humble dinner party.”
Her laughter echoed false, confirming Hugo’s hopes that she was not at all happy about this engagement… or perhaps it was just his presence that she was not happy about. He would not know until he managed to steal a moment alone with her, though he had notquiteconsidered how he might do that in her own home, with guests everywhere, under the watchful gaze of her brothers and father.
