Bennett came to a stop on the gravel path and gently turned her to face him. “If it helps, our family meals often ended in fighting.”
“That does help a little,” Delphine remarked.
“And I learned quickly to duck when Elodie would reachfor a roll,” Bennett shared with a chuckle. “She had an impressive aim for her age.”
Delphine sighed wistfully. “It still sounds rather idyllic.”
Bennett put his finger under her chin and raised it until she was looking at him. “Your past is your past; I cannot change that. But I can change your future,” he said. “You came into my life for a reason, and I don’t intend to ever let you go.”
Delphine held his gaze, trying to decipher his words, wondering if he meant something more. Did she dare allow herself to hope for a deeper connection between them? The sincerity in his eyes made her heart ache with the possibility of a different future, one where she wasn’t alone.
“No matter what happens, I will always be your friend,” Bennett said, his eyes searching hers.
Her heart sank.
Friend.
The word echoed in her mind, extinguishing any flicker of hope she had dared to entertain. How foolish she had been to imagine he felt differently about her.
Mustering up a smile, Delphine replied, “I feel the same.”
She thought she saw a fleeting look of disappointment in Bennett’s eyes, or perhaps it was just her imagination. Maybe it wasn’t only her heart playing tricks on her.
Bennett withdrew his hand. “We must make haste if we want any leftover haggis,” he said, his words light and playful.
Delphine had been adamant that she didn’t want to wed for the foreseeable future. But the more time she spent with Bennett, she was starting to come to the realization that maybe- just, maybe- she didn’t want to be alone anymore.
Chapter Nine
As Bennett guided Delphine towards the dining room, he couldn’t help but notice her uncharacteristic silence. Had he unintentionally said or done something to upset her? The thought troubled him because he cared greatly for her. Being with her felt like a respite, a chance to be his true self without pretense.
Concern gnawed at him as he stole a glance at her and noticed her gaze was fixed ahead. He decided that the silence had gone on for too long. “You are being awfully quiet,” he remarked.
Delphine offered him a weak smile. “I suppose I am,” she responded. “I am thinking about the soiree that your mother is planning.”
“There is no need to worry about that. She just wants to show you off to our friends,” Bennett said.
“What if they find me lacking?”
Bennett thought that was rather a ridiculous notion. “Why would they find you lacking?” he asked.
Delphine bit her lower lip before saying, “I have never had a party in my honor before. What if I say or do something?—”
He came to a stop in the entry hall and turned her to face him. “You are overthinking this, Delphie. You are enough.”
“Not to my father,” Delphine sighed, the pain evident in her eyes. “I was never enough for him. It didn’t matter how hard I tried to be the person he wanted me to be. I always failed, time and time again.” She hesitated. “That is why I work tirelessly to ensure the estate and my business thrive. I need to prove to myself that I am just as capable, if not better, than my father.”
Bennett leaned in closer, his voice filled with sincerity. “Well, if you ask me, he was a muttonhead to not appreciate what he had right in front of him.”
“You say that now…”
He spoke over her, determined to make his point. “I will say thatalways,” he stated firmly. “What I know about you is simple. You make me laugh, and I prefer to be around you because of the person I become when I’m with you.”
“That is the way you make me feel as well,” Delphine admitted.
“Then it is a good thing that we have found one another, is it not?” Bennett asked.
Delphine’s eyes lit up. “I suppose it is.”
