Winston grinned despite himself. “You missed a few steps there.”
“Did I?” Elodie asked, smiling mischievously.
Winston’s grin faded as he met his sister’s earnest gaze. “Elodie, it is not that simple. There are things you don’t understand.”
“What is there to understand?” Elodie asked. “Could you truly watch Mattie being courted by a myriad of suitors and just stand by and watch?”
Winston decided it was best if he just told Elodie the truth and hoped she would understand. “I wrote Mattie a letter, declaring my intentions, but she never responded.”
“You gave her this letter?”Elodie asked.
“No, but I gave it to Miss Emma, and she assured me that Mattie would receive it,” Winston said.
Elodie considered his words before asking, “When was this?”
“About a year ago,” Winston replied.
“People change,” Elodie insisted. “What if Mattie regrets not responding to your letter and is hoping you make another attempt?”
Winston placed a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “I am not going to pester Mattie until she agrees to marry me. That wouldn’t be fair to her, or me.”
“So you just give up?”
He shook his head. “It is better this way.”
Elodie’s eyes grew wide with frustration. “Better for whom?” she asked, her voice rising in challenge.
Winston sighed, dropping his arm. “It is complicated, Elodie, and I hope that you will respect my choice in the matter.”
“But you are wrong to do so,” Elodie insisted. “You are denying yourself happiness. You must trust me on this. Just go speak to Mattie and tell her that you are madly in love with her.”
He blinked, taken aback. “Who said anything about love?”
Elodie gave him a knowing look. “I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at Mattie,” she said. “And, quite frankly, I have suspected it for quite some time now.”
Winston looked away, the weight of her words pressing on him. “What if you are wrong?” he asked. “I will be humiliated once more.”
“I used to think that love was elusive, like a unicorn…”
“Unicorns aren’t real,” Winston interjected.
“… we shall have to agree to disagree on that,” she said, undeterred.
Winston gave his sister an exasperated look. “There is nothing to disagree upon. Unicorns aren’t real.”
“Aren’t they?” Elodie’s eyes twinkled with amusement.
“They are not,” Winston responded firmly.
“Fine. Have it your way,” Elodie said with a smile. “I used to think that love was imaginary, like a unicorn, but I was wrong. If you have a chance at love, you must take it, even if it means that your heart is ripped open. Because the right person is capable of making it whole.”
Winston eyed Elodie curiously, wondering when she had gotten so wise. But despite the familiar amusement in her eyes, he saw the sincerity as well. Perhaps she was right. And, perhaps, despite everything, there was still a chance for him and Mattie. “Thank you, Elodie,” he said softly. “I will think about what you have said.”
Elodie smiled. “You might want to speak to Mattie now since Mother is holding her hostage in the dining room.”
He chuckled. “That does not surprise me.”
As he made his way to the dining room, Elodie’s words echoed in his mind. With each step, his resolve strengthened. He would speak to Mattie. He would tell her everything and hope that she wouldn’t reject him once more.
