“What are you doing loitering by my door?” she asked, arching a brow.
Charles straightened, offering his arm. “I came to escort you to the dining room.”
Elsbeth forced a polite smile as she accepted his arm. “How thoughtful.”
“You’re lying,” Charles said, a smirk tugging at his lips. “I know you too well.”
“Exactly,” Elsbeth replied. “Which is why a union between us would never work. No matter how distantly related we are, I consider you family.”
Charles sighed heavily. “It would be the perfect solution for both of us. I would have the funds to restore the estate, and you’d be welcomed back into Society as my countess.”
“It’s not as simple as that.”
“Perhaps not,” Charles admitted, his tone softening. “But I’m worried about you.”
Elsbeth stopped and turned to face him. “Worried? About me? Why?”
“Your mother wrote to me. She said you’ve been terribly unhappy here.”
The realization dawned on Elsbeth. “You offered for me out of pity,” she whispered.
“No!” Charles protested. “I don’t pity you. I only?—”
“Do you even want to marry me?” Elsbeth pressed, her voice rising.
Charles winced. “I do… because it’s my responsibility. I take that role seriously.”
Elsbeth shook her head, resuming her walk down the hall. “You don’t want to marry me, Charles. You’re just trying to do the honorable thing.”
“Is that so wrong?” he asked, catching up to her. “You could return to your home. Your friends. Your old life. Isn’t that what you want?”
“My old life is gone,” Elsbeth said, pausing at the top of the staircase. “And it is time I accept that.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“It does,” she insisted. “My friends abandoned me at the first hint of a scandal, and the only home I knew now belongs to you.”
Charles stepped closer. “Marry me, and I will ensure you are happy.”
Elsbeth heard the sincerity in his voice, but she knew why he was doing this. He was doing the honorable thing and she wouldn’t let him throw his life away for her. “My answer is no.”
“But you aren’t happy in this life.”
“True,” she admitted. “But I won’t trap you in a marriage you don’t want.”
Charles opened his mouth to argue, but she raised a hand, silencing him. “Thank you, Cousin, for your kindness. But my decision is final.”
He studied her for a moment, then conceded. “Your mother won’t be pleased.”
“I’m used to disappointing her,” Elsbeth said with a faint smile.
Charles gave her a bemused look. “Your mother loves you. You know that, right?”
“I do, but she’s so enamored with my stepfather. It is maddening.”
“Perhaps the problem isn’t her, Elsbeth,” Charles said pointedly. “Perhaps it’s you.”
Elsbeth blinked. “I beg your pardon?”
