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"But not his love."
"Exactly. You yourself just said he'll never stand still long enough to put down roots or—heaven help him—fall in love."
"All the more reason why it's up to you to make him stand still long enough for that to happen."
"What?" Aurora's head came up.
"You heard me," Courtney stated flatly. "Aurora, you, better than anyone, know that winning Slayde over was a monumental challenge. He was determined for the Huntley name, along with that detestable curse, to die with him. To that end he swore off marriage and children. I was desperately in love with him and miserable at the prospect of our never having a life together. You're the one who told me to go after my future, because ultimately it was Slayde's future as well."
"I did say that, didn't I?"
"Um-hum. But advice, my friend, is easy to give. Carrying it out, especially when it means battling 'an immovable rock', is hard. Damned hard. I have no doubt you're up for the challenge. The question is, do you love Julian enough to seize it, to hang on until you conquer it?"
"You ask arduous questions." Aurora massaged her temples. "But Lord help me, I think the answer is yes."
"So do I." Courtney's lips curved. "Let's explore these emotions of yours. You once asked me what it felt like to be in love. Now 'tis my turn to ask you. Tell me how Julian makes you feel."
"How Julian makes me feel?" Aurora sucked in her breath. "Like a storm-tossed sea. Like the branches on an oak when the wind sweeps through them. Like a waterfall plunging over the edge of a cliff and crashing to a swirling pool below. Like…"
"All right, all right," Courtney interrupted, laughing. "I should have expected that."
"It's nothing like the description you gave me."
"Perhaps that's because love is different for each of us. For me it meant a sense of peace, belonging. For you it means exhilaration, adventure. Aurora, we both know you'd never be content with a serene and quiet life."
"Nor do I seem destined to have one. Certainly not once I've conveyed my feelings to Julian."
"You're so convinced he'll react badly?"
"Aren't you?"
"No. I think you're underestimating how much he cares for you. Oh, I don't expect he'll admit it; allowing himself the vulnerability of needing someone will doubtless seem an untenable prospect."
"Untenable? He'll never permit it."
"We don't always have control over our emotions."
"Courtney, this is preposterous." Aurora sprang to her feet, pacing restlessly about the bedchamber. "Julian and I have been married less than a week. Prior to that we scarcely knew each other." She halted, pivoting about to face her friend. "How long did it take you to realize you were in love with Slayde?"
"Less time than it's taken you to perceive your feelings for Julian. And remember, Slayde and I were truly strangers—in every way. You and Julian are married; you share an intimacy Slayde and I didn't experience right away."
"That's passion, not love."
"In your case it's passion coupled with the same emotional affinity Slayde and I shared. In truth, I can't imagine a more powerful combination. So time is not the issue here."
"Perhaps not. But, Courtney, I'm not as selfless as you. I can't bear loving a man who can't—won't—return my love."
"You won't have to," Courtney replied softly. "Trust me, Aurora. Julian is half in love with you already. I see it in his eyes when he gazes at you, in his voice when he boasts of your skill as an adventurer. Even in the protective way he looks out for your well-being. And his desire for you—well, that's self-evident. All the seeds are there. 'Tis up to you to make them grow. After that, both your lives will be transformed."
Aurora was on the verge of disagreeing when Courtney's final statement sank in. "Odd," she commented aloud. "Mr. Scollard said almost those exact words when he spoke of my future with Julian."
"Really?" Courtney jumped on her friend's revelation. "When was this?"
"Right after Julian offered for me. I raced straight to the lighthouse to see Mr. Scollard. He, too, said that Julian and I would transform each other's lives—at the same time, incidentally, that he revealed the true story of the Fox and the Falcon—before I told it to him."
"None of that should surprise you, knowing Mr. Scollard." Courtney dismissed Aurora's disclosure with a wave of her hand. "What else did Mr. Scollard say about you and Julian?"
"He cautioned me that the merlin was deceptive, sometimes in ways even he himself doesn't comprehend. And he heralded love as the strongest and most wondrous of forces, with the exception of fate."
