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He told his friend, glad for Ben’s interest, but he couldn’t help but remember his in-depth conversation with Tillie. They’d discussed star charts and the inner workings of telescopes and…
“Has Tillie seen this?”
The question caught Alex off guard. “Of course not. She is occupied with the house party in the evenings.”
“Did you tell her about it?”
“I did.” Alex shifted.
“And?”
What was Ben trying to ask precisely? “She asked a thousand questions that were a great deal of fun to answer.”
Ben gave Alex a long, assessing stare as he cocked his head to one side. “And you’ve been to her lab. And you walked to the picnic together.”
Alex grimaced. Now he understood the direction of the line of questions. “You wish to know the nature of our relationship.”
“I do.”
“So this is not a casual chat with two friends catching up?” Alex turned to face Ben directly.
Ben chuckled. “I suppose not. But Tillie is my sister. One I love dearly.”
He scrubbed the back of his neck, trying to decide how best to answer. Finally, he settled on the truth. “As do I.”
Ben’s mouth dropped open. “You? Love Tillie?”
Alex shrugged. “She’s so full of life. All the ladies I’ve met have been rather dull in comparison.”
Ben laughed. “She is most certainly that. Though of late…”
“I know. The world is attempting to squeeze out all of her uniqueness. I shan’t let it. Not if I can help it.”
Ben cocked his head to the side as he studied his friend. “You really do love her.”
Alex gave a quick nod though his lips sunk into a frown. “I don’t know that she returns my affections. And even if she does, I’m not sure she’ll choose marriage for her future.”
“I know. And it makes me sad. Not that a woman can’t choose a life other than marriage, but Tillie has so much heart. I know she’ll be happier with a family.”
Hope rose in Alex’s chest, but he pushed it aside. “That is not even my first concern. She needs to remember herself so that she can see her future clearly. She’s gotten so muddled and less sure of her path.”
Ben reached out and patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry I doubted your intentions at all.”
“Did you doubt them?”
Ben shrugged. “Tillie’s also very pretty. Even I can see that.”
She was. Exceptionally lovely.
“And she often misses people’s intentions. It makes me more cautious with her future than I was even over Millie, who can often seem the more innocent.”
The need to protect Tillie rose in his chest. “I would never hurt her, Ben. Even if she doesn’t choose me. I’ll see her on the path she meant to tread.”
Ben gave a nod. “You’re a good man, Alex. Always have been.”
“Thank you,” Alex said as he studied his friend. “Now tell me. Where have you been hiding this entire party?”
Ben shook his head. “This conversation is not about me.”
“It could be,” Alex retorted.
“No.” Ben took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you soon. I’m just not quite ready.”
That piqued Alex’s curiosity, but he left the topic alone. “Would you like to ride back to the house with me? When we can discuss far less personal subjects?”
“You’ll not stay out?”
Alex shook his head. “No.” Tonight, his thoughts, for once, were far more focused on what was happening inside the estate instead of what was happening up in the sky.
