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My heart nearly stopped. “What?”
She picked up the envelope. “It’s from Theo.”
“Oh no,” I whispered. “This is the formal letter. He’s ending it. It’s over.”
“Maybe not,” she said.
I shook my head. “No. I don’t want to read it. I can’t.”
“Emilie,” she chided. “If it’s him officially breaking the match, don’t you want to know now before you get to the ball?”
“No.” I looked at the letter. “Yes.”
She gave it to me. “Just remember, this isn’t the end. No matter what’s in that letter, you’re going to be okay. You can go to school or take that backpacking trip you talked about. This is not the end.”
“Thank you,” I said.
I took a deep breath and opened it. I read the letter silently, absorbing each word. The sincerity of his emotions touched my heart, and a smile tugged at the corners of my lips. This was my Theo. He was a diehard romantic and it was exactly what I expected from him.
With a soft exhale, I showed the letter to Astrid, who leaned in to read it with me. “See, you never know what will happen during a Wed season!” she exclaimed. “I knew he wasn’t an asshole. He loves you!”
“He loves me,” I said. “I’m going to meet him on the ballroom floor.”
I folded the letter back and returned it to my pocket, feeling a renewed sense of determination. “Now, we need to rethink my gown. I have to look stunning. Everyone is going to be looking at us. I have to look perfect.”
“You always do,” my sister said.
“Nora!” I jumped up from the table. “What are you doing here?”
I threw my arms around her. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“I thought I would hang out with you and do what I can to support you since I’m the reason you’re in this mess.”
“I don’t feel like it’s a mess,” I said. “In fact, Theo sent me a letter.” I pulled it out and waved it. “He loves me.”
“Good for you,” she said. “Sounds like you got a good one. Come walk with me. Tell me about him.”
We strolled together through the manicured gardens of the estate. It was nice to have her back in my life. I missed her. And I had been mad at her. It had been easy to harbor resentment for the choices she had made that had such a profound impact on my life.
“Emilie, I’m sorry for the way I left. I fell in love, and I couldn’t ignore my heart’s desires any longer. When Father told me I had to go into the season, I panicked. I freaked out. I knew it was coming and I really thought I was ready for it, but I couldn’t go through with it. I’m so sorry I let it all fall on your shoulders. I really didn’t think they would put you in my place. I thought they would just scrap it and wait a couple of years.”
“You couldn’t have known,” I said.
“I did. Or at least I should have.”
“I think they have learned,” I said with a laugh.
“You were really brave,” she said and patted my arm. “You were a lot braver than I was. I snuck away and you faced them head on. Good for you.”
“Nora, I was angry with you for leaving, for leaving the entire country for me to bear. But I understand now that you had to follow your heart. I probably would have done the same thing in your situation.”
“Since you’ve been with Theo,” she said. “Now you know what love is.”
I smiled. “Yes.”
“I bet you never thought you would find it through a match,” she said, laughing.
“Definitely not.”
