Page 68 of The Best-Kept Secrets
Their smiles and laughter helped ease some of Eve’s tension.
Lisette, in her usual soft manner, asked, “Why is it you think Duke is upset with you, in particular?”
Heavens, this was going to turn into a confession whether she wanted it to or not. Once she started talking about it, she was unlikely to entirely prevent herself from telling them all her feelings for him. Being guarded was not, or at least had not previously been, a skill of hers.
“Duke was truly lovely during our journey here. He was kind and attentive. We talked easily about everything imaginable. We laughed about so many things.” Those memories had been so delightful but now mostly made her want to cry. “He held my hand.” Her newfound ability to not spill all her secrets came to the rescue; she managed not to tell them that he’d held herand evenkissedher.
“You’ve fallen a bit in love with him,” Gillian said.
There was little point in denying that. “More than a bit. And I thought the experience was a mutual one. But not long after we reached Fairfield—not immediately, but after a little while of being with everyone—he didn’t want to stand near me, and he didn’t smile at me like he had.”
They were all watching her now with mingled expressions of concern and offense on her behalf.
“He hasn’t been unkind,” she was quick to assure them. “At least I don’t think he has been deliberately. I know I said I thought he might be angry with me, but now that I’m finally talking about it, I don’t think that is quite right. I suspect he either realized I had come to believe there was more between us than he’d intended, and he’s attempting to prevent me from misunderstanding further, or upon reaching the house party, he had time to think on things a little more and realized that...” She swallowed quickly. “Realized that I am not really to his liking after all, beyond being a friend, at least.”
Lisette set her hand on Eve’s. The other Huntresses drew nearer to her as well, gathering around her.
“Do we need to vanquish him?” Artemis asked, clearly only half in jest.
“He was a little... blunt the last time I spoke with him,” she acknowledged. “And it was not enjoyable having things laid out so plainly, but I truly do not believe there was anyintentionalcruelty in his rejection.” It was still agonizing. “It is hardly his fault that he doesn’t have the same... feelings that I do. A person can’t be forced to love someone. And while I wish I could say otherwise, I think if he hadn’t been very direct about things, I probably would have gone on believing that we were viewing each other in the same way.”
Artemis sat on Eve’s other side and put an arm around her shoulders. “But bluntness and directness, even if notintentionallyhurtful, still are not always kindnesses.”
Eve took a deep breath for what felt like the first time since talking with Duke in the corridor the night before. The pain wasn’t gone—she suspected it wouldn’t be for a very long time, if ever—but she felt a little less overwhelmed by it.
“He and I could still be friends, don’t you think? I would be devastated if we weren’t still friends, at least.”
“I think so,” Artemis said. “There may be some awkwardness at first, but I do think you two can get past that.”
Except if that awkwardness lasted beyond a fortnight, there would be no chance of getting past it. Eve would be permanently at Tulleyloch, and she’d not ever see Duke again. She didn’t want her last interactions with him to be uncomfortable or unhappy. There had to be a way to salvage the time she had left.
He’d always been comfortable being her friend. And this was a gathering of friends. If she pushed aside all the hurt and the hopes she’d begun to let herself entertain, they could walk away from each other as friends.
“What else is worrying you?” Ellie asked. “There’s clearly more.”
All the Huntresses were well aware that the O’Doyle family was far from plump in the pocket. It was the reason the Pack had arranged for Duke to make the journey from Ireland with them. Eve could talk a little about her concerns on that score without betraying the recent change in their situation.
“Dr. Wilstead says that Nia will need medicines and doctors’ care even after we’ve returned to Ireland. I’m not certain how we will manage to pay for that.”
Lisette squeezed her hand. Artemis tightened her embrace.
Eve continued. “I’m more worried, though, that Nia is likely also concerned about that. She needs to be able to rest, to worry about nothing beyond recovering.” Eve hadn’t admitted that worry to anyone yet. “If I can think of somethingthat might help stretch the family budget, I could offer that reassurance to Nia. Dr. Wilstead says it is crucial that she rest as much as possible.”
“Does the doctor think Nia is growing more ill?” Daria asked.
Eve shook her head. “But he has emphatically told me that I need to watch for any indication that her heart might be struggling. Rheumatic fever can cause tremendous damage to the heart. Permanent, fatal damage.” She’d thought about this almost constantly since Dr. Wilstead had made his diagnosis. Speaking the words out loud was somehow both relieving and worrying. “If I can free her of even this one burden, she’ll be able to rest better. I need to give her that.”
“Perhaps you have a previously unrevealed talent for fashion,” Lisette said. “You could open a rival shop and race Miss Martinette’s to betheplace to be seen in Society.”
They all laughed, and Eve found she could as well.
“I fear I will have to obtain my funds some other way,” she said. “Alas, I’ve no hidden fashion abilities.”
“What hidden abilitiesdoyou have?” Ellie asked.
“Only one. But it does have to be kept secret, as thetonwould disapprove as wholeheartedly as they would a lady running a dress shop.”
With dry humor, Gillian said, “If only there were a way for you to feel confident that we could keep that particular variety of secret.”
