Page 61 of Scales and Sensibility
Sir John smiled. It was not a pleasant expression. “I see you’ve grasped the situation, madam.”
Elinor didn’t speak. He turned and beckoned to Penelope. “Come along, puss. You’ve had some packages arrive from the dressmakers. You’ll want to see those, I expect.”
“Oh, Papa…” Penelope detached herself from Miss Armitage’s embrace. Wiping away tears, she shot a defiant look at Elinor.
“If you’re going to help,” she said, “I wantrealhelp from now on. And no lectures!”
She flounced into the house with Millie running after her. Gavin Armitage only laughed as he looked from Elinor to Penelope, and followed at a more leisurely stroll. Miss Armitage, though, stayed to give Elinor a long, considering look.
“So,” she murmured, “you’ve chosen the welfare of Penelope’s cousins—whom you’ve never met—over that of Lady Hathergill herself.” She raised her eyebrows. “Interesting.”
She glided away.
Benedict stirred beside Elinor. As the front door finally closed behind Miss Armitage, he began, “If I can help…”
Tears blurred Elinor’s vision. She snatched Sir Jessamyn out of his arms without meeting his gaze.
“It’s too late,” she said. “I’ve already ruined everything.”
* * *
She ranuntil her legs stopped moving, and when she finally stopped she found herself in the Hathergill’s enclosed wilderness.
How appropriate, she thought bitterly.
Sir Jessamyn was watching her with large, worried eyes from her arms. She choked down a sob as she leaned down to nuzzle him.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have run with you. It wasn’t fair. It probably frightened you.”
For a wonder, though, he hadn’t chuckled yet. She stroked her hands soothingly over his back even as she choked down a sob.
Ahead of her stood the same boulder Sir Jessamyn had sunned himself upon three days earlier, when she’d come here with Benedict. She forced herself forward those last few steps, then simply allowed her legs to give out. She landed on the boulder with a thump that sent pain shooting up her spine, and gathered up Sir Jessamyn against her chest as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“How did I get here?”
Of all of her sisters, she had always been the sensible one. The one who always kept a level head, no matter how angry or frightened she felt inside. The one who never, ever let herself lose control
…Because she couldn’t. She was the oldest. It was her role to be sensible, her role to pay attention to the practicalities of life, while Rose threw herself headlong into one passion after another and Harry lost herself in the beautiful maze of her own intellect. As a triangle, they had worked. They had functioned perfectly for seventeen years, even after their parents’ death.
But now her sisters were gone, Elinor was alone, and she didn’t even know who she was anymore. Would Rose and Harry recognize her if they saw her now?
Well… “Probably not,” she said out loud, and found herself hiccupping a laugh.
Who was she trying to fool? She was magically disguised as the foremost lady of London fashion.No onewould recognize her right now.
“Miss Tregarth?” said a voice behind her.
Without looking up, Elinor murmured, “Yes?”
And then every inch of her body went cold.
She lunged to her feet so swiftly that Sir Jessamyn protested, digging his claws into her skin to keep his balance. She barely noticed.
Benedict stood three feet away from her on the shaded path that led through the wilderness.
For a long moment, the hum of insects buzzing over the pond nearby was the only sound in the enclosed garden. Then Elinor said, “I mean—that is, of course, I didn’t—”
“I know.” Benedict took a step forward. His eyes were wide and filled with intense emotion. “I’ve known ever since that first morning here, when I touched your hand and saw you.Reallysaw you. I told myself that I’d imagined it, but I already knew better in my heart, even then.”
