Page 4 of Forever & Again
Grace made her way to Matthew’s side, silently slipping her arm through his. He turned and offered her a hint of the smile that she had seen melt her best friend’s heart countless times.
“There you are, Gracie.” He said, resting a hand on top of hers. “Lizzy went looking for you.” His gaze drifted over the crowd searching for his wife, his smile softening with fond amusement. “Though I expect she has likely joined a revolution along the way.”
Grace managed a soft laugh. Sarah Elizabeth Fenwick was always wandering into something unexpected, exciting, and usually a little bit shocking.
She tightened her grip on Matthew’s arm, grounding herself in one of the only parts of her world that still felt familiar. People often spoke of Matthew’s bond with Benjamin and his great affection for Sarah, but they rarely mentioned the quiet, steady friendship that he and Grace had shared over the years.
In those early days when she was too terrified to tell Sarah how deeply she cared for her brother, Matthew had seen her feelings before she could even speak them aloud.
Since Benjamin’s death, something had shifted between them, a heaviness that neither of them quite knew how to name. But since his marriage to Sarah, Matthew had begun to let her back in, as if the sight of her no longer hurt so much.
“Grace,” he said softly, tilting his head. “Is something on your mind?”
Grace pushed her thoughts aside, opting for something safer that would only skim the surface of everything she had worked so hard to bury. “I simply cannot imagine how you and Benjamin were ever friends with that man. He is insufferable.”
Matthew blinked, taken off guard but clearly amused. “Unfortunately, I have yet to master the art of reading your mind, so you will have to be more specific.” His gaze drifted over the room. “I can think of at least six men here deserving of that title.”
“Lord Blackburn.” Grace sighed, already regretting giving him the dignity of a mention. “I just had the misfortune of speaking with him.”
Matthew laughed, “Oliver? He is harmless.” Grace’s head snapped up in surprise. “Harmless? I wasperilouslyclose to losing my sanity, Matty.”
“He is not entirely what he seems, Gracie.”
Grace’s chin lifted in challenge. “What he seems is difficult, and I am perfectly content knowing nothing beyond that.”
“You know,” Matthew said slowly, as if weighing the cost of what he was about to say. “Some may believe the same of you lately.” Grace leveled him with a glare, “Matthew Fenwick, are you comparing me to Oliver Blackburn?”
“Not in any way that should offend you.”
Matthew always told her that she could see too much, but tonight she felt the balance shift, as if he were peeling back the layers she wished everyone would leave untouched.
Grace felt her walls snap back into place. “I was not aware you also liked provoking bears.”
Matthew chuckled, “I know better than that.”
Grace tilted her head, a teasing edge in her voice. “I am not sure you do.”
Matthew’s gaze softened. “May I speak freely, as your friend?”
“I would prefer it if you did not.”
Matthew nodded silently, turning back towards the crowded room, his hands buried deep in his pockets. Grace studied his relaxed posture and the quiet resolve in his stance. “I did not expect you to give up so easily. I suppose whatever you had to say was not that important.”
“It is,” he replied. “But if you will not hear it from me, Sarah can simply tell you later.”
Were all men equally infuriating, or only the ones in her life?
“What did we just say about the bear, Matty?” He turned back to face her, his knowing smile far too similar to the ones she had tossed his way over the years.
“When I said I knew better, that is not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?” she asked, though a small part of her already feared the answer. Matthew took a small step towards her, his eyes as steady and familiar, but edged with a heaviness and grief she knew all too well.
“What others see as an angry bear,” he said quietly, “I know is really just a frightened cub. You may seem fierce, but it is only because you are protecting something tender. And your growl is far worse than your bite.”
Grace’s throat tightened. She hated how well he still knew her. For the second time that night, she found herself without a defense and with a sudden urge to flee.
“Suddenly, I am quite tired,” she said, forcing a steady breath. “If you see Sarah, tell her I have gone up and I will speak to her in the morning.”
