“John?”

Looking up, John saw Alice standing framed in the doorway, her expression a little wary.

“Yes?”

She hesitated. “Might I come in for a moment?”

Nodding, John got to his feet, a little confused as to why his sister appeared so reluctant. “Of course, Alice. You know you are always welcome in here.”

She smiled at him, although it did not quite reach her eyes. “Yes. Thank you, John.”

“Please.” He gestured to the chair by the fire and, after ringing the bell for tea, poured himself a brandy and came to sit down opposite her. Alice still looked rather anxious, the lines on her face a little more pronounced in the firelight. He wanted to rub them away, to relieve her of whatever was upsetting her.

“Did you have an enjoyable day?” she asked, surprising him. “I know you took Elouise to the ruin, for she told me all about it – including the enchantments that were all about!”

He chuckled, the tension broken in a moment. “Yes, indeed. She had a marvelous time – as did I. We are planning to take Miss Smith there tomorrow.”

Alice nodded slowly, a look of understanding in her eyes. “John,” she began, carefully. “I do not want you to think that I am prying or that I am, in any way, trying to push you in one direction or another, but I must ask –”

She was interrupted by the arrival of the tea tray, which frustrated John a little, given that she had been about to speak to him about whatever was on her mind. It was a good few minutes before she was ready again, her cup of tea gently steaming as she placed it delicately back in the saucer.

“What I wish to ask you, John, is what your intentions are for the girl,” Alice said, a little more firmly. “You care for her, that much is obvious, but she will return to the orphanage unless something changes.”

His gut twisted, recalling how Miss Smith had said almost the same thing to him. “Have you been talking to Miss Smith about this?”

Alice looked startled. “No,” she said, firmly. “I have not asked her opinion on the matter, although I have merely stated that you will have to consider Elouise’s future with a good deal of care. I want to ensure that you are doing that, John.”

He swallowed hard but shook his head. “The truth is, Alice, I have not been considering it at all.” It was as if, with those words, a heavy burden settled itself on his shoulders. “I have not thought of it at all, for I had not realized that their time here with us was coming to an end so soon.”

Alice’s expression was sympathetic. “She has been a wonderful young lady to have here, John. I know that she has helped bring you out of your misery.”

Another sigh escaped him. “Yes, she has,” he admitted, pushing his fingers through his hair. “As has Miss Smith.”

There came a short silence as Alice looked at him steadily, allowing him some time with his thoughts. He knew what she was suggesting, knew what she was trying to get him to realize and yet still he could not bring himself to say those words aloud.

“Goodness, Alice,” he muttered, leaning forward so that his elbows were on his knees, burying his face in his hands. “Why has this only come upon me today?”

A quiet laugh came from her. “Because, my dear brother, you have been caught up in all the happiness that has come with spending time with both Elouise and Miss Smith. You will now have to consider your future with both of them.”

His head shot up, his breath hitching.

“Yes, John,” Alice said, fondly, as though gently rebuking him. “Of course, I know how you feel about Miss Smith, even if you will not say so to me. It is quite obvious that you care for her very dearly, even if you think that you have kept such feelings very well hidden.” She chuckled as he stared at her, sitting back in her chair and sipping her tea. “So, tell me, John,” she finished, her tension and anxiety now gone completely. “What is it that you are considering? Will you have Elouise with you here for good?”

John let out a long, careful breath. “The truth is, Alice, I am not certain what I ought to do. I do not want Elouise to go, for she is truly a wonderful child, but I cannot abide the thought of Miss Smith returning to London either. But I must question my feelings. Are they strong enough to consider a future with her?”

Alice tipped her head. “Have you felt anything like this before, John? For any of the young ladies you met?”

“No,” he said slowly. “But I have not allowed myself to ever become caught up with another, since I always knew I was to marry father’s chosen bride for me.” Hesitating, he knew he had to admit this out loud. “I will not pretend that I find any of the ladies of my acquaintance to be anything like Miss Smith. She stands entirely on her own two feet, outshining the rest. She may not have all the airs and graces that a genteel young lady is expected to have, but she does not need them for her generous spirit and kind heart means more than any of those supposed qualities.”

“It sounds as though you admire her, John.”

“I do,” he admitted, quietly. “I have a good deal of respect for her. She has not shied away from speaking to me in ways that I needed to hear, even though I did not appreciate that at the time. She has shown me kindness, has shown me more forgiveness than I ever deserved. In short, Alice, she is unlike anyone I have ever known before.”

Alice smiled gently. “And she is good for you, John. It is not only Elouise’s presence that has brought you back to the man you once were, it is Miss Smith’s presence also. I have seen how you have sought her out and I have seen how she looks for you. Trust me when I say there is something in her own heart for you also.”

There came a sudden ache in his throat, as though this meant that everything he hoped for, everything he had wanted, was being handed to him. He did not know what to say, breathing hard as he let his gaze fix to the floor, overwhelmed by it all. Until this very moment, he had not realized that he cared so deeply for Miss Smith and yet, here he was, realizing that to have her in his home, to have her by his side, was all he wanted. To have Miss Smith and Elouise would bring his life more happiness than he had ever thought possible.

“I suppose I shall have to consider things long and hard,” he muttered quietly, as Alice let out a murmur of agreement. “Thank you for coming to talk to me about this, Alice. I hope you were not concerned that I would refuse to speak to you about these matters!”

His eyes lifted to hers and again he saw the deep concern written in her expression.

“I was concerned,” Alice admitted. “I have been prodding you and questioning you for so long, all in the hope of aiding you somehow and, thus far, I have failed. I was unsure as to whether or not you would welcome my intrusion.”

Reaching forward, he placed his hand on hers, feeling more appreciation than he could express. “You can never know just how much good you have done me, my dear sister,” he said, gently. “You brought Elouise and Miss Smith into my home and look just how much my world has changed. That is all because of you, Alice. I can never thank you enough.”

Alice’s words continued to linger in John’s mind even the next day, when Elouise and Miss Smith rode with him to the ruin in the center of the woods that were a part of his estate. He could not help but feel a sense of contentment as he let Elouise lead the way, with Miss Smith staying close beside her. This was truly what happiness was like, he told himself, realizing that he had not been in danger of slipping back into the darkness for a good few days now. In fact, he had not felt the grief he had been so used to feeling pierce his heart for a long time. The pain and suffering he had been so used to was no longer a part of his daily life and, with that realization came a huge swell of relief.

“And I have you to thank, my dear ladies,” he muttered to himself, his eyes lingering on Miss Smith.

“Here we are!” Elouise exclaimed, as the path rounded to the left to reveal what must once have been a fairly large structure of sorts. It had been here ever since John could remember, although no-one really knew what it was. His father had joked once that it had been a place for smugglers and thieves, which had made for many entertaining stories. His mother, of course, had believed that it was an old chapel, where priests had spent time with God so as not to be disturbed by any other living soul and surrounded only by nature. John did not know for certain what it could have been but was glad that Elouise found it as delightful as he had once done.

“Careful now,” he chuckled, bringing his stallion to a stop and jumping down before looping the reins loosely over a branch. “Remember, Elouise, a lady always waits for assistance before she attempts to dismount.”

Elouise, who had been on the verge of jumping down herself, looked suitably chagrined, even though a mischievous smile escaped her as he took her in his arms to lift her down. Her brown eyes, so like his own, were filled with delight and John could not help but laugh as he put her down, seeing her scurry away into the ruin.

“Do be careful, Elouise!” Miss Smith called, sounding a little anxious. “Royston, there is not anything that could fall on her or the like, is there?”

Smiling at her concern, he shook his head and walked over to her. “No, she is a fairly careful child and I myself spent a good many years climbing all over this when I was but a child myself. You need not worry, Miss Smith.”

He held his arms out to her, feeling his heart quickening in his chest as he did so. The thought of having her in his arms sent a fiery warmth all through him, making his breathing catch.

Carefully, she moved forward from her seat and leaned out, her hands on his shoulders. He placed his hands around her waist carefully, helping her to the ground.

Then, time seemed to come to a standstill.

She was still in his arms. He ought to have moved back by now, ought to have let her go but found that he could not. She was so close to him, her hands still resting gently on his shoulders and her mouth a little open as she looked up at him questioningly. All other coherent thought left his mind as he looked into her eyes, seeing the flecks of green spiraling through the blue. Her long dark lashes and dusky pink cheeks only added to her beauty, making him more inclined than ever to keep a hold of her.

“Royston,” she breathed, her voice low and husky. “I –”

The urge to kiss her came to him strong and fierce and, before he knew what he was doing, he had lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

Miss Smith responded to him immediately, her hands tightening on his shoulders before moving to wrap around his neck. Angling his head just a little, he pulled her tighter against him, almost entirely overcome with passion. She was warm and sweet, her lips were gentle and soft, making his heart burst with love.

“Miss Smith? You must come and see!”

The sound of Elouise’s voice broke them apart. John looked down at Miss Smith with gentle eyes, resting his forehead against hers for just a moment before stepping back. He reluctantly let her go, wishing that they had not been interrupted. There was more that he had wanted to say to her, wanted to explain that this kiss, whilst unexpected, was not something he did without thought.

But it appeared that Miss Smith did not have any kind of anger or frustration at him doing such a thing. Instead, she had a shy smile on her face, her eyes darting up to his face and then back to the ground again. Her cheeks were a rosy red but there was a happiness in her expression that told him his advances were welcomed. His sister had been right. Miss Smith did have a dear affection for him also.

“We will need to talk later, Miss Smith,” he murmured, catching her hand for a moment and pressing it lightly. “Perhaps this evening, when we cannot be interrupted?”

She ducked her head for a moment, although he could still see her smile lingering. “Thank you, Royston,” she replied, quietly. “I would like that very much.”