“You won’t be abandoning them,” he stammered. “I live five miles away, not on the other side of the world.”
“Iwon’tbe abandoning them,” she repeated unshakably. “Not now, and not ever. It felt awful when Chloe left, and she’s in London, too.”
What could be more definitive thannot now, and not ever?
His chest hollowed. “If you don’t see any hope of a future between us—”
“Of course I do.” She pulled his hands to her bosom and gave a little bounce. “You must come live with us.”
“Live in that house with… your entire family?”
She nodded happily.
His skin turned clammy. Stephen tried his best to keep his voice calm and steady. “That’s very kind of you to offer, but there’s not enough room for me and my machines. Which are as much a part of me as… as your swords are a part of you.”
“It’s a very large residence,” she assured him. “Each sibling has their own spare room to do with as they will.”
“One room. To do with what they will.” His stomach roiled. “My love, I have an entire house to do with as we wish. You can have a whole floor for your armory if it pleases you. We can visit your siblings as often as you’d like. Doesn’t it make more sense to live where we both can be comfortable?”
She dropped his hands. “I’m comfortable in the room I’ve lived in for over twenty years.”
“Are you?” he asked softly. “Or is it what you’ve grown used to?”
“What about you?” she snapped. “If you stay with us, we’re only five miles away from your precious machines. You can visit them whenever you want.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I see we’re at a stalemate. If you’re not ready to leave your family, I won’t pressure you to do so.”
Her forehead lined. “That’s it, then? Battle over? We go our separate ways?”
“I hope not. I want to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you. If you ask it of me, I’d build you the tallest palace in the land, with a cabled conveyance that sails you from our tallest turret straight into your family’s sitting room. I’m open to any compromise at all that will give us a life together in which we both have the space we need to be our true selves.”
She crossed her arms and squinted at him.
He pressed on. “But if that’s not what you want, I won’t force you. If you don’t feel that being with me is agoodchoice, then it’s not the choice you should make.” Even if the loss of her killed him. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “How about you come and visitmewhen and if you see a mutual path forward, and we’ll resume our discussion then?”
She lifted her chin. “Fine.”
There. She’d agreed to something, at least. A pact Stephen already regretted, because he would miss her desperately from the moment she climbed into her carriage. And now he’d locked himself in a position where he couldn’t chase after her without undermining her free will.
No calls. No letters. No courtship.
Just Stephen, five miles away, hoping for a knock on his front door. Or a battle-axe.
“I should return to the parlor,” she said. “My siblings need me.”
He held up his palms in acquiescence.
When they reentered, Marjorie and Adrian were just pushing to their feet.
“There you are,” said Marjorie. “There’s still plenty of light for the journey. Adrian and I can break down the machines and arrange for hired carriages to transport them later.”
“I’ll collect my animals now,” said Jacob.
The rest chimed in with how they would help. They had clearly done this before. At this rate, they would be out the door in less than an hour.
“I’ve a reading circle tomorrow,” said Philippa. “Do you think we’ll be back in time?”
“If we drive straight through.” Graham looked at Elizabeth. “Are you up for a long ride?”
