As she wept, Harriet realized that she was faced with an impossible choice: accept his offer and have the child she now wanted after having the experience of looking after Catherine, or refuse and lose him forever. Either way, she would be left with a broken heart.
Harriet did not remember when her maid came in, and tucked her into bed. She did not know when her tears stopped flowing. She did not know when she drifted off to sleep.
All she remembered was her grasping her pillow tightly to her body, whispering the words:
“I love you, Simon. I wish you could see that we could be happy together. But if this is all you can give me, then I’ll take it.”
CHAPTER 24
As Simon walked out of Harriet’s room, he felt a weight settle in his chest.
Why can you not give the girl what she wants?The question was bearing heavy on his soul.
Harriet had surprised him with her inclinations. From the moment that he had met her, he had known that she was not like other women.
She had always come across as a woman who had no qualms about standing up for herself. It must have taken a great deal of effort for someone like that to lay out her vulnerabilities in front of him.
For that, he was honored. But he could never be the picture of a perfect husband that she desired, the absolute domestic bliss — the thought alone sent shivers down his spine.
He was so busy with his own thoughts that he had nearly forgotten that Tobias was still here. Simon found him crouching outside the nursery door, looking as though he had been struck underhandedly.
“Tobias,” Simon called out to him immediately. Tobias had his head buried in his hands. At his brother’s provocation, he slowly removed them to peer between his fingers.
“Idonotknowwhattosay.”
“Pardon?” Simon took a cautious step forward. “What are you mumbling on about? How was the visit with Catherine?”
Tobias exhaled a deep sigh, and then as though he was gathering himself, arose slowly. He was as tall as Simon, if not taller and met his brother at eye-level.
“Brother, I…”
“Out with it,” Simon barked, having already run out of his patience for the day. “Do you finally see what you have done?”
“I wish that I could tell you I am horrified by my actions,” Tobias admitted. “Frankly, I expected that as well. But…”
Simon softened up significantly as he realized where his brother was going with this. Catherine had worked her magic again — gotten another member of the Atherton household firmly on her side.
“But what?” Simon beckoned him to confirm what he already suspected.
“Do you wish for me to say it?” Tobias asked, looking defeated.
Simon raised an eyebrow, beckoning him to continue.
“All I say to you is that this has felt like… one of the most important moments of my life, if not the most important,” Tobias admitted. “I will try my hardest to locate her mother. Seeing her now, I believe I know exactly where to look.”
That got an enthusiastic nod out of Simon. “Do you really believe that you have a lead?”
And then, Simon felt strange that they were treating the topic of finding the woman who gave birth to Catherine like a detective case.
“I shall return to you when I have news, dear brother,” Tobias announced, and began to retreat toward the door, his usual swagger tempered by the gravity of the moment.
Simon watched him go, his heart a mix of emotions — pride, concern, and a lingering sense of uncertainty. He wanted to believe in Tobias’s newfound resolve, to trust that his brother’s intentions were as genuine as they seemed. But years of disappointment and broken promises made it difficult to fully let down his guard.
“Tobias,” Simon called out just as his brother reached the threshold, his voice carrying a note of caution that couldn’t be ignored.
Tobias paused, turning back to face him, an eyebrow raised in silent inquiry.
“I hope that you keep your promise.”
