Her mother was right. Perhaps a few years ago, she would have gone along with all of this, but she had seen her closest friends get married, witnessed the love their husbands had for them, and the chance for them to live as they wished.
It had given her hope. Hope for something different. For a life that she had always dreamed of, but had never thought was possible.
Her mind flitted to Jonny for just a moment, thinking of how he had kissed her, how he hadn’t judged her, how he had trusted in her ability to keep up with him, to be equal to him.
But then she remembered how easily he had dismissed her and told herself that while he might respect her, he certainly didn’t feel anything for her.
It was a thought that stuck with her when she sat in the living room a few hours later, waiting patiently as she and her mother welcomed Mrs. Carter and her son, David, the man whom she had, at one point, dreamed about.
Until she had realized just what he was truly like.
“Miss Jones,” he murmured as he bent over her hand, his black hair close against his head as he dipped it before her, his mustache brushing against her fingers. She shivered at the touch, but unlike the tremors of desire Jonny had given her, with David, she only wanted to pull her hand away.
“How are you?” she asked as they all took seats, her mother and Mrs. Carter deliberately sitting farther away, sending small glances over their shoulders, their smiles approving, even though Ada practically hugged the arm of one side of the sofa.
“I am doing well. And you?”
“Fine,” she said, before silence stretched between them, and they each looked at one another awkwardly before they broke the connection and gazed around the room, Ada’s fingers tapping against her knee.
“What has kept you busy?” she finally asked.
“Busy?”
“Yes,” she said, a small smile she didn’t feel gracing her lips. “I have hardly seen you of late. Where have you been?”
“Oh,” he said, his brows raising. “I have been busy with business matters.”
“Business matters,” she repeated. “At all hours?”
“Yes, mostly,” he said, dipping his head.
“Tell me, David,” she said, leaning in toward him as though she had a secret, and he followed suit. She lowered her voice enough that their mothers wouldn’t hear. “Do you truly want to marry me?”
He jerked backward as though she had slapped him, drawing attention from across the room, causing Ada to cringe when her mother eyed her suspiciously.
“O-of course,” he said, nodding. “Why would I not?”
She shrugged. “You haven’t moved forward with anything yet,” she said. “But quite honestly, if you have no intention of doing so — or if you would prefer to marry someone else — best to say the word now so that my parents can move on.”
She already had and would certainly feel nothing but relief.
His eyes shifted from one side to the other, not landing on her.
“It’s not like that.”
“No?” she said. “Then do tell me the truth of it.”
“I have been busy, like I said,” he repeated, nodding his head vigorously, as though pleased with what he had come up with. Ada waited to see if he had any further explanation, buthe only tapped his fingers against his knee as though this conversation was boring him.
When luncheon was announced, he practically sprang to his feet in relief, and Ada could only sigh as they went in to dine.
If this was the life that awaited her, she was in big trouble.
There was only one option.
To find a way out of this.
And to do it soon.
