“You already know?” Father asks. He sounds so like his normal self, curious and engaged.
“Of course I know. I’ve been paying attention. I’ve been here,” Christopher replies, his voice cold.
“My responsibilities in London—”
“And I asked,” Christopher says over him. “You decided she was supposed to marry Mr.Boring two years ago and never bothered to ask if she even liked him, let alone if marriage was what she wanted.”
Rosalie places her hand on his arm. Christopher looks over at her and she can’t help but smile. His defense shifts something in her chest.
“I’ve never wanted to marry any man,” Rosalie hears herself say. “I’ve known that for a very long time, but I didn’t think there was any... alternative, until I met Catherine.” Christopher takes her hand and squeezes. “She’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever known, and I want the chance to be with her and to decide with her what our life could look like, if all of you and her parents can support that.”
Father’s lips twitch, almost like he might smile, but Mother’s face is still blank. She’s still too calm, too collected, and it puts a sliver of doubt into Rosalie’s otherwise rising hopes.
“But if the... solution you’ve come up with is that Catherine and I can be together for a few years, but then we’ll stillbe expected to part and marry, I don’t want it.” Mother purses her lips and Rosalie finds herself leaning forward, pulling Aunt Genevieve and Christopher with her. “It would hurt too much. It would hurt more than losing her now. Can’t you see that?”
“If Aunt Genevieve can’t have them live at Jones House forever, they can come live with me,” Christopher says quickly. “And they’ll never have to marry, if that’s what they want.”
“I never said they couldn’t stay with me forever,” Aunt Genevieve says, affronted.
“Well, at some point you’ll die,” Christopher says.
Rosalie gasps and Aunt Genevieve snorts. She thinks she hears Father laugh across from them, but she’s too busy staring at Christopher, aghast.
“Well, she will!” Christopher says, meeting her eyes. “I’m the only one who can offer you a permanent residence after the rest of them croak. You’ll have to take it.”
Mother, Father, and Aunt Genevieve let out varying noises of disagreement. Rosalie laughs, and it’s such a freeing, wonderful feeling.
“I already told you I would,” she says, gripping his hand.
“You made this offer already?” Father asks, bringing both their gazes back to him. “Where will you live?”
“The northern estate,” Christopher says. “Or I’ll find another residence if you won’t have us there until I inherit.”
“You’d be willing to spend your own money to give your sister a safe place to live?” Father presses.
“I’d be willing to spend all of my money to give her a safe place to live,” Christopher says simply, as easy as breathing. “If you won’t support her, I will.”
Rosalie presses her shoulder into his, so incredibly gratefulfor him, and for Aunt Genevieve, still clinging to her other hand.
Father’s stern face slowly cracks into a smile. “I am proud of you,” he says.
Christopher’s face stills, his hand going slack around her own.
“It seems you’ve made rather excellent use of this season. I regret that I doubted your intentions, staying here rather than coming with me to London. I will be proud to have you inherit the title, when I finally croak.”
It makes everyone except Mother laugh.
“Thank you,” Christopher says, his voice trembling. “I would do it for Rosalie even if you hated me for it, though, so don’t be too proud.”
“I’ll be proud of my son if I want,” Father argues. “You cannot stop me.”
Rosalie stares at him. More words that should have been said so much sooner.
But the way Christopher is smiling now, the way his hand is gripping Rosalie’s again, she’s grateful. It would have killed her for Christopher to lose their parents on her account.
“Don’t you want to run your own home someday? Have children?” Rosalie looks over to find Mother watching them almost curiously.
Rosalie hesitates, glancing at Aunt Genevieve and back to Mother. They’re both living lives she’s never wanted. Father—she doesn’t want to say this in front of him.
