“Courtships? Arthur, Mr. O’Connor is aman.”
Arthur waved one of his hands back and forth. “Semantics.”
“I know you’re trying to be funny, butI’mtrying to be serious.”
“Look, Charlotte,” Arthur began, uncrossing his legs and turning to face her, “I will be careful.Extremelycareful.”
“I know,” she said, both her tone and her expression softening. “But if something were to happen between the two of you, there would be risks. And I hope that you might consider coming to me so that I could help you navigate them. Although...” She frowned. “Perhaps I’m not the right person for that. I’m realizing now that I may not be as crafty as I once thought.”
Confused, Arthur tilted his head, silently urging her to explain what she meant. Charlotte rolled her bottom lip between her teeth, worry lines reappearing on her forehead.
“You can tell me,” Arthur encouraged. “Whatever it is that you’re referring to, I would never think less of you. I promise.”
“Well...” She blew out a breath. “I’ve fallen in love with someone.”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “Who?!”
“Miss Hawthorne.”
“Lizzie’stutor?!”
Oh,nowEmma’s earlier remarks were starting to make sense. Arthur began to laugh.
“Stop that!” Charlotte scolded, now laughing with him. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“Wait, so Emma knew that you two were together earlier?Whywere you even together?”
“We wanted to spend more time with each other!”
“But why not bring Emma to see Lizzie, then?”
“Because I thought that Emma would be happy enough to stay home and sleep in for once! I loved staying in bed on Sundays whenever myfamily would skip church!”
“God, me too.”
Charlotte lifted one of her hands, palm facing upward as though to tell him that he ought to have seen her point.
She continued, “Anyway, the last time Miss Hawthorne and I saw each other, she suggested that the next time Lizzie went to church with her parents, she could try to come visit me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I wasn’t ready to.”
“Even though I had previously confessed to you that I could see myself being with a man? Hell, even recently, I mentioned how intrigued I was by Mr. O’Connor!” Arthur clicked his tongue several times in mock chastisement. “Did you forget that I know the reason—therealreason—why you never wanted to marry as well?”
“Claire—” She cut herself off and restarted. “Sorry, Miss Hawthorne—”
“Charlotte, you may call her by her first name with me. Good Lord, you just confessed that you’re in love with the woman.”
Charlotte blushed. “Right. Sorry. Again.” She took a breath. “Claire is Lizzie’s tutor. And I thought you might be upset with me for liking her.”
“Never,” Arthur said emphatically. “I couldneverbe upset with you for something like this. Ever.”
Charlotte blinked a few times in rapid succession, likely trying to hold back tears.
“Thank you. I promise we’ll be more careful.”
“I’ll take Emma to church myself from now on,” Arthur said. “You and Miss Hawthorne can have some time to yourselves on Sunday mornings.”
