“They are not the only ones spoiling me,” she teased.
She wiggled the fingers of her left hand, causing her engagement ring to glitter. He’d chosen the large center ruby to match her hair and added a halo of diamonds for extra sparkle. Since she’d protested that the ring was too much, he couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the matching necklace he planned to give her on their wedding day.
He lifted his brows. “Are you complaining?”
“No. I am wondering how I got so lucky.”
Her adoring expression thickened his throat.
“I am the lucky one,” he said huskily. “I love you, and my family does too. That is why they are welcoming you with open arms and why you should let them do so.”
Her eyes shimmered. Cuddled in his arms last night, she’d shared how much she looked forward to becoming a Harrington—to belonging to a loving family. He’d replied that he was happy to give that to her…and that, in her own way, she’d given him the same. Because of her, he was himself again and able to reconnect with the people he loved.
“Speaking of your family and fresh starts.” She fiddled with a button on his waistcoat. “Have you spoken to your younger brother?”
He…hadn’t. The truth was he was avoiding it. He and Owen now had civil conversations, and while the ability to tolerate one another wasn’t the same as their past closeness, it was better than their prior hostilities. As he’d told Xenia during one of their talks, he wasn’t as angry as he’d once been. He recognized the changes in Owen, whose actions had, after all, led to his rescue and foiled Lady Jo’s scheme.
Ethan owed Owen…but he didn’t know if he could forgive his brother completely.
Xenia’s response had been the same then as it was now.
“Talk to your brother,” she urged. “You will both feel better for it, and I say this as someone who has learned the importance of confronting the past. If you feel uncertain about what to say, just pretend that you know what you’re doing and follow your instincts.”
While he didn’t share her optimism that talking would improve matters with his brother, he did want to clear the air. Thus, he went to look for Owen and found him outside. To his surprise, Owen was helping the gardener with the planting of rosebushes.
“You needn’t bother with such work,” Ethan said to his brother. “I have staff now.”
“I know. I needed something to occupy myself with.”
Rising, Owen dusted himself off. He was dressed to work in old trousers and a loose shirt, a cap jammed over his shaggy hair. His collar was open, the cloth tied around his neck darkened with sweat.
His grey eyes were wary in his tanned face. “Was there something you wanted?”
“Come walk with me,” Ethan said.
Wordlessly, Owen strolled with him along the neatly cleared garden path. The walkway had been weeded and blanketed with new gravel, the flanking hedges neatly trimmed. The sun was bright, the sky blue, and birds and butterflies were in abundance. The setting had the makings of an idyllic late summer day…save for the brewing tension.
Ethan took the bull by its horns. “I haven’t yet thanked you,” he said.
Owen shot him a surprised glance. “For what?”
“For tracking me to Lady Jo’s hideaway.”
“It was nothing. Following someone is hardly heroic. It was not as if I took her and her men on single-handedly—” At his unfortunate choice of words, Owen paled, cutting himself off abruptly.
Ethan waited for the bitter anger to surface; when it didn’t, he felt a sense of relief. Xenia was right. The more time he spent with Owen, the more normal it felt. Avoiding their conflict had only made things worse…at least for him. Seeing the guilt and self-revulsion on Owen’s face, he had to say something.
“You acted wisely,” he corrected. “You rescued me and helped defeat the villains who threatened Xenia. I am in your debt.”
“You owe me nothing.” Owen’s gaze was locked on the path, his jaw clenched. “There is nothing I can do to make up for what I did to you, Ethan. You and I both know that. The others may try to gloss over the past, but the truth is I tookeverythingaway from you.Iam responsible for ending your career as a virtuoso.Irobbed you of your destiny and your future. There is no bloody going back.”
Ethan’s chest pounded at the truth laid bare. What Owen said was fact. Ethan had brooded over the exact same things—had used them to fuel his rage against his brother. Yet what had that accomplished?His fixation on the wrongs done to him hadn’t helped him to heal. It had only made him angry and resentful, and he’d alternated between lashing out at the world and wanting to hide from it.
Whathadturned things around for him was finding love. Finding Xenia.
Awareness prickled through him as he recognized the truth. Xenia had freed herself by facing her demons. And he could do the same.
“You’re right,” he said. “There is no going back.”
