forget and forgive.”
***
Never look at his face for more thantwoseconds.
Never let him see how he affects you.
Never smile at him.
Never stray from a business-like demeanor.
Never let him touch my hand or face or arm.
Never agree with him.
Never forgive him.
Iadded these few points to my list before leaving for the village. It was important that I had all my rules in order. This meeting with James was nothing but a brief business exchange. Clara deserved to be happy, and I would not allow anyone to stop that from happening. Especially not James Wortham.
With nervous feet, I walked all the way to the village. The snow had been falling lightly when I left our cottage, but as Icontinued down the path, the wind blew harder and large flakes of snow hit my face, leaving me numb and red. I pulled up the hood of my cloak and kept my head down until I reached the market area of the town. Hardly anyone was out, so I rotated the other direction and started toward James’s house.
I kept my head down and the snow out of my eyes, recalling the route to his house without looking up to find landmarks. After several minutes, I spotted it and rushed to the doorstep, cold enough to care very little about the awkwardness of the situation and the confrontation I was about to make.
I knocked hard three times and waited. The faint sound of footsteps reached my ears and the door opened abruptly.
James’s features lifted in a mixture of surprise and concern, but he soon recovered and ushered me inside. He forced the door closed behind him, locking the freezing air and snow where it could no longer touch me.
“Charlotte?” His brow furrowed in exasperation. “Do you wish to become ill?”
“No.” My voice was weak. I shivered.
“Come sit by the fire.” He gestured to the sitting room. I walked ahead and he followed, pulling two chairs close to the hearth. Awkward silence filled the air between us as he sat down and crossed his arms. “What the devil were you doing out in a storm like that? And alone?” His voice was calm, but his eyes were hotter than the fire. “It’s dangerous.”
“I needed to see you—to speak with you.” My voice was much too quick.
A flash of concern crossed his expression. “It must be quite urgent.”
I took a deep breath and gave him the sternest look I could manage. “Why have you turned your brother against Clara?”
He didn’t deny it, but leaned forward in his chair, so close that I could see the flecks of grey in his eyes. “I care about my brother, and I don’t want him to be hurt.”
I crossed my arms. “To separate the two of them surelyishurting him. Do you understand how it’s breaking my sister’s heart? She is not trying to win his fortune or title. She loves him. You are not protecting your brother by keeping him from her. If he loves her in return, then let him.”
“Perhaps I’m protecting him from precisely that.” His voice was throaty and full of doubt. “He loved his wife once, and he lost her. It is better to not love at all than to experience the pain that always follows. It isn’t worth it.”
I was even more angry now. “So you knew he loved Clara, and that she loved him…and still you turned him against her?”
He shook his head. “All I did was tell him the truth about why you came here. He has chosen to distance himself.”
“But they will be happy together! Clara has never wanted anything more. When love is true and good, doesn’t it bring happiness?”
James’s gaze was heavy. “Perhaps, but I have never seen it.”
I paused, letting the silence and power of his words settle. My heart beat loudly, and the anger boiling in my veins fell to a simmer. “Nor have I.”
My gaze locked on his and my heart threatened to burst. The flames from the fireplace reflected dancing shadows on his face. The air between us was taut with misunderstanding and heartbreak—desperation to understand…something. I breathed in slowly, drawing closer to him against my will.
James’s eyes flickered over my face one more time. He ran his hand over his hair with a sigh. “If you are certain that her feelings are genuine, then encourage your sister to prove it to him. Change his mind.”
