Amelia twisted her fingers together, tilting her head up to stare at the moonlit sky.
“I think that he was weak,” Harry continued. “A kind man, but a weak one. He could deny us nothing, but he could deny himself nothing, either. His finances reflected that. I had to work hard to replenish the St. Louis coffers, but I have done it.”
“May I ask you something, Harry?”
“Of course.”
“You threw us out of the house we’d always lived in, without a penny. Did… Did Father leave us anything? Some money, or perhaps the house?”
Harry lifted his head, meeting her gaze. “You think that I would have kept your rightful inheritance from you?” he murmured wryly. “Now, who put that idea in your head, I wonder?”
She flushed. “Just answer me, please, Harry.”
He shifted. “No. As I said, our finances were very bad. The house you were living in had to be sold. The bills from your household had been a drain on our coffers for a long time, and I… I took a rather cruel pleasure in cutting you off. I am sorry, Amelia. I know that apologies will not undo what has been done, but there it is. I was hurt and angry and resentful, and I lashed out.”
“We managed,” she responded, wrapping her arms around herself. “And now I’m about to marry a duke.”
The words sounded flat in the still night air.
Harry nodded, staring at the toes of his boots again.
“Stephen was always one for women,” he said. “You are my sister, Amelia. I don’t want you to be humiliated. I don’t want you to marry a man who won’t honor his vows. I’m sure you don’t want to find yourself in the same position as my mother.”
It was as if he’d opened a trapdoor in her head and peered into her fears.
Amelia couldn’t help but flinch, clenching her back teeth. She thought again of the voices she had heard in Stephen’s room and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Amelia?”
Her eyes flew open at Harry’s worried voice, and she found him staring at her.
“Oh, heavens,” he mumbled. “He’s done something already, hasn’t he? Amelia, please,think. If he is behaving this way now, you must know that it’ll be a thousand times worse once you’re married. It’s not too late. You don’t have to go through with it.”
“You don’t understand,” she insisted. “This is the best choice.”
“Best choice for whom?”
“My sisters need?—”
He rose to his feet. “I can take care of your sisters. I can take care ofyou. The truth is that I always wanted siblings, but my father saw fit to rob me of them. I regret the sharp letters I sent you, but I want so badly to make amends. Why do you think I am here? The truth is, I—” He broke off with a self-conscious laugh, rubbing at the space between his eyebrows. “I knew that you would say no, but I wanted to offer to walk you down the aisle.”
Amelia blinked. “You cannot mean it.”
“No, it’s what I wanted. I thought you’d refuse, but if you accepted, then I should show the world at last that I have three wonderful sisters…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I rather lost my nerve at first. I was so angry. But if you’re having second thoughts, Amelia, you must tell me. I can help you. Iwantto help you.”
“I… I don’t know,” she whispered.
It was honest, at least.
A sharp wind rustled through the trees, raising goosebumps all over her skin. She shivered despite herself, wrapping her arms around herself.
Harry eyed her for a long moment.
“I want to talk more about this,” he pressed. “I’m chilled to the bone out here, so you must be nearly frozen. It goes without saying that I will not be welcome in Stephen’s house, but I have a house nearby. It is where I grew up, where our father lived. We could walk there. Will you come with me, Amelia?”
She paused, chewing on her lower lip. At that moment, she could not imagine returning to the house, but the wind was bitter, and she was indeed chilled to the bone. Still, going to Harry’s house felt wrong.
“I am not sure it would be a good idea,” she murmured.
