“It’s all being arranged,” Nora said. “Supper will be ready in half an hour. Until then, would you two like the tour of our home?”
“It’s falling apart, but we’re working on it,” Hugo said with a laugh.
“Yes, of course,” Jane said. “I’d love to see it.”
Hugo and Nora linked arms and guided them out. Ripley took Jane’s arm, as well, but as they were led from room to room, he could see, and more to the point, he could feel that she was just holding on. So all he could do was pour his strength into her and hope that it would be enough.
After the tense conversation between her and her sister, Jane was happily surprised that the supper was less so. As much as she doubted Granger, he was difficult not to like. He was friendly and amusing, and he clearly wanted to impress the two of them. Ripley because it was evident he was fascinated by his half-brother, and her because he wanted to make things easier for Nora.
Perhaps because of that, Nora also seemed happier. She was animated when she spoke of the house and their plans. She would fit into the world she had married into. It would be difficult, of course, but she was more of that world than Jane’s.
Besides, Jane had every intention of using her connection to her friends like Esme, Marianne and Clarissa to ensure Nora was welcomed at least by a few ladies of quality.
Now they were finishing up their main course of the supper, a fine lamb shank with roasted vegetables, and Jane finally asked the question she’d been dying to know. “How did you two meet then?”
Nora stiffened a little, as if she anticipated this was a way for Jane to oppose the match, but Granger had none of the same reaction. His face lit up and he reached to Nora’s hand where she sat at his right and squeezed.
“I was riding my horse past the school when he threw a shoe,” he explained. “So I climbed down, and I admit I was swearing a rather blue streak out of frustration, trying to get him situated when I heard this musical laughter coming from behind the fence.”
Nora relaxed a little and laughed that very musical laughter even then. “He was just so funny because he was apologizing to the horse for his language even as he swore, telling him he wasn’t to blame for any of it.”
“Well, to be fair, dear Vincent had done nothing wrong.”
“Your horse’s name is Vincent?” Ripley asked with a chuckle.
Hugo nodded. “I like human names on animals. My childhood dogs were Adam, Stephen and Bernard.”
“Oh, we should get a dog, Hugo!” Nora said. “I’ve always wanted a dog.”
Hugo looked at her with nothing less than utterly pleased indulgence. “Then a dog you shall have, my love. And you’ll name him or her.” He brought his attention back to Jane and Ripley. “Anyway, I looked up to see who was laughing at my situation and there was this angel, all haloed in sunlight. I was helplessly smitten.”
“From then on we would meet at the fence and talk,” Nora said. “I looked forward to those meetings all the time. I couldn’t wait to see him.”
Jane glanced at Ripley and found he was looking at her. She’d had the same experience with him, though her meetings were at far more unsavory places than a fence at a seminary for girls. But seeing him at the Donville Masquerade or at fights…those had been the highlight of her life for years. The thing that dragged her through the worst moments. She’d always taken a deep breath and reminded herself that at least she would see Ripley again.
“What about you two?” Hugo asked.
Ripley shifted as if he felt the discordance between the sweetness of Nora and Hugo’s story and the harder edges of his own with Jane.
“She came to a fight,” he said at last. “I saw her in the crowd and couldn’t take my eyes off her. I haven’t since.”
“Ah, love at first sight.” Hugo tipped a glass toward him with a wide, sweet smile. “Isn’t it grand?”
Ripley looked at her and beneath the table he covered her knee gently. “Yes. It is.”
Her cheeks heated as she looked at her plate. There he was, easily sharing the fact that he loved her. He never even hesitated even though she hadn’t given him any of that in return. Just like she had done with Nora, it seemed all she could do was hurt him by trying to protect him.
She cleared her throat as the empty plates were taken. What she wanted was to run away from all this. From the good and the bad, the guilt and the joy. But perhaps she’d been doing just that for too long. So she smiled and nodded as her sister suggested that they have drinks after supper, play cards together. Like this was just…normal.
Could this be normal?
She shook away the thought and watched as Hugo took Nora’s arm, the way she looked up at him with such love. And she saw the same expression on Ripley’s face as he reached for her.
“How did it go with her?” he asked softly.
She blinked, trying to quell the sting of tears. “Complicated. I caused her a great deal of harm in my attempt to keep her safe.”
He stiffened. “She must see why you did as you did.”
