They looked exactly like what they were: two people who had been kissing passionately in a secluded corner.
"We cannot go back in like this," Vanessa whispered frantically.
"No." Martin was attempting to straighten his cravat, failing utterly. "Your hair…"
"I know." She reached up, trying to tuck the loose strands back into some semblance of order. "Is it very bad?"
"It's…" He stopped, looking at her. "You're beautiful. You're always beautiful. But yes, it's fairly obvious that something has happened."
The doors opened. Edward stepped onto the terrace, scanning the shadows.
"There you are." He approached them, his expression shifting from relieved to suspicious as he took in their disheveled appearances. "Mother is asking after you, Vanessa. And Martin, what the devil happened to your cravat?"
"The wind."
"There's no wind."
"A localised gust. Very sudden. Very violent." Martin's expression was perfectly innocent…which, of course, made him look even guiltier.
Edward's eyes narrowed, moving from Martin to Vanessa and back again. Taking in the scattered hairpins. The ruined cravat. The flush on both their faces.
“What is the meaning of this?”
"Nothing," Vanessa said, too quickly.
"Absolutely nothing," Martin agreed.
Edward was silent for a long moment. Then he sighed…a heavy, resigned sound.
"You're both terrible fabricators of the truth... You know that, yes?"
"I'm an excellent fabricator," Martin protested. "I'm simply choosing not to employ my skills at present."
"That's not reassuring." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, looking suddenly tired. "I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer honestly. Can you do that?"
"That depends on the question."
"Are you…" Edward gestured vaguely at the two of them, at their disheveled appearances, at the scattered hairpins and destroyed cravat. "Is this…are you…."
"Yes," Martin said quietly. "We are."
Edward stared at him. Then at Vanessa. Then back at Martin.
"How long?"
“Nigh on six years.”
"You've been…" Edward's voice cracked. "All this time? You have been holding my sister’s affections to your heart all this time, and you never thought to mention it?"
"I thought I was protecting her. Protecting you. Our friendship…"
"Our friendship would have survived, you absolute donkey." Edward threw his hands in the air, his voice rising with exasperation. "All this time! All this time watching you both pine for each other like characters in a bad novel, and neither of you thought to simplytalkto each other?"
"In my defence," Vanessa said, "I didn't know he felt the same way."
"Everyone knew! Everyone except apparently the two of you!" Edward pressed both hands to his face, muffling a groan of frustration. "I cannot believe…do you have any idea how painful it's been to watch? The longing looks? The careful avoidance? The way you both pretend to be indifferent and then spend entire dinner parties staring at each other across the table?"
"We weren't that obvious," Martin said.
