He walked cautiously towards her, pausing when he noticed the expression in her eyes.
“Emmaline-” he started, but she interrupted him.
“What is all this, Benedict? Do you think to soften me with all the flowers in London?”
He waved dismissively at the flowers. “No, of course not. They are not the reason I am here.”
“And why are you here?” Emmaline prompted, drawing herself up and attempting to look down her nose at him. It was rather hard, since he was at least a foot taller than her.
“I am here to beg for a moment to explain myself, to ask you to forgive me.”
“And why should I?” said Emmaline with exasperation, flinging her arms wide at the ridiculous display. “Is there any possibility the facts have changed since we last spoke?”
Benedict stepped closer, his jaw tight.
“Yes, and no. Yes, Silas and I discussed the fact of my attraction for yes. Yes, he encouraged me to pursue you, knowing as he does that love is something worth taking a risk on. But no, we did not place a wager on my success. I was so angry at the insinuation, that I stormed out. Branwin overhead and misread the situation.”
He held out his hand, inviting her to come to him.
“I have called him out, the bastard fled to the continent yesterday.”
“What?” asked Emmaline, astonished at the thought of the studious Benedict inflicting violence on another.
Then, she recollected her anger, and turned away. “It is no matter, you discussed me as if I was an object, not a thinking,feeling being. And why did you kiss me, touch me like that, if it wasn’t because of the wager?”
“I kissed you that night because I could not help myself. I wanted you from the first moment I saw you-”
Emmaline snorted, glaring at him in disbelief.
Benedict held up his hands, inching closer still. “No, it’s true. But I realised it was wrong to take advantage of you, so I put you at arm’s length until you finished the painting and there would be no barriers between us, no obligation or uncertainty. Just two people who were meant to be together.”
“And how did you know that I wanted that? Do you know how it wounded me when you acted like nothing had happened the next day, and every day after that? It was awful, having to sit there in your presence and pretend to feel nothing while my heart was breaking.”
Benedict sucked in a heavy breath, running his hand through his hair in that manner he had.
“I tried to make it less difficult, I even brought Honora to meet you. I knew you would enjoy each other’s company, and Honora agreed that we would be perfect for each other…”
“Honoraknew?” asked Emmaline in anguish, anger rising hot and fierce in her heart.
“Well, yes,” replied Benedict in confusion.
“I can’tbelieveyou. Did everyone but me understand what was going on?” Emmaline wanted to hit something, she wanted to pluck each petal from every flower and stomp on them.
“Stop playing these games with me! That is what this whole production is even now. You have been high-handed in your treatment of me from the start, deciding what was best for me without even consulting me on my own life. And now you are trying to buy me with flowers.”
“I am not here to beg your forgiveness with flowers, they are for-”
But Emmaline had no patience to hear him out, her temper was in control now.
“I am not a political game you can win, Benedict. I am a woman who loves you.”
“And I, you-”
“Is this how you treat someone you love? By seducing them, then ignoring them, then again turning your attention on them like the light of the sun until they fall into your arms? Only to find out that even then, you are still playing games? And bringing Honora into it? I thought she was my friend.”
“She is your friend-” stammered Benedict, his cheeks flushed as Emmaline let loose every last thought she had bottled inside.
“But she is your sister first. You planned this with her from the very beginning. You betrayed me.”
