“I’m sorry.” Hannah feigned innocence. “I had assumed that is what you wanted. The raisin tart, correct?” Hannah snatched the plate from Mr. Swinton’s hand and smacked it down onto the table before plucking up a strawberry. “Or would you prefer this instead?”
Miss Lewiston’s eyes widened. “The audacity—”
Noah put his hand to Miss Lewiston’s back and pushed her along the table. “Mr. Swinton, would you please escort Miss Lewiston for the dinner dance?”
Mr. Swinton mumbled some jumbled nonsense, but when he saw Hannah’s angered expression, he scurried to do as Noah asked.
Margaret ground her feet to a halt, and she and Noah had some quiet words before she eventually stomped off toward the open ballroom doors with a very confused Mr. Swinton trailing behind.
Noah watched until they had disappeared into the ballroom, then hooked a hand under Hannah’s elbow and steered her down the hall.
“Noah,” Hannah squeaked out. “What are you doing?”
“Me?” His eyes were wild as he glanced at her. “What were you thinking? You threw food at her, Hannah!”
Hannah raised her chin. “I’m sorry. She looked like a helpless baby bird, and with her not having much sugar, I just assumed she was too weak to feed herself.”
Noah made a sound that was very near a growl as they rounded the corner at the end of the hall. “I do not know what Margaret was thinking, but you cannot go around throwing food at people. What if your mother finds out?”
Hannah stopped, wrenching her elbow free of his hand. “Do not speak to me as if I am a child. Do you wish to make me angrier?”
Noah rolled his eyes. “What I wish is to speak with you. Which is what I’ve been trying to do all evening.”
“That’s not what it looked like to me.”
“Would you please just go to the second door there,” he said, pointing down the hall, “and we can talk.”
Hannah stomped to where he pointed, throwing the door open so it swung back and hit the wall. Noah came in with a lantern he took from the hall and gently shut the door behind him. Hannah blinked back tears—she wasn’t sure if it was from sadness, hurt, or anger, but the hot tears burned the backs of her eyes regardless of knowing the reason.
“I am here,” she choked out as Noah hung the lantern on the wall. “What did you wish to speak about?”
He sighed, striding to the desk and sitting against the edge of it. “I wanted to discuss Margaret’s sudden appearance.”
Hannah walked over to a small shelf of books and pretended to study the words written along their spines. She forced a nod, though her chin quivered. “Is there an understanding between you?”
“No.”
She ran her fingers along the shelf, giving herself anything else to look at other than Noah. “Is there an expectation of one?” Hannah finally caved in and glanced over her shoulder at him.
Noah rubbed his face, then continued to shove his fingers into his hair, his head hanging forward. “Yes.”
She pursed her lips, nodding as she attempted to master her emotions. He pushed off the desk and the scuffle of his shoes sounded along the carpet as Noah’s shadow darkened her view.
“It isn’t what you think, Hannah.”
“You do not owe me an explanation. You loved her, and now she has returned and wishes to renew your relationship. What else is there to say on the matter?”
“Much, actually. There is much I wish to say.”
“As your friend, I am hap—” She swallowed. “Happy for you. I wish you every happiness.”
Noah’s hand gently landed on her shoulder, his thumb tracing the delicate skin of her arm, and she shuddered at the touch. “I haven’t known the meaning of that word since the night on the bluffs.”
She tentatively looked up at him. “I did not wish to cause you pain. I only had to tell you. To know your feelings once and for all. And now, I do. I can move on, and you have Margaret.”
His eyes snapped to her. “But what if that’s not what I want anymore?”
Hannah closed her eyes and took a long, cleansing breath. “And what do you want, Noah?”
