‘Sounds like your mother was smarter than I am,’ he muttered. ‘Weren’t you worried that someone might recognize you?’
Ava breathed a humourless laugh through her lips. ‘I shouldn’t worry about my reputation if I were you.’ An actress with a failed engagement? She wasn’t sure it could sink much lower.
‘People might still spread gossip.’
She watched the sheets above her billowing back and forth in the salt-tinged wind. ‘It wouldn’t be any worse than what my friends said of me today.’
He turned to her – and it took more effort to keep her gaze fixed upwards, for she knew if she looked at him now he would see it written plain as ink upon her face. The humiliation of it.
‘What did they say?’
Ava was quiet for a long moment. ‘The truth,’ she said softly. ‘Which I suppose is why it hurt as much as it did.’
‘Mmm,’ said Damien, reaching to rub at his cheek, and wincing. ‘The truth is always harder to hear.’
‘Whyisthat?’
He shrugged. ‘I suppose it’s because we often try and hide from it. Ignore it, maybe, or – pretend it isn’t there. But it’s hard to ignore it when someone else throws it in your face.’
‘Mmm.’
He lolled his head to the side, green eyes watchful. ‘I suppose this is the part where you tell me you wish to discontinue our sessions?’
Ava blinked at him, stunned. ‘I thought you would be the one to askmethat after what happened.’
‘Do you want me to?’ His eyes didn’t leave hers.
‘No,’ she said, and his gaze softened a little. ‘But I think this will only work if you can forgive me. For how it went, last time.’
His mouth curled upwards. ‘I reckon I can do that,’ he said.
‘And you’ll need to trust me,’ she said. ‘We’ll need to trust one another if this is going to work.’
‘Afterthatspectacle, I believe I’m starting to,’ he said quietly.
‘Good,’ she said. ‘Though I shall have to find us someplace else. The house is too cramped.’
Damien didn’t answer, merely pushed himself off the wall, offering out his elbow to her. ‘For the record,’ he said, a ghost of a smile upon his lips now. ‘If I’d agreed to take you to Paris, I would’ve done it.’
‘For the record,’ said Ava, straightening. ‘I wouldn’t marry you even if you asked.’
‘See? You do remember what you said.’ His laughter was bright, and it echoed from the brick. ‘Come on. I’ll walk you home.’
They were quiet on their walk back towards the docks – but it wasn’t a scratching silence, as it was with her father. Or a heavy silence – as it had always been with Jem. This felt … different. Peaceful.
‘Will you send word of where to meet you?’ he asked, the black gate creaking as he opened it for her to walk through.
‘If you’ll give me your room number, I’ll send a note,’ said Ava. ‘I tried to write you an apology, you know. After that session – but the clerk at the desk said no one with your name was staying there.’
Something skittered across his expression. ‘That’s because they have me down as O’Brien.’
‘O’Brien …’ Ava said, trying the name on her tongue. ‘And which is the truth? The name you gave the clerk, or the one you gave me?’
‘The one I gave you.’
She smiled a little at that. ‘Why did you give him an alias?’
Damien caught her eye. ‘Have youseenthe man? He hardly looks trustworthy.’
