“Fine. He’s happy. Things are now finally settled with the trust, so he’s not feeling hamstrung by them anymore.”
“That’s good,” Elinor said.
Their mother kept on about Liam and Hartbury Hall, as expected. Most of Mum’s conversations these days managed to mention wonderful Liam or his wonderful title or his wonderful English manor. And while EJ loved her sister and was genuinely happy for her, she wondered if others appreciated the constant references to all these wonderful things on the other side of the world and whether Mrs. Bennett found anything wonderful closer to home.
“Hey, how are things going with you, Ellie? Have you found a fulltime job yet?” Liv asked.
Elinor’s nose wrinkled as she shook her head. “I knew when I graduated that it would take a while to find something that would fit my skills, but this feels like it’s been taking forever.”
“Keep trusting God,” Liv encouraged.
Hmm. And that comment was why Liv truly was the best sister, the good one who remembered to say things like that. EJ spent so much time in her own head she barely had time for others, let alone what God might say. She still believed inGod, but He seemed pretty removed from her normal thoughts and actions. She frowned. Which probably wasn’t exactly what a Christian should do, come to think of it, and something both Great-Aunt Marion and Jordan had commented on before …
“You okay there, EJ?” Mum asked now.
So she was now finally getting a scrap of attention. “Yep.”
“How is work?” Katie asked.
“So-so.” So boring. Andsofrustrating. Why was she still working there? Maybe she should just hand in her notice, once and for all. Except if she did that, she’d miss out on the bonus, and it’d be really helpful to be in a position where she could afford to be choosy about who signed on as a potential investor. Some days she really wished she didn’t have this burning desire to prove herself and could just let the app keep ticking along. It’d be nice not to have any more investors, even despite this being what Maurice, her business lawyer, had advised to see the app take the next leap forward.
The conversation quickly veered back to Katie, who was finally finishing her last university subjects and hoping to graduate in a few months’ time. And yes, Katie might be nearing twenty-five, but it had felt like forever before she’d finally settled on a study path. Unlike Katie, EJ had earned a double degree in business and computer science, culminating in an MBA at twenty-three.
Elinor was now talking about her graphic design job, and Liv was encouraging her to put her skills to use on Etsy, saying, “People just love the map you designed for Hartbury Hall.”
“I’ll give it some thought.”
That was Elinor for you. She was always the most cautious of the Bennett sisters, and practical as all get-out, even with her purple-blue hair. She was harder to read than both Liv and Katie, both of whom tended to wear their emotions on their faces. Elinor was most like EJ in that they both tended to guard their hearts. EJ studied her, wondering what kind of man wouldbe the one to make Elinor sparkle with the kind of happiness Liv showed these days. Maybe Elinor was like EJ and would—eventually—be more career focused and not need a relationship at all. Well, maybe one day a relationship would be something to think about, like in ten years’ time. Just not now.
Dissatisfaction rolled through EJ at the fact that her sisters seemed to be moving on with their lives while she still felt trapped at Donwell. And while there was a lot to appreciate about her job, her role there now felt like a puzzle piece that no longer fit. She was tired of working at a tech start-up when she’d rather be working for herself at her own tech start-up.
“Emma-Jane?”
Mum’s voice snapped EJ’s attention back to the conversation. “Yes?”
“Are yousureyou’re okay?” Mum’s forehead wore a crease. “You’ve seemed very distracted.”
“Yep. I’m fine. Oh, I visited Aunty Marion yesterday.” As she usually did each Saturday. Her dad’s maiden aunt remained as gentle and quietly spoken as ever. “She sends her love to everyone.”
“We should go see her again soon,” Mum said. “I’m glad she’s doing okay.”
“Is Jordan okay?” Katie asked.
“I guess.” EJ frowned. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Because you and he …” Katie’s brows rose.
“Because me and he what?” EJ demanded.
Katie smiled smugly, in a manner exactly like Mum’s, which was uncanny sometimes. And unwelcome right now, as it seemed that all of her sisters were now staring at her with the same expression.
“What?”
“You know he is very fond of you,” Mum said.
“We’re friends, Mum. That’s all.” She withheld an eye roll. How many times had she doused their persistent comments over many years that friendship wasn’t all that Jordan felt for her? Which was ridiculous. They’d been friends forever, so no way.
Except …
