Eleanor grabbed Charlotte’s hand. “It’snotyour fault. It’s Camden West’s fault, and don’t you forget it. I won’t have you suffer for his despicable behavior.”
“I went out into the garden alone with Julian West. I let him kiss me—”
“So you deserve to be punished for the rest of your life for one foolish decision? No, Charlotte. I won’t hear of it.”
She might not understand Charlotte’s recklessness. She might not approve of Charlotte’s behavior at the Foster’s ball, but there’d never been any question she’d defend her, with teeth bared and fingernails curled into claws, if necessary.
Charlotte was her sister, and one didn’t turn their back on their sister.
“But you’ll agree to be punished yourself? Dear God, I’d rather be ruined than see you married to such a man, Eleanor. I couldn’t bear to watch it.”
“Oh, don’t worry.” Eleanor dismissed this with a carelessness she didn’t quite feel. “I have no intention of marrying Camden West.”
Charlotte stared at her. “I don’t see how you’ll get around it, unless he ruins me.”
“I’ll find a way. Have you ever known me to do anything I don’t wish to do?”
To Eleanor’s surprise, a sudden smile lit Charlotte’s face. “I don’t think Camden West has any idea what he’s gotten himself into. If anyone can find a way out of such a tangle, it’s you, Eleanor.”
Too right.She’d leave Camden West hanging by his neck from his own rope.
She squeezed her sister’s hand. “Thank you. Now, shall we go inside and put Mr. Paterson out of his misery? He’s been staring out the window at us since his bell rang, no doubt salivating at the thought of two doting aunts entering his toy shop.”
She pulled open the door and entered, much to Mr. Paterson’s delight.
“Ah, Lady Eleanor, and Lady Charlotte. Such a pleasure to see you both. Have you come about the spinning tops for the young lord? They’re ready. I’ll just fetch them for you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Paterson.”
The beaming shopkeeper scurried off to the back room, leaving Eleanor and Charlotte to wander the shop.
“Oh, look, Eleanor. Aren’t these sweet?”
Eleanor walked over to a far corner and found Charlotte standing over a shelf with a display of brightly painted wooden horses. “They are, yes. Our nephew would love this one.”
She reached out to stroke a pale blue rocking horse with a long, curling black mane and tail. The horse was fitted with a tiny golden bridle and saddle. The slight pressure of her hand on the horse’s nose sent it swaying back and forth.
They watched it rock for a while. Neither of them spoke as the horse slowed and then stopped moving altogether.
“Do you ever think about having children, Eleanor?”
Eleanor froze for a moment, then tapped the horse’s nose again to set the toy back in motion.
Their nephew had a special smile for his parents. Every time Delia or Alec came into a room, even if they’d only been gone for a moment, that smile would light up his face. Oh, the child had a similar worshipful smile for her, and for each of the adoring adults who orbited around him, but the smile he gave his parents was different, somehow.
“Yes.”
She didn’t say anything more, but that one word held a world of longing, and Charlotte heard it. “Forgive me, Eleanor, but all those suitors . . . why didn’t you accept one of them? You might have a child of your own by now if you had.”
“Yes, I suppose I could.” But then she’d have a husband, too—a husband she didn’t love, who didn’t love her. Wasn’t it better, if she could have only a pale imitation of the thing she longed for, to have nothing at all?
She hesitated, but she hated having secrets from Charlotte. “I don’t know that I’ll ever marry. I may have to content myself with spoiling your children, so see that you have a great many of them, won’t you? There’s a dear.”
Charlotte wasn’t fooled by Eleanor’s light tone. “Not marry? But how can you say so, when you see how happy our brothers are with Delia and Lily? Marriage has changed them both, and for the better. Why, in Robyn’s case I’d even go so far as to say Lily saved him—”
Eleanor laid a hand on Charlotte’s arm to quiet her. “They have the best of marriages, yes, but their unions are the exception. Do you think I’d find similar happiness with Mr. Fitzsimmons? Or Lord Tidmarsh?”
“Perhaps not either of them, no, but there are other gentlemen equal to our brothers. London is a big city, after all. You give up too soon, Eleanor.”
