Page 40 of An Engagement with the Enemy

“You imbecile.” Leo rose from his chair. “You absolute clod-head! You like her.”

James looked at the closed door and then returned a sharp glare to his friend. “Can you not shout that last part again, please? We aren’t the only two in the castle, you know.”

Leo placed a hand over his heart. “Forgive me for being shocked by this turn of events. I was waiting for something like this to happen, but I never fully believed you would reach this point of self-discovery.”

“You speak as if you already knew I felt this way. That can’t be possible, given I only discovered it myself mere hours ago.”

“I cannot allow you to speak in vague terms like this.” Leo came forward and put both hands on James’s shoulders, looking him in the eye. “What way do you feel? Be precise. You find her wit and conversation vibrant. You’ve spoken of her vivacity. Your rivalry. Now, you admit you find her beautiful. These are yet half measures, James. Say the whole of it.”

“I’m not certain I want to,” James admitted, his heart constricting.

“I don’t care.” Leo squeezed his shoulders. “I know you better than anyone, and I know if you don’t admit this thing aloud that you will do your best to bury it. Speak plainly.”

“To what purpose?” James stepped back and turned away. “As you said, I’m an idiot. No one knows that fact better than Jessica.”

“Debatable. I think we’re all quite aware of your shortcomings.”

“You are most unhelpful.”

“And yet I am your closest friend. Who else can you talk to?”

“Perhaps you’re right. I should keep this to myself.”

Leo groaned and went back to his chair, collapsing into it with a melodramatic huff. “Go on, then. Don’t admit you have feelings for your neighbor. See how far that gets you. I intend to be the author of my own happiness, though. I have no hesitation in saying that I am enamored with the woman who painted that box with a donkey-headed lover and a fairy queen. In fact, I have the greatest hope in deepening our acquaintance and following that to its natural consequence.”

James raised his eyebrows in question.

“I hope to court her and wed her, if she will have me.”

“You do?” James straightened his posture. “Leo, that’s marvelous. Congratulations.”

“It’s too early for that.” Leo’s smile was slight. “But I thank you. I hope I can count on you to tell her of all my best qualities when you meet her.”

James laughed and went to his own seat, falling into it. “Of course.” He couldn’t hide his grin. “You know, I asked Jessica to do the opposite for me. Every woman who has entered the castle’s gate thus far has been gifted with Jessica’s worst facts about me. Most of them exaggerated. I hope.” He winced again.

“You’re only fooling yourself at this point, James.” Leo’s slight smile kept the words from sounding harsh, and the concern in his eyes gave James the last push he needed to confide in his friend.

“I’m falling in love with Jessica.” The world didn’t end when he admitted it out loud, though James’s heart pounded as though that risk remained.

His cousin leaned forward in his chair. “Good. Now. What do you intend to do about it?”

As James took in the familiar sights of the library, the stained-glass window casting its warm, colored light over his favorite books, he felt a calm conviction.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

The admission made, James’s mind began to do what it did best. Plotting and planning.

“I need to determine if she feels the same way. I must tread carefully,” he said, giving Leo a warning glance. “I don’t want to ruin the friendship she and I are building. I intend to show her what I feel, and that I can be more than her sparring partner, without alarming her or making her uncomfortable. She’s said she has no wish to marry, strangely enough. It’s a delicate situation, but I must try. She’s worth it.”

Leo’s grin returned, larger than before. “I will help in any way I can. You have my word.”

The gravity of what James admitted weighed heavily on him, yet there was a sense of freedom, too. He’d acknowledged the truth that he’d been tiptoeing around for too long. His heart sped in his chest at the thought of what came next.

How would Jessica react when she came to know? The unknown pricked at his fears, but there was a certain thrill to what he felt, too. He’d ridden dragons in his boyhood dreams, and now faced a real challenge.

Winning Jessica’s heart.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN