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Eleanor rose and stood beside him, pulling him around to look at her. She grabbed the glass of brandy from his hands and set it down with a thud on the mantlepiece.

“You shall do no such things. You cannot bury these feelings, Gerald. You went to such lengths to protect me, and in the process you found something real amid the lies. I saw the way you and Clara were with each other. There’s no doubt in my mind that you were in love!”

“You only say that because you have a romantic soul, Eleanor. I must inform you that not everything in life has a happy ending. She left, and that is the end of things.”

Eleanor licked her lips and had a thoughtful look on her face. Gerald sighed and reached for his brandy. At least Eleanor wasn’t upset about the deceit. He could drink with thanks to small mercies, he supposed.

“What exactly did you say to her in your last conversation?”

Gerald sighed and waved the glass of brandy in the air. “I thanked her for all she had done, and then I said that our agreement could come to an end. I saw no reason to keep her mired in deceit.”

“So you told her she could leave?”

“Yes. She asked me what future awaited me. I intended to tell her that I wanted her to be a part of my future, but we were interrupted before I could do so. Still, she must have known I felt this way from the kiss. I misjudged things, however.”

“Gerald, do you hear yourself?”

“I know, I sound rather pathetic, but please allow me to indulge my sorrow for a while. I shall not dwell on them for too long. I shall be back to my old self again.”

“No,” Eleanor said firmly, once again taking his brandy away. This time she kept a hold of it. “You shouldn’t go back to the man you were before. Clara made you the best version of yourself, Gerald. I have never known you to be so carefree and happy. While you were with Clara, duty was not at the height of your priorities. You were happy, and if you feel this strongly for her, then you should not allow things to end like this.”

“I cannot force her to feel things she does not feel,” Gerald said, a dry laugh running beneath his words. He reached for his drink, but Eleanor drew her hands away.

“I am telling you that she feels the same way as you. Think about what you told her. You said that the agreement had ended, and you cannot expect her to intuit what you meant to say, only what you did say. You need to be plain with her, Gerald.”

“I believed the kiss would be plain enough,” he said.

Eleanor rolled her eyes and huffed.

“Love should not be a guessing game. If a man kissed me but then was not straightforward with his feelings, would you be happy with his conduct? This is doubly true considering that you introduced things as a deceit in the first place. You must make it unequivocal, Gerald. Be honest with her, and then, once everything is out in the open, you can both make an informed decision. It might well be that you end up here again. If so, then I shall hand you this glass of brandy myself.”

Gerald smirked as he regarded Eleanor with a new appreciation.

“It is pleasing to see you growing up to be such a formidable woman,” he said. Eleanor arched her eyebrows, giving him the impression that he shouldn’t delay any longer.

Gerald whisked away. He changed his shirt and put on his best jacket, the one with shiny buttons. He smoothed down his hair and then summoned a carriage, and soon enough he was on his way to Clara’s residence.

Perhaps Eleanor was right, and he should have been more direct. Since he and Clara shared so much in common, he believed she would have been able to understand his feelings that remained unspoken, but perhaps that had been too much to hope for.

He must rectify things.

He must leave it all before her, presenting his heart as though it was an offering to the gods. Then, she could do with it as she wanted. Either embrace it, or throw it to the floor and trample it.

Gerald leaped out of the carriage as it was slowing. He stumbled as his feet hit the ground, but continued racing towards the house. He rang the bell and then hammered the door, losing his sense of decorum. A servant answered and showed him in. He waited in the sitting room, pacing back and forth.

Alfred appeared. His stare was cold.

“I’m surprised you would show your face here again, Your Grace.” The last two words were uttered firmly. Alfred adopted a wide stance as he met Gerald’s gaze. An air of hostility emanated from him, far from the warm welcome Gerald had once received. Gerald understood at once that Clara must have told her parents the truth about their arrangement.

Gerald placed his hands together and inclined his head.

“I apologize for any insult I have caused. May I speak to Clara?”

“You may not. Frankly, you should be surprised that I receive your company at all after what you did. You made a liar out of my daughter and a mockery of me. You lied to my face,” Alfred said. His words grew sharper as he spoke. It was clear that he had taken great offence at Gerald’s actions. Gerald should not have been surprised.

“I do sincerely offer my most heartfelt apologies. I have proven myself to be quite a cad, and nothing can excuse my actions. However, I must make one thing clear. I did not lie to you, sir,” Gerald said, adopting a conciliatory tone and trying to be as accommodating as possible.

Alfred’s eyes bulged, and his puffy cheeks turned red. He made a scoffing sound as he rocked back on his heels.