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The question caught Leah by surprise. Her head spun. “I wouldn’t rule it out.” She cleared her throat. “Lady Dalmeer invited him to dine with us again tomorrow. He also promised to call upon me soon. I should have ample opportunity to find out.”

Mr. Hawthorne nodded. “If you think one can fall in love so quickly.”

“Do you not think it possible?”

His eyes connected with hers before dropping again, his jaw tight. “As I said, my opinion of such things doesn’t matter.” He stood, putting on a smile. It was obviously forced. “I will leave you to your books, Miss Sterling. I have taken enough of your time.”

She didn’t argue, but she felt the weight of disappointment pressing on her chest as he took his leave of the room, closing the door behind him.

Leah’s heart ached, though she didn’t dare examine the reason. She swallowed her emotions, burying them as deeply as she could. She still felt the tension in the room, hanging over her like a storm cloud. Her skin was cold, her limbs weak.

A love like the one her parents had was rare, but was it not worth waiting for? She had Lady Weymouth’s sentiments to consider too—that love could grow in the future. Was that a risk worth taking?

She had none of the answers.

All she knew was that Mr. Hawthorne doubted the possibility of finding love in such a short time. Before, it would have made her determined to prove him wrong, but now all it did was create an emptiness in her chest.

By the time she left the music room an hour later, her stack of books was still untouched.

Eighteen

Snow continued to fall through the night, and Felix awoke to an all-white landscape. With the roads deemed unsafe for their carriages, the guests remained at the house rather than venturing out to church. Felix could only hope that meant Mr. Markham wouldn’t be coming to dine with them that evening either.

Miss Sterling was in the breakfast room when Felix entered, but she was seated between two ladies, one of whom was her cousin, Mrs. Laurence. Felix knew he would have to choose a seat beside Miss Benson, but he was growing more resistant to the idea. After discussing the subject of love with Miss Sterling the day before, he had realized that he wasn’t ready to settle for a marriage that would begin so loveless.

Miss Benson waved him toward the seat beside her. She and her parents must have developed some sort of expectation for a proposal, which he couldn’t take lightly. If he wasn’t going to propose to her, he would need to create distance between them soon before it was too late. She didn’t deserve to have her time wasted in such a way, and Felix was beginning to see that she was not the woman for him.

“Her ladyship has planned snow games for today,” she whispered. “I cannot imagine anything more dreadful.”

“Will you not be joining?” Felix asked.

Miss Benson shook her head with a light laugh. “No, indeed. I shall enjoy a cup of chocolate in my room.”

“That sounds just as pleasant.”

She hesitated. “Will you be joining them?”

“I imagine so.” His gaze drifted to Miss Sterling. Would she be joining the outdoor festivities as well? With Mr. Markham absent, he might have a chance to spend more time with her. He could try, at least.

His heart pounded with anticipation as the group eventually scattered for the day, leaving the breakfast room behind for their various planned activities.

Felix walked down the terrace steps a few minutes later, a shiver passing over his skin. It was the coldest day yet. A group played shuttlecock in the snowy parkland by the fountain, and others threw snowballs or made snow angels. Felix spotted Miss Sterling stooped over a pile of snow, smoothing it with her gloves. Her raspberry pink gown stood out against the white landscape, her dark curls shielding her face from his view.

Mrs. Laurence stood nearby, laughing at the structure they were building.

Felix approached with a friendly smile, but that didn’t change Mrs. Laurence’s reception of him. A frown took over her features, and she nudged Miss Sterling. At some point, Mrs. Laurence must have learned of his competition with her cousin. He couldn’t imagine why else she would be glaring at him.

He greeted them both, focusing his attention on Miss Sterling.

She looked surprised to see him, or at least caught off-guard. Her brown eyes were wide, framed in dark, straight lashes. “Mr. Hawthorne.” She paused to swallow, a smile tugging on her mouth. She shifted a step forward, blocking his view of the snow behind her. “Please don’t look at this monstrous thing.”

He craned his neck as she tried to hide the structure at her feet. “Now I’m really curious.”

She sighed, biting her lip.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s supposed to be a dog.” She laughed. “But it looks more like a pig.”