Tobias was stumped. “I…”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, dear Brother,” Phin began in that rather condescending way of his, “but Anne and her cousins are fairly close, aren’t they? They care for one another. Correct?” Phin’s brows rose, demanding his brother acknowledge the truthfulness of his words.
Tobias nodded.
“Now, would you then consider it reasonable that my dear Lulu did what she did to spite Anne? To see her humiliated? To force her to do something she despises?”
Tobias cringed at his brother’s words; still, the logic behind them gave him hope. “You think…?”
Phin nodded. “Our little Annie cares for you, and in my humble opinion, she is just as worried that you might not care for her as you are that she doesn’t care for you.” He rolled his eyes. “If you ask me, it’s all fairly obvious. However, since you’ve been rather blind as of late with regard to these matters, I’ll spell it out for you.”
Tobias shrugged off his brother’s hands. “Do you have to be such an ass?”
“Is that any way to speak to a man who’s trying to help you?” Clucking his tongue, Phin shook his head.
Tobias heaved a deep sigh, willing himself to remain calm.
“Now, the only reasonable explanation for Lulu’s plan is that she knows Anne cares for you, and she’s just as annoyed with her inability to speak her mind as I am with yours.” He fixed his brother with a pointed stare. “So, she thought what better way to end this little dance you two do around one another than to have you kiss.”
Tobias frowned. “But it didn’t solve anything. I still−”
“I admit Lulu’s plan wasn’t perfect. She−”
“Do you have to call her Lulu?” Tobias demanded, wondering about his brother’s sanity. After all, despite Phineas’s feigned disinterest, he seemed to care for the meddlesome Lady Louisa. Why on earth would he constantly aggravate her?
“Yes,” was all his brother cared to say on the subject. “She failed to consider the strain of being observed by a bunch of obnoxious tattletales. If you want my advice−”
“I’m not certain I do.”
Phin chuckled, “Believe me, you do.” He slapped his brother on the back. “Find our little Annie alone and kiss her again. But do it right this time, or you might truly frighten her off.” Grinning, he patted Tobias on the shoulder a couple of times before he turned to leave. “I’d suggest the library,” he remarked over his shoulder. “Even you should be able to think of a pretext to lure her in there.”
Watching his brother walk away, Tobias once more leaned against the wall at his back, his heart beating fast with this new revelation. Could it be true? Could Phineas be right? Did Anne genuinely care for him? What if he took his brother’s advice, kissed her again and she…?
Tobias gritted his teeth and nodded to himself. “There’s only one way to find out.”
Chapter Eight ~ In the Library
Anne barely slept a wink all night for her mind chose to torture her by replaying the moment under the mistletoe again and again. And every time, she cringed at the sight of Tobias’s taut face, the hard look in his eyes, his set jaw.
Oh, what had she done? Would he still be her friend today? How would they meet after what had happened? Was it possible to simply pretend that it never had happened?
As sleep proved elusive, Anne rose early. She donned a simple dress, not bothering to wake her maid, and ventured downstairs. She had no destination in mind but found herself wandering the hallways rather aimlessly. Her eyes were blind to the softly glistening snow outside as the sun began to peek over the horizon, announcing a new day. Her feet moved on their own, her gaze gliding over paintings of Lord Archibald’s ancestors as well as his extensive collection of Greek urns. She heard her footfalls on the marble floors and noted their absence as she stepped across the threshold into the library. Here, a large carpet covered the floor where a sitting area had been set up near the large fireplace. Flames danced in its grate, sending out their warmth like waves rolling onto a beach.
Walking up to the window, Anne stared out into the white gardens of Windmere Park, her thoughts still lingering on what to say, how to apologize, how to right the wrong she’d done Tobias. Ought she tell him the truth about her cousin’s ludicrous idea?
The thought sent a shiver down her back for Anne knew without a doubt that it would destroy her if Tobias laughed it off as she herself had pretended to more than once. For the truth was that Louisa was right. Heaven help her, but her cousin was right.
“He’s no brother to me,” Anne whispered into the stillness of the early morning. “Nor is he simply a friend.” Still, Anne would be forever grateful if only she did not lose his friendship. A life without Tobias was one she could not even begin to imagine.
“You’re up early.”
At the sound of Tobias’s voice, Anne spun around, her eyes wide and her cheeks burning hotter than the fire in the grate. Had he heard what she’d just foolishly said out loud?
Standing in the doorway, he looked at her, his warm gaze familiar and comforting. Although there was a hint of tension on his face, he seemed more relaxed than the day before. “Are you all right?” he asked as he stepped toward her, and for one precious moment, she found herself looking at the friend she knew.
Always had he looked out for her, his gaze watchful, easily detecting even the smallest concern that rested upon her mind. He’d always known the measurements of her heart, been a confidante to her fears and dreams. And never had she looked at him and not felt utterly at peace.
Except now. “I couldn’t sleep,” Anne managed to say despite the rapid beating of her traitorous heart. Why on earth did she have to do something so foolish and fall for her best friend?
“Nor I.” Holding her gaze, Tobias crossed the carpet in front of the fireplace and came to stand beside her, his gaze moving to the snow-covered grounds. “I came to find you,” he told her without looking at her.
Anne swallowed and turned to stand shoulder to shoulder with him, her own gaze directed out the window as well. “Why?” she dared to ask, afraid that their friendship was at a crossroads, that they would never again be able to speak openly with one another as they always had.
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I thought we should speak.” He inhaled a slow breath. “About…our kiss.”
Cold panic crept up Anne’s back, and she had to fight the urge to wrap her arms around herself. “What about it?” she asked through gritted teeth, forcing a bit of a chuckle into her voice. “I was hoping we could pretend it had never happened.”
Tobias turned to look at her. “You did? Why?”
Too nervous to face him, Anne kept her gaze fixed on the glistening snow outside. “I admit I’m embarrassed.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him frown at her. “Because of the onlookers?”
“Because…because it was my first kiss.” She chanced a look at him. “I suppose I…I did it wrong, judging by the snickers it−” He stepped toward her and she almost flinched, her eyes swinging around to meet his.