Although Ambrose tried to pay attention, he couldn’t seem to prevent his mind from drifting. Seeing how beautiful she was only reminded him of the love he felt for her…
He had loved her for years, since he had been old enough to understand what love was, and part of him despised being still regarded as a brother, without even considering he could be more. There had been many times over the years he had tried to gather the courage to talk to her, to tell her how he felt.
Each time, he had hesitated, and then the opportunity would be lost. He knew full well she loved him as nothing more than as a friend and brother and doubted if she would ever be willing to try to see him as anything else.
If he asked, and she refused to make the attempt, there would be an unavoidable awkwardness between them. It would mean the loss of all they currently had.
Then she had met Walter … her feelings for him had been sudden and deep, and everything he had wanted her to feel for himself. Though she hadn’t cut him out of her life, her words were always about Walter and what he had said, or they had done.
“Ambrose?”
His thoughts were pulled back to Georgiana, a reproachful pout on her face as she looked at him. “I am … I am sorry. My mind went elsewhere for a moment,” he apologized, feeling guilty he hadn’t been listening to her.
“Did you hear a word I have said?”
He reluctantly shook his head, and she sighed, her reproach seeming to turn to disappointment. Even then, her eyes looked so mesmerizing. “Please, could you begin again?” he asked apologetically.
“I will sum it up for you, and then I will tell you all.” She paused, looking at him carefully to ensure he was paying attention this time. “Walter was at the garden party today, and … and we spoke … a little…”
Ambrose felt the sudden twist in his stomach, but hid his panic as best he could, only letting surprise show, while hoping she would not perceive anything more. “And what happened?”
“Well, it seems he genuinely believed you and I were married.”
“And he told you this? How much did you talk?” he asked, trying to gauge how great the danger was.
“Yes, we talked for only a short time.”
“And…” He hesitated before asking, “…did he say what led him to believe such a thing?”
Georgiana sighed, taking a few steps towards the nearest wall, then leaning against it, a thoughtful frown on her face. “He said his cousin, Felicia, had heard a rumor two years ago that we were quietly engaged or some other such nonsense.”
Ambrose was glad her eyes were on the ground and not on himself, for he could feel the color draining out of his face. He was able to compose himself enough to ask incredulously, “Really? And he believed it?”
“I know! I don’t see how he could have believed it for a moment,” she replied indignantly. “And even now, why did he fail to even notice that I don’t wear a wedding band?”
“I don’t wear one either. And then, there is also the fact we arrive in different carriages when we go to social events. Why would we do that if we were married?” he quickly added.
“Exactly! But what really angers me, what I cannot comprehend, is why he did not simply ask me back then. He could have spared both of us so much pain if he had just asked me about my supposed engagement! He could have even gone to you, or my uncle, or my aunt if he did not want to talk to me. But … I am getting myself all upset again…”
“You have every right to be angry with him. You didn’t do anything wrong at all.”
She sighed. “As angry as I am at him, I am a little relieved it had nothing to do with me. There were times after he left when I wondered if I had—if it was all somehow my fault.”
“And I always told you that it wasn’t, and now you can see for yourself I was right all along,” he said with a slight smile as he tried to cheer her up.
A corner of her mouth twitched up in reply. “I suppose I could concede that point.”
“Anyway, you still haven’t told me how your conversation with him ended. I hope you didn’t forgive him or anything like that. After what he did to you, I don’t feel he deserves to be forgiven.”
“Actually … he didn’t really apologize…”
Hiding his relief and showing only his real confusion, he exclaimed, “What? After all he did, he did not even apologize?”
She shook her head. “I think he was too surprised by the realization I am not married, or even engaged. He might have been about to apologize, but I did not want to be in his company any longer at that point.”
“An apology is the very first thing that should have come to mind, though no apology he could have made would have in any way made up for what he put you through. I think, even if he does find the proper words to say the next time you see him, you should not accept it.”
“Hmm … if I can tell he is sincere, I might be willing to accept his apology … but, if I do so, I will make it perfectly clear that we are going to be nothing more than friends—at the very most.”
Ambrose wasn’t pleased to hear it. Friends talked to each other, and he did not want Georgiana to talk to Walter at all. There had to be something more he could say.
As he thought about it, he let the silence hang between them for a moment, before remarking in a thoughtful manner, “You know … I think it proves a lot about Walter’s character that he never had the decency to ask anyone about the rumor you were already engaged.”
Georgiana tilted her head to the side as she seemed to consider what he had said. “What do you mean? What does this have to do with his character?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious? He assumed the worst about you without even getting your side of the matter. That is hardly anything but a flaw in character. Can you imagine what your life would have been if you had not found out about this until after you had married him? He might have heard you spent too much time talking to another gentleman and assumed you had been unfaithful to him.”
Though he detected a flicker of pain cross her face, he could see she also discerned some truth in what he said before she replied, “Somehow, I can see him doing just that. And he would have held it against me for a while too, until I forced him to listen to me…”
“Assuming he did not leave the country, as he has already proved he is capable of doing.”
“You’re right,” she admitted with a sigh. “It would have been quite miserable. Of course, such a circumstance might never have happened, but it could have occurred at any point and about almost anything.”
Ambrose hid his pleasure at her agreement behind a mask of sympathy. “I think, on the whole, it might be for the best that things ended up the way they have—even though it has caused you so much pain now. After all, you still have a bright and happy future. I will always do my best to make certain of it.”