Page 72 of The Unfortunate Debutante
Turning her gaze back towards Caddington Manor, she grew silent for a moment. “I am truly happy living with Luke and Rachel, but sometimes my grief overtakes me. I miss my brother and my father dearly.”
“Not your mother?”
“Her, too, but she died a little over seven years ago,” she admitted. “Her death isn’t as recent.”
Simeon leaned back and put his arm on the bench. “Tell me about your brother.”
A genuine smile came to her lips. “David was vexing, infuriating, overprotective, and the best brother anyone could ask for. Don’t get me wrong, he teased me unmercifully when I was younger, but I always knew that he loved me.”
“And your father?”
Her face softened at the mention of her father. “He was a good man. He tried to care for me the best he could, but it took an enormous amount of time to be a constable and keep a shop going. He decided to send me off to boarding school for my education.”
Simeon was still attempting to understand how a constable could afford the price of the boarding school. “Did your father come from privilege?”
She shook her head. “Heavens, no. He worked hard from a young age until he earned enough money to buy a dilapidated building on the outskirts of Totternhoe, eventually turning it into a general store.”
“Did your mother come from privilege?”
“I don’t know much about my mother’s side, other than her parents died from diphtheria,” she admitted. “My parents always had funds to cover expenses, but I do recall my mother would often take in sewing jobs when I was younger.”
“Did you have no other relations to care for you?”
She bit her lower lip, drawing his attention to their fullness. “I was very much alone in this world before Luke and Rachel rescued me,” she said. “And what of your extended family?”
“What of it?” he said defensively.
Emma let out a huff of amusement. “You entertain me, Simeon.”
“I do?”
Leaning back against the bench, her shoulder was mere inches from his arm. “You have a kind heart, yet you hide it behind a mask of anger and hostility.”
“I fear you’re mistaken. I’m not hiding behind anything.”
Emma studied him for a long moment, and he felt like squirming under her scrutiny. Finally, she spoke. “Your heart was horribly broken, and I believeyoufeel that it’s become impenetrable and irredeemable.” She brought her hand up and cupped his cheek, her eyes imploring. “To love is to be vulnerable. You’ll never find love again if you keep your heart locked away.”
“What you speak of is impossible,” he murmured. “How does one move on from someone they loved so fiercely?”
Her eyes crinkled as she smiled. “You can’t forget your past, or you forget the good times, as well. You must find the courage to let go of what you cannot change. It’s the only way to move forward.”
“I’m not ready to open my heart again, nor do I have a desire to ever marry,” he admitted painfully.
Emma lowered her hand and leaned back. “Love isn’t practical, and it’s not meant to be easy. One day, your heart will be ready to love again, and it may come at the most inopportune moment. But you must be prepared.”
“You should write for the society page.” He chuckled. “How are you so wise in love?”
A playful glint came to her eyes. “I’m not, but I’ve read many books on the subject.”
“Books?”
“Yes, and I believe in the immeasurable power of true love.”
He huffed. “You mean fairy tales.”
“No, I believe two people can fall so desperately in love with each other that they can create their own happily ever after.”
Shifting away from her, he teased, “To think, I once considered you sane.”
