Phin jerked around and spotted her. His face was pinched with emotion, but he quickly smoothed it away. He cleared his throat and stood, patting his father’s hand before letting it go.
“And so, it is goodbye, Father.” He leaned over and kissed his father’s forehead. “I’ll try to make it back as soon as possible to visit. And I’ll drag Lionel with me, if I can. I fear the girls will mutiny if I don’t.” He squeezed his father’s hand one last time before leaving the parlor and joining Lenore in the hall.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Lenore said, feeling awkward and wrung out and rather like she wouldn’t mind falling through a hole in the ground and into a storybook world.
“I see you’re ready to leave,” Phin said, his expression betraying nothing about what he thought of her in that moment.
“I am.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“So am I.”
For a moment, they stood there facing each other without saying anything. Lenore wanted to say so much, but words seemed inadequate to express her thoughts. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it had been before Bart showed up and ruined her life once again.
In the middle of that thought, Phin raised a hand and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. The sudden, sensual, affectionate gesture sent a jolt of electricity through Lenore, reminding her that she was still alive and that she still loved Phin. Maybe that would be enough to conquer whatever Bart represented. She was certain that Phin would lean in and kiss her. That sort of fire was in his eyes.
Instead, he broke away, marching up the stairs and disappearing around the corner into his room. Lenore let out a heavy sigh. She felt silly standing in the hall waiting, so on a whim, she marched into Mr. Mercer’s parlor and up to his chair.
“I wanted to come say goodbye,” she told him, setting her bag down and sinking into the chair Phin had occupied. She took Mr. Mercer’s hand the way Phin had held it. “Thank you so much for having me as a guest in your house. I’m only sorry I couldn’t stay longer.” She paused, looking into Mr. Mercer’s eyes to see if she could feel any sort of understanding there.
“This is all such a terrible muddle,” she told him with a sudden burst of emotion. “And I swear to you, if I had known what would happen, and if I hadn’t been so afraid at the start, I would have been honest with your son. I also promise you that I will do whatever I can to make things right between the two of us. Because I’ll tell you a secret.” She leaned in closer to Mr. Mercer. “I love Phineas. I truly do. Not in spite of his scandalous ways, but because of them. And I hope I meet with your approval as well.”
“I’m sure you do.”
Lenore gasped and twisted to find Hazel watching her from the doorway. She looked both macabre and beautiful with her damaged face and missing arm. Lenore leapt up, letting go of Mr. Mercer’s hand and taking up her bag as she crossed the room.
“I’m sorry about this whole mess,” she told Hazel.
“I know you are.” Hazel reached for her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll tell you what I told Phin. Be patient. Things that are meant to be will always find a way to work themselves out.”
“And things that aren’t meant to be?” Lenore asked, one eyebrow raised.
Hazel shrugged. “They aren’t meant to be. But I have a good feeling about you,” she added with a wink. “And I hope you’ll come back soon.”
“So do I,” Lenore said. She dropped her bag and threw her arms around Hazel’s shoulders. “Believe me, so do I.”
Chapter 14
By the time the train pulled into St. Pancras station, Lenore felt as though she would never be anything but utterly exhausted ever again.
“Here, let me help you with that.” Phin stood as the train jerked to a stop and reached to the rack above Lenore’s seat to fetch her bag.
“I can carry a simple traveling bag, Phin,” Lenore sighed. Her muscles screamed in protest, telling her to stop being so stubborn and let the big, strong, handsome, furious man carry her bag for her, but she wouldn’t listen.
They’d been exceptionally lucky as to catch a train heading back to London within an hour of arriving at the station in York. In fact, they’d arrived so close to the train’s departure that they’d had to run to catch it. Which meant Lenore hadn’t been able to say a proper goodbye to Hazel and Amaryllis, who had insisted on accompanying them to the station, while Gladys stayed home with Mr. Mercer. Even so, the journey was long enough that it was well after dark by the time they’d arrived home in London. But London was London, so St. Pancras was as crowded as day when Lenore and Phin disembarked from their train and dodged their way through rushing people to the street in front of the station.
“I’ll take you home,” Phin announced as he flagged down one of many cabs waiting to take passengers.
“You don’t have to do that,” Lenore sighed. “This whole trip, while a delight, was a diversion.” Probably one he couldn’t afford, given what she knew about him and his family now. “I’m certain you have pressing business waiting for you at home, just as I do.”
He frowned at her in the lamplight as the cabbie hopped down to hold the door for them. “I can only afford one cab. Do you have the extra fare on you?”
Lenore gulped and glanced down, her old friend, guilt, squeezing her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t bring my pocket money to Yorkshire with me. I didn’t think,” she said and meekly climbed into the carriage.
That was part of the problem. She never truly
