“Thank you for that.”
“What else did you tell my dear friend?” Marianne asked, her disapproval clearly evident.
“I told her that nothing could happen between us.”
“How did she respond?”
Martin rubbed the back of his neck. “She pressed me for a reason.”
Marianne stared at him in disbelief. “How could you be so cold and unfeeling towards Hannah?”
“That was not my intention.”
“No?” she asked. “Then why did you kiss her in the first place?”
Martin let out an aggravated sigh. “I don’t know.”
“That isn’t good enough,” Marianne pressed. “You must hold her in some regard if you were tempted enough to kiss her.”
“It is possible that I have some feelings for her, but I don’t dare to pursue them.”
“Whyever not?”
Martin ran a hand through his hair. “I have always considered Hannah a very dear friend, and I can’t lose her over something so trivial as feelings.”
“First of all, feelings aren’t trivial,” Marianne chided. “Second, you have no idea what is at stake here, do you?”
He gave her a baffled look. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
Marianne let out a puff of air. “Hannah has always held you in high regard,” she shared, “and this could ruin everything between you two.”
“I don’t believe that to be true.”
“No, it is true,” she replied. “I can’t remember a time when she wasn’t fond of you.”
Martin leaned forward in his chair. “How can you be sure of that?”
“She has said as much to me, and I betray her confidence by sharing this.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because I fear that you are making a huge mistake by not pursuing her.”
Martin shook his head. “If Hannah had feelings for me, then why is she encouraging Lord Charles?”
“Why do you suppose that is?” Marianne asked dryly. “Could it be that you asked for her help to find you a match?”
“She could have said no.”
“Hannah would never have turned you down,” Marianne said. “She cares for you far too much to be selfish.”
“I don’t hope to assume that Hannah cares for me.”
Marianne gave him an exasperated look. “Did Hannah give you any indication that she believed the kiss was a mistake?”
“No.”
“And why do you suppose that was?” Marianne asked knowingly.
Martin stared blankly at his sister, wondering if what she was saying was true. “What if you’re wrong?” he asked.
“I’m not.”
Martin dropped his head. “I had no idea she had any affection towards me.”
“That has always baffled me,” Marianne said. “How could you have not noticed?”
“I was never looking,” he admitted. “Until recently, I had always considered Hannah like a sister.”
“Do you feel that way now?”
“Heavens, no,” he declared. “I don’t know exactly when it was, but she seemed to transform before my very eyes. I’m afraid I can’t stop thinking about her.”
Marianne gave him an encouraging smile. “What are you going to do about it, then?”
“I sent her flowers this morning,” he revealed.
“That’s a good first step, but you need to make a grander gesture than that.”
Martin threaded his fingers together and placed them on his desk. “Edward asked that I not come around their townhouse for a while.”
“Will that stop you?”
“No,” he replied, “but it could pose a slight problem.”
“I have discovered it is far easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission,” Marianne said.
“I am not surprised by that statement,” Martin chuckled.
Marianne rose. “I strongly encourage you not to mess this up, dear brother.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” he said, “but I still have a lot of work to do to make this up to Hannah. She might not even agree to see me after all of this.”
“Just speak from your heart, and you can’t go wrong.”
“I have never been good at giving speeches,” he admitted.
Marianne walked over to the door and paused with her hand on the handle. “Just don’t break her heart,” she urged. “She has already been through enough heartache for one lifetime.”
“I won’t.”
Marianne gave him a brief smile before she departed from the room.
Alone again, Martin attempted to formulate a plan that he hoped would help him win over Hannah, but he knew it wasn’t going to be easy.
16
Martin sat in the coach as it jostled back and forth towards Lady Emma’s townhouse. He knew that the honorable thing would be to end things with her before he spoke to Hannah.
The coach jerked to a stop outside of the three-level townhouse. He felt the coach dip as the footman exited from his perch and came around to open the door.
As he approached the main door, it opened, and the butler greeted him with a cordial smile. “How may I help you, milord?”
He removed a calling card from his waistcoat pocket and extended it towards the butler. “Is Lady Emma available for callers?”
The butler accepted the card and briefly glanced at it. “I shall see,” he said, opening the door wide to allow him entry.
Martin watched as the butler disappeared into the drawing room off the entry hall. It was only a moment before he stepped back into the hall. “Lady Emma will see you now.”
He tipped his head in acknowledgement and entered the drawing room. Lady Emma was on a settee with needlework in hand. An older maid sat in the corner.
Lady Emma smiled at him. “Good afternoon, Lord Egleton.”
“Good afternoon,” he replied, forcing a smile to his lips. “How are you faring today?”
“I am well.”
Martin chided himself for feeling nervous. He knew that Lady Emma was a perfectly agreeable young woman and wouldn’t turn into a simpering miss over what he was about to say.
Lady Emma tilted her head. “Is everything all right?”
“It is.”
“You seem hesitant.”
Martin felt himself relaxing at her words. “You are an astute young woman,” he said. “That is an admirable quality.”
Lady Emma placed her embroidery on the table in front of her. “You are resorting to flattery now,” she observed. “What you intend to say must be rather serious.”
“Why do you say that?”
“My father used to do the same thing,” she explained. “He would always praise me before he instructed me about something I’d
