Clare?”
“I now know what would have been missing. I want you, as my dearest friend, to find what I have found. Someone who is everything to you.”
Oh, but I have found her, Clare, vie de ma vie. I found her many years ago. I expected to cherish and protect her for all of my life. But I have been such a good friend, Giles thought bitterly.
“Perhaps I will, Clare," he replied with a fleeting smile. “But I must go now.” As they stood up, he felt the lump in his pocket. Well, it had been purchased as a betrothal gift, he thought, as he pulled it out.
“I would like you to have this, Clare.”
“Oh, no, Giles, I couldn’t,” she protested, embarrassed all over again that he had come with every expectation of being accepted.
“It is a small gift, Clare. Just something I saw that made me think of you.”
She took the box and opened it with trembling fingers. It was only a simple pendant, but the stone was such a deep purple and the filigree setting so exquisite that she almost handed it back. “It is too beautiful, Giles! And you meant it as a betrothal gift.”
“And so it still is,” he said lightly. “You are betrothed. Surely a gift from an old and dear friend is quite in order?”
She looked quickly up into his face. There was nothing there to disturb her. No sign of a broken heart. Just Giles, with his shock of brown hair falling over his forehead, his hazel eyes warm with affection.
“Thank you, Giles. For this. And for being so understanding about Justin.”
He was gone quickly, and Clare fingered the pendant, knowing that despite their protestations of continuing friendship, things had changed between them forever.
* * * *
There were more than a few “I told you so’s” traded at the Eliot’s supper dance after the betrothal announcement appeared in the papers. And a handful of gentlemen pocketed substantial sums, having bet that Lord Rainsborough would carry the day. Lucy Kirkman was one of the most vocal commentators. After offering her very sincere congratulations to Clare, she made sure to tell as many people as possible of her concern for Giles. “It must have been such a shock,” she intoned. “He has loved her since we were all children, you know.”
Sabrina, who had heard Lucy’s comments third-hand, was furious. It was bad enough that Giles was suffering. It would be outrageous for people to know about it. And so she merely laughed when people would come up to commiserate with her.
“Of course there had been an unspoken family arrangement. Everyone knew that. But it was based upon friendship. Giles was the first person Clare told and the first to wish her happy, you know,” she announced to all and sundry.
When she got to Lucy, she invited her to take a stroll around the edge of the ballroom and informed her, keeping the sweetest of smiles on her face, that if she heard one more bit of gossip about her brother, she would personally push Lucy’s face into the nearest punch bowl.
“Sabrina, I was not trying to spread gossip! I just felt such sympathy for Giles. But of course I will say nothing more, if you think it best.”
“Thank you, Lucy. And neither of us would wish Giles to hear of this conversation, I am sure.”
“Of course not.”
Sabrina was satisfied that Lucy would keep her mouth shut. Unfortunately, she would not be able to stop her from going after Giles. Well, let her make a fool of herself, Sabrina thought. He has never seen anyone but Clare, and he never will.
* * * *
Clare had dressed very carefully for the supper dance. It would be the first time she and Justin would appear in public officially betrothed, and she wanted him to be proud of her. She put on her newest gown, a lilac silk that was covered by a delicate gauze overslip of an even lighter lilac. Giles’s gift was on her dressing table, and she fingered it thoughtfully. He had been so sweet and so understanding.
Wearing his gift tonight seemed a pledge of her continuing friendship,
“I now know what would have been missing. I want you, as my dearest friend, to find what I have found. Someone who is everything to you.”
Oh, but I have found her, Clare, vie de ma vie. I found her many years ago. I expected to cherish and protect her for all of my life. But I have been such a good friend, Giles thought bitterly.
“Perhaps I will, Clare," he replied with a fleeting smile. “But I must go now.” As they stood up, he felt the lump in his pocket. Well, it had been purchased as a betrothal gift, he thought, as he pulled it out.
“I would like you to have this, Clare.”
“Oh, no, Giles, I couldn’t,” she protested, embarrassed all over again that he had come with every expectation of being accepted.
“It is a small gift, Clare. Just something I saw that made me think of you.”
She took the box and opened it with trembling fingers. It was only a simple pendant, but the stone was such a deep purple and the filigree setting so exquisite that she almost handed it back. “It is too beautiful, Giles! And you meant it as a betrothal gift.”
“And so it still is,” he said lightly. “You are betrothed. Surely a gift from an old and dear friend is quite in order?”
She looked quickly up into his face. There was nothing there to disturb her. No sign of a broken heart. Just Giles, with his shock of brown hair falling over his forehead, his hazel eyes warm with affection.
“Thank you, Giles. For this. And for being so understanding about Justin.”
He was gone quickly, and Clare fingered the pendant, knowing that despite their protestations of continuing friendship, things had changed between them forever.
* * * *
There were more than a few “I told you so’s” traded at the Eliot’s supper dance after the betrothal announcement appeared in the papers. And a handful of gentlemen pocketed substantial sums, having bet that Lord Rainsborough would carry the day. Lucy Kirkman was one of the most vocal commentators. After offering her very sincere congratulations to Clare, she made sure to tell as many people as possible of her concern for Giles. “It must have been such a shock,” she intoned. “He has loved her since we were all children, you know.”
Sabrina, who had heard Lucy’s comments third-hand, was furious. It was bad enough that Giles was suffering. It would be outrageous for people to know about it. And so she merely laughed when people would come up to commiserate with her.
“Of course there had been an unspoken family arrangement. Everyone knew that. But it was based upon friendship. Giles was the first person Clare told and the first to wish her happy, you know,” she announced to all and sundry.
When she got to Lucy, she invited her to take a stroll around the edge of the ballroom and informed her, keeping the sweetest of smiles on her face, that if she heard one more bit of gossip about her brother, she would personally push Lucy’s face into the nearest punch bowl.
“Sabrina, I was not trying to spread gossip! I just felt such sympathy for Giles. But of course I will say nothing more, if you think it best.”
“Thank you, Lucy. And neither of us would wish Giles to hear of this conversation, I am sure.”
“Of course not.”
Sabrina was satisfied that Lucy would keep her mouth shut. Unfortunately, she would not be able to stop her from going after Giles. Well, let her make a fool of herself, Sabrina thought. He has never seen anyone but Clare, and he never will.
* * * *
Clare had dressed very carefully for the supper dance. It would be the first time she and Justin would appear in public officially betrothed, and she wanted him to be proud of her. She put on her newest gown, a lilac silk that was covered by a delicate gauze overslip of an even lighter lilac. Giles’s gift was on her dressing table, and she fingered it thoughtfully. He had been so sweet and so understanding.
Wearing his gift tonight seemed a pledge of her continuing friendship,
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