have believed it. But things are different now. You’ve seen Celeste and Owen together. You’ve seen Pippa and me. You know that kind of true connection, that kind of deep love exists.”
“I have seen it,” Nathan said softly. “I’m grateful that my best friend, my brother, has found it, and that Owen and Celeste could also be so lucky. But I’ve also seen the ugly side of such an emotion. I’ve seen what happens when people want something they can’t get.”
“So because of your mother or your sister or your friend of a friend’s bad experience, you won’t even try?” Rhys held up both hands. “Seems a bit cowardly.”
Nathan flinched. He knew Rhys was trying to get a rise out of him. And damn if it wasn’t working, because he felt a very strong desire to have a screaming match. Luckily, there was no chance to do so. Pippa returned to the room, this time without Kenley, but with Ophelia at her side.
“Nathan,” Ophelia said with a bright smile.
He pushed to his feet with one final glare for Rhys and then embraced his sister. “I hope you had a marvelous time.”
She smiled at Pippa and Rhys. “Truly marvelous. Thank you both for hosting me and for letting me indulge myself as a token aunt to Kenley. I adore him.”
“It was our pleasure,” Rhys said. “We would love to do it again, perhaps at my country estate later in the summer.”
“I would love it,” Ophelia said.
Any annoyance Nathan had been feeling toward his friends and their prying faded away at the pleasure on his sister’s face. Ophelia had shied away from London after last year’s events. She’d pretended she was fine, but he’d felt her big personality shrink and hadn’t liked it. But the fire was back in her now. The brightness and boldness that he both loved and which drove him mad.
“Look at your schedules,” he said with a nod to his friends. “And we will do the same.”
“We’ll talk about it next time we see you,” Pippa said as she put an arm around Ophelia. “Which must be soon. All of us must have supper together.”
They began to walk toward the foyer together, their heads together as they schemed. Rhys and Nathan followed, but as Ophelia and Pippa continued to talk at the carriage door, Rhys stopped him. “I know we push,” he said. “Everyone just wants you both to be happy.”
Nathan stared at his friend. “But all of you have the same definition of what happy is. And Abigail might not ever allow for it. Even if I did want it. So we’ll have to find our own way.”
Rhys nodded, but there was no mistaking the disappointment in his eyes as he shook Nathan’s hand. It stung, almost like he’d done something wrong that he couldn’t take back.
So he got into the carriage feeling very out of sorts, humming with even more tension than he’d felt when he arrived.
“You look cross,” Ophelia said as the carriage began to move.
Nathan huffed out a breath. “Yes, that seems to be the consensus amongst those who feel they can comment on my life.”
“I’m your sister—it is my prerogative,” Ophelia said. “And shouldn’t you be blissful in these first few days of your marriage? The fact that you are harrumphing like a bear does not bode well.”
She looked truly concerned, and Nathan did his best to relax a little. Loosen his shoulders. “I’m very well, I promise you. I am happy.”
She didn’t look convinced. He didn’t feel convinced either, but that was beside the point.
“I wish I could have prevented you from being forced into this union,” she said softly. “You saved me last year and I could not save you.”
He tilted his head. “The material difference being that I caused my own troubles whereas you did not, and that Abigail is not the blackguard Erasmus Montgomery was.”
Ophelia shrugged and turned her attention out the window. “I suppose we’ll see. She is spoken of very highly by Pippa and Leighton, and that does recommend her. But I will not fully trust her until I see some further proof that your happiness means something to her. You deserve that.”
She was quiet the rest of the ride home. He probably should have filled the silence, tried harder to convince her that she was being too dour about the situation.
Only he wasn’t certain that was true. Rhys and Pippa had also brought up the topic of happiness. And that had been the subject of the