The Gift of Love (The Book of Love #8) - Meara Platt Page 0,35

quite large for merely one person. Most of these beautiful rooms would go to waste. No wonder Lady Wellbrook had found it too much for her to maintain. However, this had been a happy home, quite joyful when her children were younger, and her husband was alive.

She could feel the warmth of this house seeping through her bones.

Since ladies did not go into the kitchen, and Lady Wellbrook was quite the traditional lady, she did not show them that part of the house.

Still, Dahlia had seen enough for now and could not wait to offer her suggestions at the proper time.

The moment they climbed into Ronan’s carriage for the return ride home, she let him know how much she liked the house. However, she stopped herself from throwing her arms around him and gushing about it.

After all, it was not yet his to do with as he wished.

She couldn’t bear to think the purchase might not go through.

“Holly, did you like it?” Ronan asked.

Her sister nodded. “I did. Very much. And now I have a question for both of you. Would you mind explaining what is going on?”

Dahlia cast Ronan a nervous glance. “What do you mean?”

“Do not give me that innocent look. I am your sister. I know you too well. Is this true? Ronan, are you really courting my sister?”

Heather squealed. “I knew there was something going on between the two of you. Admit it, you weren’t merely reading. You were caught up in the magic of The Book of Love. It has drawn you together in love, hasn’t it?”

Dahlia glanced once more at Ronan, preferring he take the lead in this discussion since she was not comfortable with their arrangement and certainly did not like the prospect of lying to her sisters.

“Obviously, it is quite new to us,” Ronan said. “We don’t know what might develop, but as for me, my intentions are serious.”

“Why did you not say anything before this?” Heather asked, her smile as bright as the beacon of a lighthouse.

“I am a gentleman, Heather. Your sister and Wainscott...well, now that he is out of the way, I wanted to make my feelings known to her before others came along.”

Holly appeared a little harder to convince. “Then there is nothing to the rumors about you and Lady Melinda?”

“No, as I’ve told you all before. It is a ploy on her part to bring her marquess to heel and make an offer of marriage.”

Holly was still wary. “Because if you hurt my sister,” she said, glancing at Dahlia, “I will never forgive you.”

“I give you my oath, it will not happen.”

He’d spoken the last with a confidence that troubled Dahlia. They were not going to last as a couple, and she did not like that the lie had tripped so easily off his tongue. Also, Lady Melinda’s name kept coming up...and Ronan had not denied there had been something between them not so very long ago.

Was it possible she was being duped again?

No.

If she could not trust Ronan, then there was not another man in the world she could. He had been honest with her in every detail, stating exactly what was to happen, and why it needed to be done. He’d promised not to embarrass her, even promised to marry her if she so wished it.

Holly was still staring at her. “You look ashen.”

She nodded. “I won’t deny that Gerald hurt me very badly. It isn’t easy for me to jump straight into another courtship so soon. It scares me.”

She turned to Ronan, saw the tension in his eyes, and realized she had to go along with the charade for now. “But I want this. At least, I want to try and see where it might lead. We’ll take our time. But my feelings for Ronan are much as his feelings are for me.”

There, she’d given the impression they were courting. But she hadn’t actually confirmed anything. It was a deception...but not quite a lie.

Her sister’s expression softened as she reached forward and patted Dahlia’s hand. “I’m very happy for the two of you. Having found unimaginable happiness with Joshua, I can only wish the same for both of you.”

She nodded, unable to actually utter a thank you since it still felt wrong.

Her heart remained troubled after they dropped Holly off at her home and returned to Chipping Way. Dahlia switched seats to sit beside Heather, who was squealing and bouncing beside her like an overexcited child. In truth, Heather had felt Gerald’s betrayal as