misunderstanding.”
“Yes,” Joanna said, but hesitated, “except that I could have chosen to believe in him. To trust in who he was over what Alex tried to make me believe.”
“It’s not your fault—” Caroline began, but Joanna was already shaking her head.
“It is my fault, though, Caro,” she said, and then looked up at her friend in supplication. “What should I do?”
“What do you want to do?” Caroline asked her frankly.
“I want…” A horse whinnied from the stall over, as though encouraging her, and Joanna took a breath. “I want to be with Elijah, truly I do. But I have no idea if he feels for me as I do for him. And he let me go so easily…” she paused, hesitating, and Caroline reached over and placed her hands on Joanna’s shoulders.
“I have never, in my life, seen Elijah as happy as he is when he is with you. I think, Joanna, that you have to take a chance. Hope for a little Christmas magic. Put your trust in Elijah and what he feels for you, in who the two of you can be together. Trust me,” she looked back at Thatcher, “it’s worth it.”
“You’re right,” she said, a glimmer of hope beginning to form and flicker. “I will try.”
She looked up at Caroline. “I have an idea,” she said, “but it will take some time. Will you promise not to share that I am here?”
“You are going to stay then?” Caroline said hopefully.
“For a time, at least.” Joanna nodded. “I have to make things right. And I want to be here for you if you need me.”
“Very well,” Caroline said, her brown eyes serious. “I don’t know if anything will have changed,” she said with a deep breath. “But Elijah has convinced us to try.”
Joanna squeezed her hands. “I must go before Elijah comes back for you. I will be in my room if you need me. Please tell me how everything goes with your family. Once they know how in love you are… I hope they will understand.”
“Me too,” Caroline said fervently. “Me too.”
Chapter 21
While he hadn’t had any wish to face his family at the moment, Elijah had promised Caroline that he would do what he could. And while he wanted nothing more than to hide away in his rooms and drown himself in his misery, he had promised his sister. If he could see one happy outcome from today, then perhaps he could convince himself there was still some vestige of hope for love in this world.
It had nearly crushed him when he had heard Joanna’s words, when he saw that while she had been deeply hurt, it was because she had no belief in him whatsoever.
He had let her go when he realized that he would never be good enough for her, that he could never overcome the shadow of his past that he carried around.
He had almost forgotten his promise to his sister after his conversation with Joanna, but a glance out the window, the stables in his view, reminded him of their plan. If he couldn’t have Joanna, he would make sure his sister’s Christmas wish came true. He had spoken to his father, and while he didn’t have any promises, there was an inkling of hope.
He ducked into the stables to find Caroline and Thatcher.
“Took you long enough,” she called out to him as he walked in. “We’re quite close to freezing in here.”
“Oh, it’s warm and you know it,” he countered. “Besides, it’s time for you to come in, anyway.”
Caroline looked at him with consternation.
“He said no, didn’t he?” she asked, her face falling, and she reached behind her and took Thatcher’s hand in hers. “We’re leaving, then, Eli. Come, Samuel, let’s go before—”
“No, Caro, wait,” Elijah said, holding out a hand. “That’s not it at all. Father does want to talk to you, and I think it’s a good thing.”
“Really?” she said, lifting a brow beneath her wool cap. “Then why are you looking as though we’ve lost the war?”
Because he had lost Joanna, the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“Nothing to do with you,” he said with a quick shake of his head. “Come.”
He hoped for his sister that the reunion between her and his parents would be a joyful one, but as it happened, he didn’t have the opportunity to witness their reaction, for his father asked for a moment alone with Caroline. Both Elijah and Thatcher attempted to accompany her, but she turned to them,