The Garden's End (MLM)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

A moment of silence. Then—

"You don't really like me, do you?"

Robert looked up from his documents. "I didn't say that," he said with an attempt at a soft voice. Instinct won and it sounded impatient to his own ears. "It's only that I'm very busy."

Jane looked back at the door behind her. Her hair was so much shorter when Robert had first left. Jane was always a short child for her age, but she had Isolde's striking eyes and Oliver's mischievous grin. And nothing of Robert. None of them looked anything like him.

Jane came to sit in the chair opposite him, and Robert met her gaze easily.

"Where's Amelia?" he asked. "Shouldn't she be with you?"

"She went to the washroom," she said.

"And you snuck away, did you?"

"I had to," she defended. "Amelia never lets me come in here. She's worried I'll bother you."

"She'd be right," he said.

"You can't say that to me," said Jane. "I'm your sister!"

"I can love you and still think you're a bother, Jane," said Robert with a shrug. "That said, please close the door on your way out."

Jane looked at the door again, and back at Robert, smiling innocently. Robert's eyes narrowed.

"What?" he finally demanded.

"Are you going to marry Pip?" she asked, and Robert choked on his own tongue.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I saw you kiss him yesterday!" she said. "Are you in love with him?"

"Oh, I see," he said. "It's not me you came to see, is it? It's your favourite servant."

"Pip's more than a servant!"

"So you confess it's him you're here for."

"It's both of you!" she said. Then she looked down at her hands in her lap. "In truth, I—I came to apologize to Pip. I thought he hadn't wanted to tell you anything, but now I know . . . I know Andrew forced him not to." She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "It's my fault he was in so much trouble."

Robert hummed.

Jane faltered. "Y-You think so as well?"

He raised a brow. "Did you take blame just so I could contradict you? Because I have to say, Jane, things might've been simpler had you simply come to me."

She looked down, ashamed.

"You put a lot of weight on his shoulders," he said.

She shook her head. "Robbie, I—I had no choice! I didn't think you would listen! And you only listen when Pip talks to you! He was my only hope."

"My," said Pip, coming in with an armful of documents. "That's flattering."

"Pip!" Jane stood, and ran to his side, hugging his waist. "I'm sorry, Pip!" she cried into his waistcoat. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!"

Pip met Robert's gaze, alarmed. Robert noticed Pip's eyes were rimmed red, as though he'd been crying himself. His hand curled to a fist under his desk, and he resumed writing his letter, nearly carving into the parchment with the force of his grip.