Her Sister's Fiancé - Book #1

Chapter 17

From the beginning, he had always known that there would never be another woman for him. For a time, he had tried to deceive himself, but the facade had grown thinner and thinner with each new meeting, and he was tired of faking. He forgot everything his father had said to him, and he forgot the fact that he was getting married today. His mind was filled with his never-ending need for the woman in his arms.

Lavinia clung to him. Her hands clutched the lapels of his coat, and she returned his kiss with the same breathless fervor he felt. How she must have suffered! He knew she loved him, and the knowledge that the man she loved was going to marry her sister must have been almost unbearable, but she had done beautifully. She was his Lavinia, strong and brave under her quiet outer shell, and he loved every bit of her.

Suddenly, Lavinia pushed herself away from him. Looking into her eyes, Ethan could see all the pain she was feeling, all of it caused by him. He moved toward her again, but she backed up.

"No, Ethan, no." She shook her head, her voice thick with emotion. There were tears in her eyes, but none leaked onto her face.

"Why?" He breathed, his heart pounding out a tormented rhythm.

"Because you are getting married." She drew a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she drew quick gasps of air.

"I don't love Cassandra." Ethan grabbed her hands before she could escape him again. "I don't want to marry her." He looked into her eyes, begging her to understand without words.

"Perhaps not now, but you will. Don't do this," she said quickly as he began to shake his head. "In time, you will regret everything that has happened between us. I know you will. You have to go, and you have to get married. We both know that this thing—whatever it is—is foolishness, and we have to give it up."

"No!" Tears rose in his own eyes. "I'm not going to just walk away anymore, I can't."

"Cassandra and you will be very happy," Lavinia's voice was threaded with tears. "You're almost a perfect match. You just have to give it a chance."

As she uttered the words, he flung her hands away from him. He couldn't understand her, didn't she love him? Why was she so intent on him marrying her sister?

"I'll be leaving after the wedding," he looked at her sharply as she spoke. "I don't think we'll see each other again. At least not for a very long time." She bit her lip, looking away from his piercing gaze.

"This is my fault, isn't it?" He gritted his teeth.

"Not only," she shrugged, still refusing to meet his eyes. "But I know that at the moment we're prone to be weak, and I don't want anything to happen that we might regret. Cassandra doesn't deserve that." Ethan nodded quietly. She was right, of course.

"Well then, I suppose this is goodbye." He said softly, and a tear slid down his cheek.

"Yes," she whispered.

"I am allowed to—"

"No," She looked up quickly, how she had know what he was going to say was beyond him. "Let's just leave it at that and not say anything that we might regret. Let's part friends as we were before." She blinked quickly as though trying hard not to cry.

"Friends," he whispered, shaking his head. "That's the last thing on earth I want you to call me."

"After today, it will be brother." Her voice cracked slightly, but she didn't begin to cry.

"Well, goodbye." He said curtly, turning back to his horse.

"Goodbye, Ethan," he heard her hesitate before speaking his name. "Cassandra will make a good wife."