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She still refused to meet his eyes. “My father is a good man. Everyone says so.”

“Don’t care what everyone else says. I want you to know thatif he did hurt you, you didn’t deserve it.”

Something in her seemed to crumble at his words. “But I must have. If I didn’t, then why else would he do it?”

“Oh, Rebecca,” William softened. He slowly moved towards her, opening his arms.

Slowly, giving her plenty of time to move away or tell him to stop, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling Rebecca to his chest.

For a moment, she stiffened and he thought she would pull back. Then, she melted, wrapping her arms around him as well. William could feel a wet spot forming on his shirt where her tears fell.

He held her as she cried.

Suddenly, she pulled back, face red and whipping at her eyes. “My apologies. I shouldn’t have done all that.”

“It is all right, Rebecca,” he said, voice far more gentle than he thinks he had ever heard it.

“I fear I may have misjudged you.”

William looked away, shaking his head. “It was hardly like I gave you much of a choice.”

“Perhaps,” Rebecca hesitated. “Perhaps we could start over.”

He nodded. “That seems like a good place to start. I think the two of us should go somewhere to talk a bit more.” His eyes flickered back to the painting. “Do you mind if we move this to the parlor?”

“If you like,” she muttered, still avoiding his eyes.

“Thank you.”

They made their way into one of the other rooms and sat on opposite ends of the sofa inside in complete silence.

After a moment, she spoke. “My father had treated me…. Different… from my sister for as long as I can remember. He said it was because our position was different.”

“Different how?”

“She’s the oldest, she’s the prettiest, she’s the future of our family. I was… an afterthought at best. Everything I had, clothes, furnishings, even my meals were left over from others.”

“What do you mean your meals were left over from others?”

“When the servants finished their dinner, I got what was left.”

“That’s terrible! I’m so sorry you went through that.”

“It could have been worse,” she shook her head. “I never went hungry. The servants always made a point to save me something.”

“Still, it never should have been something you had to worry about. I hope you don’t feel like you need to worry about it here.”

“I won’t lie, it took me a little while to get used to it, but no. it isn’t something I think about now.”

“That’s good. I never want you to worry about that again.”

She hesitated.

“What is it?”

“Can I ask you something?”

“That does seem to be what we’re all doing here.”