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"Edward." She turned to face me, attempting her usual bright smile. "What secrets? I'm afraid I don't—"
"James." The single word cut through her pretense like a blade. "I know about you and James."
The color drained from her face so completely I thought she might faint. Her carefully maintained composure crumbled, leaving behind something raw and vulnerable that I rarely saw from my composed sister. Her hands began fidgeting with the pearl bracelet at her wrist—a nervous habit from childhood.
"How did you—" she began, then stopped herself. "It doesn't matter, does it? You know."
I moved closer, my hands clenching at my sides as the full implications hit me. "I saw you myself. In the gardens, by the old stables. What I witnessed was decidedly not a casual conversation between acquaintances." The guilt rushed over me as I had to lie to my sister to protect Lili, again.
Daphne's hands flew to her face, covering her eyes as if she could hide from the reality of discovery. "Oh God. Edward, I can explain—"
"Can you? Because from where I'm standing, it appears that my sister has been conducting a secret affair with my best friend behind my back." The words carried more edge than I'd intended, but the betrayal cut deep. "How long has this been going on, Daphne? How long have you been lying to me while I've been trusting James with family business, with access to our home, and my sister's welfare?"
"Months." The admission came out as barely more than a whisper. "Since before... well, since before you started acting differently too."
I caught the implication in her tone but ignored it for now. "Do you have any idea what this could do to our family? To James's position at the firm?"
"If Mother finds out that James has been romantically involved with you, it won't just ruin his career—she will ensure his reputation is completely shattered," I went on, my legal instincts listing the possible calamities. "Malcolm would be left with no option but to fire him straight away and see to it that he's blacklisted from every major firm in London."
She looked up at me then, and I saw tears gathering in her eyes. "Do you think I don't know the risks? Do you think James and I haven't discussed this endlessly?"
"Then why—"
"Because I love him!" The words exploded from her with a force that made me step back. "Because despite everythingthat says we shouldn't be together, despite all the reasons—it's impossible, I love him. And he loves me."
"Love isn't always enough, Daphne." My voice was harder than I'd intended, the older brother in me rising to the surface. "James is my best friend, which makes this betrayal even worse. He's seven years older than you, established in his career while you're still figuring out your life. He knows better than to compromise his position this way, and he certainly knows better than to involve my sister in that compromise. And you've considered this acceptable risk?"
"I've considered it unavoidable reality." She stood, moving to the window where rain was beginning to streak the glass. "We tried to stay away from each other, Edward. For months, we fought it. But some things are stronger than logic or social expectations.
“You don't understand what it's like being the Grosvenor daughter, Edward," she continued, her voice becoming more desperate. "Every man I meet either wants my money or my connections. James is the first person who made me feel like I was worth something beyond my last name."
The familiar scent of lemon oil and old wood that usually comforted me now felt oppressive, as if the room itself was holding its breath.
"James is my best friend," I said carefully. "But he's also in a position of trust with this family. The power dynamic alone—"
"Is irrelevant because I pursued him," Daphne interrupted, turning back to face me with a flash of defiance. "James tried to maintain a proper distance. I'm the one who kissed him first, who refused to let him push me away for the sake of propriety."
"That doesn't make this less complicated."
"No, it doesn't. But it makes it real." Her voice softened, becoming almost pleading. "Edward, I know how this looks. I know all the reasons you disapprove. But you haven't seen ustogether, haven't seen how he looks at me when he thinks no one is watching. This isn't some casual affair or a young woman's infatuation with an older man. This is real, Edward. James sees me—not the Grosvenor name, not the inheritance, not the social connections. He sees me, and he loves me anyway."
"This is what?"
"This is the kind of love that changes everything. The kind that makes you willing to risk your entire world because the alternative—living without it—is unthinkable."
Her words hit closer to home than I cared to admit, but I couldn't let personal experience cloud my judgment about my sister's welfare.
"And what happens when Mother finds out?" I asked bluntly. "When she decides that James has overstepped his bounds and threatens his partnership? When she cuts you off from the family for defying her expectations?"
"Then we'll face it together."
"Together and penniless. Together and ostracized from society. Together with James's career in ruins."
"If necessary, yes." Her chin lifted with the stubborn determination I remembered from childhood. "Some things are worth more than money or social standing."
"Daphne—"
"What about you, Edward?"