When penning her letter she'd been so wrapped up in letting her brother know she was still wounded and tormented by their conversation just over a week ago whilst making sure she didn't give the false impression that she wanted nothing to do with him. Once she'd processed the conversation a little more and had the chance to sleep on it, she'd concluded that the truth had to be somewhere in the middle. Once her head was clear she was sure the manner in which he'd spoken towards the end had made it sound as though something had tied his hands.
If he'd behaved so improperly with the other ladies he'd mentioned, why had it been Miss Finch he'd had to marry? It horrified her to think in such a manner but if... If it was the fear of a child then it would've made far more sense for him to have eloped with Miss Scrimgeour who was still unmarried! It was a heinous thing to do but if one was the sort to lose their virtue a fortnight before marrying another man then surely it wouldn't be morally repugnant to a woman such as Miss Finch to simply hope for the best and get married as planned? The few books she'd read that alluded to women in similar situations would have been overjoyed to have been in her situation. He really shouldn't have done what he did with her but she had obviously been obliging, perhaps the reason Miss Finch had been so obliging was because she felt as though there could be no consequences for her actions. Then why had they immediately eloped? Why would he have suddenly wanted to?
It still made no sense. Reuben was obviously hiding something. She still couldn't shake the image of her brother that she'd had before although she'd had to surrender some naivete to the extent of how far he was willing to take a flirtation. The only reason for that, however, was that deep down she'd suspected for a while that there was at least a possibility he'd known women intimately. The subject was incredibly distasteful for her to consider about any man, but especially one of her brothers and so she had never dwelt on it until he'd forced her to. In part out of wishful thinking but also part logic, she'd come to the conclusion that the details were incredibly hazy, the story he'd spun was as holey as a woolen blanket, and at the heart of it he was protecting his wife. Was it something she'd done or was it simply her true, abominable nature he was trying to hide?
And that was where she was stuck, almost back at square one again except now she had to consider and accept to some extent that her brother really did hold some responsibility, that he'd acted improperly. It was so much worse knowing just enough to torture herself with but not enough to eventually make peace with it.
It was no wonder that it didn't occur to her until later that her brother's visit seemed to be almost more urgent in nature than her own had been - she'd given him a day and he'd given her hours. What was the cause of his urgency? The only thing she could imagine he'd want to speak to her about was their last conversation but why wait over a week and then suddenly act with such haste? It could be something else and if it was then she didn't think she knew about whatever it was. Hopefully it was nothing too terrible.
Nova had been on edge all through dinner knowing that her brother's arrival was now imminent. Dinner seemed to fly by and then it was over, and before she knew it she was waiting in the drawing room. The wait then seemed monumental for there was little she could do to distract herself, she'd tried a book but she couldn't concentrate on it. It hadn't actually been all that long of a wait but it had certainly felt unending. He was shown in and Nova almost jumped to her feet. "Reuben..." She greeted him meekly, cautiously.
If he'd behaved so improperly with the other ladies he'd mentioned, why had it been Miss Finch he'd had to marry? It horrified her to think in such a manner but if... If it was the fear of a child then it would've made far more sense for him to have eloped with Miss Scrimgeour who was still unmarried! It was a heinous thing to do but if one was the sort to lose their virtue a fortnight before marrying another man then surely it wouldn't be morally repugnant to a woman such as Miss Finch to simply hope for the best and get married as planned? The few books she'd read that alluded to women in similar situations would have been overjoyed to have been in her situation. He really shouldn't have done what he did with her but she had obviously been obliging, perhaps the reason Miss Finch had been so obliging was because she felt as though there could be no consequences for her actions. Then why had they immediately eloped? Why would he have suddenly wanted to?
It still made no sense. Reuben was obviously hiding something. She still couldn't shake the image of her brother that she'd had before although she'd had to surrender some naivete to the extent of how far he was willing to take a flirtation. The only reason for that, however, was that deep down she'd suspected for a while that there was at least a possibility he'd known women intimately. The subject was incredibly distasteful for her to consider about any man, but especially one of her brothers and so she had never dwelt on it until he'd forced her to. In part out of wishful thinking but also part logic, she'd come to the conclusion that the details were incredibly hazy, the story he'd spun was as holey as a woolen blanket, and at the heart of it he was protecting his wife. Was it something she'd done or was it simply her true, abominable nature he was trying to hide?
And that was where she was stuck, almost back at square one again except now she had to consider and accept to some extent that her brother really did hold some responsibility, that he'd acted improperly. It was so much worse knowing just enough to torture herself with but not enough to eventually make peace with it.
It was no wonder that it didn't occur to her until later that her brother's visit seemed to be almost more urgent in nature than her own had been - she'd given him a day and he'd given her hours. What was the cause of his urgency? The only thing she could imagine he'd want to speak to her about was their last conversation but why wait over a week and then suddenly act with such haste? It could be something else and if it was then she didn't think she knew about whatever it was. Hopefully it was nothing too terrible.
Nova had been on edge all through dinner knowing that her brother's arrival was now imminent. Dinner seemed to fly by and then it was over, and before she knew it she was waiting in the drawing room. The wait then seemed monumental for there was little she could do to distract herself, she'd tried a book but she couldn't concentrate on it. It hadn't actually been all that long of a wait but it had certainly felt unending. He was shown in and Nova almost jumped to her feet. "Reuben..." She greeted him meekly, cautiously.
