"Ella Harrington," someone announced as they entered my office. I glanced up from my work to see that it was my mother marching through my doorway. I raised a brow at the strange intrusion.

"Pardon?" I queried.

"Don't you pardon me," she snapped. "It's Ella, isn't it? The girl you're hopelessly in love with."

"Hopeless- mother," I replied, standing up. "What's gotten into you?"

She had her hands on her hips, a sneer on her face, more ruthless than I'd seen her in some time.

"You answer me, Victor Edward Winterbourne," she spat again. "Is it Ella Harrington?"

She was right. I couldn't lie to her.

"Mother," I started and she visibly relaxed, taking my lack of denial as an admission. "Please. Don't make such a fuss."

"Are you going to do anything about it? You've gotten her here, right under your nose. Are you going to court her?"

"It's her sister's wedding, mother."

She narrowed her gaze.

"That's never stopped you before," she said.

"This is different," I replied, a bit hurt by her insinuation.

"Victor," she answered with a sigh, actually pinching the bridge of her nose as if utterly exhausted by my actions, by my choices. Perhaps she was. "If you're telling me the truth, if this is different, if you want it to be different, then you have to resolve what you've left unfinished."

"Things between Gwendolyn and I are resolved."

"Are they? Then tell me why she comes here at every occasion, slinking around, following you, hoping to win you back?"

"She'll never win me back."

"The two of you were engaged, Victor. I know you loved her."

"I did. I don't now."

I had turned away from her. I was leaning over my desk, staring down at my papers, wishing I was anywhere else having any other conversation. But my mother was not to be deterred. She stepped forward, placing a hand on my cheek and gently turning my face up to look at her.

"End it," she advised, voice soft. "Get your closure. Then move on with Ella. It doesn't do either of you any good to ignore your past."

Her words rang eerily similar to Benthem's, so much so that I started wondering if they were right, if I would have no peace and feel no ease until I resolved that which I had run from before, that which I had left behind for a trip to the country that changed my life. I gave my mother a nod and she left me to my work.

"Victor," someone spoke again from the doorway. It must have only been moments later, though it felt as if I'd been lost in thought for hours. I looked up to see Madison standing in the threshold, smiling at me. I smiled back and rounded the desk. It was time.

Ella was waiting for us in the gardens, lily in hand as she bent forward to examine it. The morning sun did wonders for the streaks in her auburn hair and I found my heart racing like a schoolboy's as I approached her, Madison stopping a respectable distance away.

"You look radiant this morning," I told her. She smiled and stood straight up, wiping her hands on her dress and looking up into my eyes the way she'd done a thousand times, the way I didn't imagine I could ever tire of.

"I don't think they're too summery," she replied, nodding toward the lily she'd been examining. "Besides, beauty knows no season."

I grinned, taking a step forward. She fell in beside me and we began our walk through the gardens, silently grateful that my ancestors had curated such winding vines and thick brambles that we couldn't be seen from the house.

"Have you managed to convince your brother to attend the ball tonight?" I asked casually as we walked. She nodded back at me.

"It would be good for him to meet people outside of our small town. Elijah loves his home but there's no reason that he cannot have connections," she replied. I nodded my agreement.

"And perhaps he will meet someone once he gets away from the same group of women he's been around his whole life," I countered. "I did."

She smiled back at me but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Was it something I said?" I asked.

"Oh, no," she answered, shaking her head. "I was just thinking about Elijah. It's nothing."

"Ella," I replied, stopping and turning to face her. I placed my hands on her shoulders so that we were looking into each other's eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Her lips parted slightly as she stared back at me and suddenly I thought that perhaps Elijah was the farthest thing from her mind. My jaw tensed as I became aware that I was still touching her.

Someone cleared their throat a few feet away and Ella blushed as I released her, reminded of Madison's not-so-far-away presence. I couldn't help but chuckle as we turned back to our walk. After a moment, Ella giggled as well and we looked at each other once more, humored by the knowledge that we apparently could not be trusted.

The rest of our walk through the gardens went well. She told me about herself and I found myself grasping onto every bit of knowledge that she shared. Her favorite flower: daisies. Her favorite color: purple. Her favorite food: chocolate, of course. I listened intently and committed each to memory, already wondering who I could contact to obtain some imported chocolates as I kissed her hand and walked away, headed back to my office and an afternoon of attempting to focus on work.