Chapter 42: I like Him

In the great hall, Evelyn sat on a fainting couch beside Cora, sipping lukewarm tea as they chatted quietly. She had just remarked about the strange hush that had settled over the household when the front door flung open.

Juliana stormed in, boots scuffed with dried mud and her usually proud posture collapsed into a trembling mess. Her eyes were puffy, red-rimmed, and brimming with unshed tears. She didn't spare anyone a glance.

Mrs. Bramble, who had been passing through with a tray of fresh linens, turned toward the noise and gasped.

"Miss Juliana... good heavens, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" the older woman asked, voice filled with concern.

Juliana didn't answer. She merely shook her head and pushed past, skirts rustling as she hurried up the staircase like something was chasing her. Evelyn stood the moment she caught sight of the girl's expression.

"Juliana?" Evelyn called, setting her cup aside. Her brows furrowed in concern.

But Juliana didn't stop. She only rushed past them, her boots clicking across the floor, and bounded up the stairs, her sobs audible even through the stone walls.

Mrs. Bramble, flustered, started up the stairs. "I'll go speak with her...she shouldn't be alone in this state..."

"I'll handle it," Evelyn said gently, placing a steadying hand on Mrs Bramble's arm. "She might need a friend more than a caretaker right now."

With a worried nod, Mrs. Bramble stepped back.

"She's a proud one, my lady. Doesn't always take well to fussin' when she's upset."

Evelyn gave her a faint smile. "I'm familiar with that."

She made her way up to the west wing,the hem of her soft cream dress brushing against the polished steps and her steps quiet on the rug-covered floor. Juliana's door was half-shut, and from inside, Evelyn could hear the muffled sounds of crying.

Evelyn's chest tighten.

She knocked softly. "Juliana?"

No answer.

Evelyn opened the door and stepped inside.

Juliana lay curled on her bed, still dressed in her riding clothes. Her shoulders trembled violently, face buried into a pillow.

Evelyn crossed the room slowly. "Juliana?"

A muffled sniffle. "Go away."

"I'd rather not."

She sat gently at the edge of the bed. When Juliana didn't move, Evelyn carefully reached out and laid a hand on her back. The younger girl flinched at first, then relaxed, the tension in her spine easing under the soft touch.

"Juliana," she said softly, "what happened?"

Juliana's voice came out in a choked whisper. "He beat him. Evelyn… Emilio beat him."

Her fingers curled into the bedspread. "Right in front of me. Like he was nothing. He… he kicked him like a dog. And Thomas...he just took it. He didn't even cry out. He just… took it."

Evelyn's brows furrowed with anger and sorrow. She gently brushed a strand of hair away from Juliana's cheek, only to find it damp with tears.

"That vile man…" Evelyn muttered, her voice low and full of loathing.

"I...I tried to stop him. I shouted at him," Juliana continued between sobs. "But that only made it worse. He was humiliated. He beat Thomas harder. And Thomas, he didn't fight back, Evelyn. Not once."

"I… I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't. I tried, Evelyn, I tried..."

"You did the right thing," Evelyn said at once, pulling her into a gentle hug. "You did. I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm even sorrier that Thomas had to suffer it."

Juliana clung to her tightly. "He bled, Evelyn. He bled, and I couldn't do a damn thing."

"You're not to blame for Emilio's cruelty. And you were brave for standing up for him"

Juliana let out a pained laugh. "Brave? All I did was make things worse for him."

Evelyn squeezed her hands. "He'll remember that someone defended him. That he mattered to someone."

Juliana looked away, trying and failing to hide a fresh wave of tears.

Evelyn studied her for a moment. Then, softly, carefully: "You care for him, don't you?"

Juliana froze, eyes going wide.

Her lips parted slightly, eyes widening just enough to betray how caught off guard she was. But Evelyn's gaze remained steady, warm, without judgment.

Juliana blinked. "Is it that obvious?"

"To someone who sees you clearly," Evelyn said with a faint smile. "Yes."

There was a long silence. And then Juliana exhaled, voice barely more than a breath. "I do."

She wiped her cheek. "I don't know how it happened. I only know that when he looks at me, I feel like someone entirely different. I just… every time he looks at me, it feels like the world disappears."

"But I'm not supposed to, am I?"

Evelyn gave her hand a soft squeeze.

But Juliana's face twisted with shame. "Do you look down on me now?" she asked in a small voice. "For falling in love with a stable boy? For dreaming of someone I have no right to?"

Evelyn reached over and embraced her. Juliana stiffened at first, but then sagged into her shoulder, shaking quietly.

"I don't look down on you, Juliana," Evelyn whispered. "Not for this. Not ever."

"You don't?"

"Of course not. The heart doesn't care about titles or stations. It simply chooses." Evelyn pulled back slightly, brushing a tear from Juliana's cheek. "What matters is that you know what you're doing and you're willing to face the weight of it."

Juliana nodded, face red and still damp. "I just… I care for him, Evelyn. More than I thought possible."

Evelyn smiled softly. "Then hold onto that. The world will do enough trying to tear it apart."

Juliana's tears spilled over again, but this time, her smile trembled through them.

"You won't tell anyone?"

"Not a soul," Evelyn promised.

Juliana reached out and hugged her tightly again, burying her face against her shoulder.

The two girls sat like that for a long moment.

Sisters not by blood, but by circumstance, and shared secrets.

And for the first time that day, Juliana's sobs began to ease.