At last, he nodded his head slightly.
"I see," he said. "There is no changing your mind, and given that everyone knows of it, I could not do so regardless."
"Good. There is nothing further to discuss. I am happy, Henry. Please believe me."
But she did not wait for a reply. She turned and moved back toward the carriages, toward the gathering, not knowing how she would manage the journey home.
When she saw Julian, she joined him. They did not greet one another, only standing a small distance from everyone else. Her brother did not look at her when he returned.
"Lord Harrowby," he began.
There was no attempt at politeness beyond the form itself. The restraint he had shown in the gardens had thinned, replaced by something far more direct. Julian inclined his head.
"Mr. Whitcombe."
"I would like an explanation."
Eleanor did not move. She had expected this. Not the exact words, perhaps, but she knew that it would happen. Henry did not accept things without question. He never had, and if Eleanor was not going to tell him anything, he would ensure that Lord Harrowby did.
"What is the meaning of this?" he continued. "And how has it come about so suddenly?"
Julian’s voice remained even.
"It was not decided without consideration. We are both in search of a match, and it is beneficial to us both."
Eleanor’s gaze shifted briefly between them, though she did not speak.
"You do not know her," Henry said, his tone hardening. "Not in any way that would justify this. And yet you stand there as though this is reasonable."
Julian did not interrupt.
"She is not suited to arrangements of this kind," Henry went on. "She never has been, and I will not see her placed in a position where she is expected to endure something that runs directly against her needs."
The words did not come as a surprise. That was the difficulty of them. Eleanor held her position, her hands loosely clasped, her expression unchanged. There was nothing in it to suggest agreement, and nothing to suggest resistance either.
"I have no intention of placing her in such a position," Julian said.
"That is precisely what you are doing."
"No," Julian replied. "It is a decision she has made with full understanding of what it entails."
Henry let out a short breath, not quite a laugh.
"You believe that is enough."
"I know that it is," Julian said. "Because I have not offered anything beyond what I am capable of giving."
Eleanor’s fingers tightened slightly against one another, though the movement was small enough to go unnoticed. There was no hesitation in it, no attempt to soften what he meant. Henry’s gaze shifted to her then, sharp, searching, as though expecting to find something– uncertainty, perhaps, or doubt, or something that might contradict what had just been said.
Eleanor met it without flinching. There was nothing to give him.
"And what is it you think you are offering?" Henry asked, his attention returning to Julian.
"Stability," Julian said. "Consistency. A defined position within my household."
"And nothing more."
"That is what was agreed."