Father’s veterinarian stopped to chat with her parents, Elise answered her sister’s question. “We dated a while ago. Harry married someone else shortly after we parted ways.”

“That’s all over with now, isn’t it? I heard him say he was divorced.”

“Aye. That’s over.”

“I can tell you like him, and he’s definitely interested. What’s stopping you? Is it his having a son?”

“No. I quite like Sammy, exasperating lad though he is.” For the first time in years, Elise needed to unburden herself, and Sophie could be trusted. “My job takes me all over the world. How would Harry and I ever make something work between us?”

“Then spend time together while you can.”

“I can’t do that,” Elise mumbled under her breath. Even though she had ended things with Harry at university, it had taken her a long time to move on afterward.

Several more people filtered through the queue before Sophie returned to their previous topic.

“I can’t either.”

“You can’t either what?” Elise asked, distracted by Harry’s approaching presence.

“I’m too serious to date someone for the fun of it and then walk away,” Sophie whispered, her color high. “I’d almost feel dishonest.”

“Same. I blame it on our strict upbringing and Minister Drummond’s Sunday sermons.”

Elise’s eyes connected with Sophie’s, and they both burst into shame-faced snickers, each earning a scowl from their mother. Elise sobered immediately, and Sophie straightened.

“I find that hard to believe. Men are forever chasing you.”

Elise flushed, her skin burning hot under the surface. “That doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I find something intrinsically wrong with toying with another person’s emotions.”

“I agree.”

Elise squeezed her sister’s arm, feeling more connected to Sophie than she had in years.

They each shook more hands and murmured all that was polite to their parents’ guests.

“Did you see the way Captain Benson put Ahern in his place at supper?” Sophie whispered during another lull.

“I did.” Delicious shivers rippled up Elise’s spine every time she replayed the incident in her head. Harry had definitely staked his claim.

“Well? What are you going to do about Captain Benson?” Sophie’s blue eyes looked troubled.

“Probably nothing.” Elise’s heart plummeted. “It’s no use, Sophie. There’s no future for us the way things stand. Both of us would get hurt, and there’s Sammy to think of.”

Once Elise regained active field-agent status, their assignments would send them in opposite directions across the globe. Lengthy separations would destroy their tentative bond.