Evie swung her attention back to Ada. “We aren’t making this conversation about Gregory.”

“You can’t ignore him.” Ada’s voice was low. “I tried to do that when I left Max at Stonehill to return to London, and I failed miserably.”

“I am not you, and Gregory is certainly not Max.”

“Thank goodness, for I am not at all certain there needs to be two of Max. One is plenty.” Her smile faded. “He’s the first man you’ve been with since…Lucien?”

“Yes. I didn’t think I’d want to be with anyone again. Gregory was just so charming and attentive. He seemed to be genuinely interested in me. And he was incredibly invested in saving a puppy.” She looked lovingly at Ash. Yes, she loved this little dog in a way that she hadn’t loved anyone besides her sister.

Was there any chance she also loved the man who’d saved him?

Evie hadn’t wanted to consider it, and she still didn’t. But she couldn’t deny the longing she felt or the sadness that their affair was over.

“So why is Ash here without him?” Ada asked.

Evie pondered that question. Gregory had consistently followed her demands, even when he didn’t like them. He’d left her alone when she’d ended their affair. Until he hadn’t been able to. She’d told him she would carry on from this alone. She hadn’t heard from him. Except he’d sent Ash and wasn’t that a message of sorts? Was he simply reiterating that he was there for her, even if it was just to share a dog?

She suddenly felt awful for sending him away. And she hadn’t even explained to him about her past, about why she’d become a courtesan in the first place. She didn’t owe him an explanation, but she realized she wanted to share it with him. To share herself with him. In ways she’d never done with anyone before.

Evie finally answered Ada’s query. “Because I told him not to come.” Implicitly, but it had been enough. “He’s the most considerate person I’ve ever known. He puts everyone above himself.”

“He sounds rather wonderful,” Ada said, smiling. “Why are you still here?”

Blinking, Evie shook her head. “You think I should go…to him?”

“Why not? You’ll need to take his dog back anyway.”

“He’s actually our dog.” Why had they ever thought they could share Ash without living together? Wait, was she actually considering living with him? That would mean marriage. Or something truly scandalous.

Neither of those choices appealed to her. Still, she couldn’t do nothing. She missed Gregory—his cheerfulness, his care, his touch, even his optimism. Most of all, his optimism. She needed more of that in her life.