Juliette tried to keep her voice nonchalant. “Yes, he came round yesterday morning very early. We were still at the breakfast table when he called.”

“What did he want at that hour?”

“He is being summoned back to his home very soon, and he did not want to leave London without telling me his plans. He did not want me to hear the news from someone else. Also, he intends to make his trip to the Continent short, return to England at the first opportunity, and speak with my father. He intends to make a formal proposal of marriage to me at that time.”

Agatha gripped Juliette’s arm. “That’s practically a declaration right there. Are you overjoyed? He is the catch of the Season. Oh, this is wonderful news. Tell me you are overjoyed.”

“Overjoyed?” No, she could not say that. She did feel regard for Heinrich, but was that enough? Not to mention … “I am not certain how I feel about it. It is an honor, and more than one young lady has had her eye on him this Season.”

“Wait. If you marry him, does that mean you will live in Brandenburg?” Agatha’s face fell. “Of course it does. When will I see you? Will you return to England for visits? Oh, I want to be happy for you, but I don’t want you to leave me.”

“You’re getting well ahead of things. He has not formally requested my hand, my father has not given his permission, nor have I accepted his proposal. He merely made his intentions known because he must leave so soon.”

“But he will return. And of course you will accept his offer, and you will have a sensational wedding. Everyone who is anyone will attend, and it will be the talk of the year.” Agatha’s eyes brightened. “Think of the wedding breakfast and the gifts, and your trousseau. How much fun we will have shopping for things for your new house. You will be a beautiful bride.”

It was almost like they were little girls once more, sharing a room at the academy, lying awake at night dreaming about what their lives would be when they grew up, the people they would meet, the parties they would attend, the men with whom they would fall in love. But they were no longer little girls. As adults, they both knew that relationships were not as tidy as their adolescent dreams. Real emotions were far more complicated.

You do not love Heinrich. You like and admire him, but there is another who is dangerously close to having your heart.

She must keep a level head. She must not make any hasty decisions. “Time will tell. A lot can happen between now and his return to England. What if his family has another bride chosen for him, one from his own country? What if I find someone else in the meantime?”