“No. She has been with Grace, and I believe she will allow you to apologize.” He raised one dark brow. “There are only two days before the wedding. You had better succeed. I know what happens when a couple in love are renovating a house.”

Despite the veiled threat, John had never been so happy in his life. Eleanor was giving him another chance. “Thank you.”

“I knew this had been too easy.” With that cryptic remark, Worthington left the parlor.

* * *

Despite telling herself Montagu was not worth crying over, Eleanor, for some reason, wept anyway while trying to tell Grace what he had said.

“I understand why you are upset enough to break the betrothal, but have you thought he might have been frightened as well?”

Eleanor was not going to forgive him that easily. “In that case, he should have said that instead of telling me I had to give up what I have been working to achieve.”

Her sister sighed. “I seem to recall having this very same discussion with Dotty when Merton overreacted to her being threatened. Montagu will come to see you. Do you think you can listen to what he has to say?”

A vague memory of Dotty being furious with Merton rose in Eleanor’s mind. “I wonder what he said to change her mind.”

“Will you speak with him?” Grace repeated.

“Assuming he does promise not to behave like a tyrant, I do not know if I can believe him.”

She put her arm around Eleanor’s shoulders. “Has he done anything like this previously?”

“No. But nothing like this has happened before.”

“From what I have seen, men—and women as well—who are prone to this type of behavior do so without being prodded. It is their personality. Do you remember why no one on the Vivers side liked Merton?”

Eleanor nodded. “Because he tried to tell everyone what to do.”

“Precisely.” Grace gave her a sympathetic look. “But he was never actually a tyrant because as much as his uncle tried to make him into one, he was not made that way.”

“You are saying that Montagu might not actually be a tyrant.”

“Well, you have seen how his sister and mother react to him. They are not at all afraid of what he might do.”

That was true. “He still must apologize to me.”

“Not only that, he must not try to blame you,” Grace said. “He must take responsibility for his own regrettable behavior.”

Eleanor blew her nose. When he came she did not want him to know she had been crying. “I should put a cold cloth on my eyes.”

A few minutes later a knock came on the door, and Matt strolled in. “Are you feeling better?”

“I am.” She was not sure how much the compress had helped. Cucumbers would have been better.