“My parents had to let most of the staff go this week because … because we can’t afford to pay them. I hadn’t realized things were quite so desperate when I agreed to this arrangement, but now that I know, I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury to delay my betrothal till the end of the season. I’m going to accept Lord Singleton’s proposal this week—which means tonight must be our last together.”

“Sophie.” Reese said her name like a plea.

“You’re going to be fine,” she assured him, even though her own heart was breaking. “You already look much healthier than you did a few weeks ago. It’s obvious that you’re sleeping more soundly, even when I’m not here.”

“But that’s because I was anticipating your return. I looked forward to you coming back,” he rasped.

“We both knew that our time together was limited,” she said, trying to be stoic even though she wanted to bury her head in Reese’s chest and beg him to never let her go. “We would have said goodbye in a couple of weeks anyway. In the long run, it will probably be easier this way.”

“Nothing about saying goodbye to you will be easy,” he said. “And just to be clear, this is not about me sleeping or not sleeping. This is about my feelings for you.”

“What are your feelings for me?” she asked, knowing that the answer she most longed to hear would also be the one that crushed her.

“I think about you all the time. I always want to be with you. I live to see you smile.” He dropped his head into his palms. “God, Soph. I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

She fisted her hands so she wouldn’t reach out and caress the back of his neck or run her fingers through his hair. “Then I propose that we don’t think about goodbyes right now. Let’s enjoy the time we have left.”

“Do you want to walk down to the lake?” he asked, and she could tell he was trying to compose himself for her sake. “Or maybe stroll through the garden?”

“No.” She shook her head slowly. “I just want to stay here. With you.”

Reese looked at Sophie, sitting in the chair beside him, apparently oblivious to the fact that the earth around him had started to crack and was about to swallow him up. His heart raced like he was about to dive off a cliff, and panic clawed at his chest.

All because this was their last night together.

He understood why she had to accept Singleton’s proposal. She had no other options.