Chapter 21
Aurora wore a look of helplessness.
Janet held her hand and continued to persuade her, “Aurora, I promise he’s a good man. Just meet him once. If you don’t like him, I’ll find a way to cancel the arrangement, alright?”
Aurora never thought her first challenge back home would be dealing with an engagement her parents arranged when she was a kid.
Back then, Janet and her best friend were both pregnant. They’d made a deal–if one had a boy and the other a girl, they’d set them up to marry someday. If both kids were the same gender, they’d raise them like family.
When Janet and her friend realized they’d had a boy and a girl, they were thrilled, thinking they’d soon be family through their kids‘ marriage. But not long after, Aurora was kidnapped, and the whole arrangement faded into the past.
Then, just a few days ago, after confirming Aurora was still single, Janet and her old friend somehow brought up the old promise at the same time. The guy married, either, so the two mothers decided to revive the idea, hoping to set them up.
However, Aurora remained wary of love after her five–year relationship had ended, with no desire to meet anyone new.
wasn’t
Still, she didn’t want to trouble Janet with her complicated past, so she agreed, planning to explain everything honestly when the time came and hopefully remain friends with the guy.
The instant Aurora nodded, Janet sprang into action, anxious to set a date. Almost as if fearing their plans might unravel, the two mothers scheduled the dinner for that very evening at Sainsbury Manor.
Buzzing with excitement, Janet even arranged for a private stylist to get Aurora ready for the evening. Aurora had little choice but to go along with it.
When she finally stood before the man she’d been promised to as a child, she was stunned to realize she recognized him.
“You?” they exclaimed in unison.
Aurora stared, dumbfounded, at Christopher Goldberg, whose shocked expression mirrored her own.
Janet and Christopher’s mother, Mabel Herring, exchanged a glance, their eyes bright with quiet delight, before quickly excusing themselves to give the two privacy. Alone in the sprawling yard, the silence grew heavy between them.
Finally, Christopher spoke up, “Ms. Lundy, I didn’t know you were the daughter the Sainsburys had found.”
He had attended college in their home country, where he and Aurora were once students in the same field of study.
Aurora nodded. Given how close Janet and Mabel were, Christopher must have already known the story of how she was found. There was no need for her to elaborate.
He glanced at her, then spoke hesitantly, “Ms. Lundy, I remember your hearing…”
Aurora’s hand drifted to her ear. She had never told Janet or Trevor about her past hearing loss. She didn’t want them to know her childhood had been unhappy, as it would only make them feel worse.
So, she walked him through her failed five–year relationship with Terrence and how her hearing had been restored.
Finally, she added, “Mr. Goldberg, I’d like you to keep this between us. I don’t want my parents to worry.”
Christopher paused as if considering it, then replied with deliberate reluctance, “I can agree to that, but only under one condition.‘
“1
Aurora hesitated. She hadn’t interacted much with Christopher, but he had always been gentle and agreeable in her memory. Still, she was the one making a request. So, it was only fair to offer something in exchange.
“What’s the condition?” she asked.
Christopher smiled and winked at her. “Would you mind if I called you Ro instead of Ms. Lundy? And you don’t have to call me Mr. Goldberg anymore.” Aurora hadn’t expected such a simple condition. Since taking her new name, everyone had called her Aurora, but Ro was pleasant, too.
“Of course, Mr. Chris,” she answered.
She hesitated at the thought of the engagement their families had arranged years earlier. Then, steeling herself, she finally found the courage to speak.
She said, “Chris, as you know, I just got out of a tough relationship. I’m not in the right headspace to start something new. About the engagement-
Aurora had feared that bringing it up herself might make Christopher uncomfortable, but his expression remained calm and understanding.
“Don’t worry. I’ll explain it to my mom when I get back. Honestly, I’d already been thinking about how to handle this without damaging our families‘ friendship. I never expected the Sainsburys‘ daughter to be you. Even if we call off the engagement, I’m sure we can still be good friends. Don’t you think?”
Aurora let out a long sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. “Of course.”
Maybe it was their shared college background, but Aurora felt an instant connection, which made adjusting to life in Elseria easier.
As they reminisced, she was surprised to find how many interests they had in common. Soon, they became frequent companions.
One day after feeding seagulls together, Christopher escorted Aurora home. They stood at her doorstep, engrossed in recalling the day’s amusing events, their lively conversation continuing without pause.
They might have been standing there for minutes or hours when Aurora suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.
Thea.”
