Page 10 of Silk and Sensibility

Kǒu shì xīn fēi. Ailin’s words did not match her heart.

我從未見過像段大小姐這般美麗聰慧的女子。

她的若即若離令我輾轉反側。

Miss Duan confuses me. I’ve never met a woman as elegant, as brilliant, or as beautiful. She works to avoid me, but she is also kind to me. What does it mean?

—Unsent letter from Fan Enze to Fan Ruoze

Chapter 3

Ailin

Ailin’s heart outpaced her head. As soon as she heard Fan Enze fall, her conscience tugged, compelling her to check for herself whether he was all right. He was barely more than a stranger, but the kindness he’d shown her was already etched into her memory.

His eyes widened when he saw her, registering recognition before confusion. As he hurried to push himself up from the gravel, Ailin noticed his red, scraped palms. He clasped his hands behind his back, hiding a torn sleeve in the process.

“You . . .” He paused when Meilin skidded into the courtyard behind Ailin. His eyes flicked between the coarse, white mourning dresses both she and Meilin wore. Her true identity was obvious now. She was not the maidservant she had pretended to be. Would he confront her about her lie? “You two must be young ladies of the house. I apologize for disturbing you.”

His response surprised her. Fan Enze was pretending to meet her for the first time. He had promised to protect the secret of their chance encounter, and he was keeping his word, even in front of her sister.

“We’ve heard about you, Master Fan. Are you hurt?” Meilin asked smoothly. While Ailin had run straight past their nephew to reach Fan Enze, Meilin must have intercepted Heli and sent him with Ming­ming to get Mother. They would all be here soon.

Would Fan Enze keep protecting Ailin’s secret when the others arrived? Ailin had told Mother and Ming­ming about her trip to Chen Manor after she returned, but she hadn’t told them about meeting Fan Enze. Would they worry about her or judge her? She didn’t know which possibility was worse. Guilt stirred in her stomach like spoiled rice porridge. She had reasons for doing what she did yesterday, but she felt embarrassed regardless.

“Are you hurt, Master Fan?” Meilin asked again, her tone light and relaxed.

Ailin was dismayed at how tense she was compared to her younger sister. She should have been more in control of the situation. Instead, she was staring at Fan Enze like a dumb melon, wondering what he thought of her yesterday versus today.

“I’m fine, Miss . . .” He paused as if waiting for an answer.

“I’m Duan Meilin, and this is my older sister, Duan Ailin.” Meilin pushed Ailin a step closer to the man she was trying to avoid.

“Grandma’s here!” Heli announced as he skipped into the yard with Mother and Ming­ming.

Ailin furtively took a step back. She was still too close to Fan Enze for comfort.

“You must be Master Fan.” Mother approached with a smile. Ming­ming followed behind, carrying a basket of medical supplies. “Is it all right if I take a look at your injuries?”

Fan Enze kept his hands behind his back. “I’m fine, ma’am. I don’t mean to bother you all.”

“It’s no trouble at all, I assure you,” Mother said with the confidence of a seasoned matron. She was always most comfortable when she was able to fix things, and—after raising three children, especially Ming­ming—treating light scrapes and bruises came naturally her. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

Ailin wondered how Fan Enze would react. She understood her mother’s need to be helpful, but would a near-stranger like him think she was nosy? Junyou didn’t seem to care, but Fulan had disliked Mother from the start.

Fan Enze expressed his thanks and followed Mother to the stone table in the corner of the yard, and the knot in Ailin’s heart untangled a bit. Perhaps Fan Enze could be trusted to be kinder than his sister was. Ailin felt at ease enough to wait with Meilin while Ming­ming attempted to rescue the kite from the persimmon tree.

“Is the youngest Miss Duan safe doing that?” Fan Enze asked, alarmed.

Ailin suddenly remembered that climbing trees was not normal for a girl from a scholarly family. Most young ladies had bound feet like Ailin and didn’t do such physically demanding activities, but climbing was so natural for Ming­ming that Ailin hardly thought twice about it.

“No need to worry. My youngest daughter is the one who harvests the persimmons every autumn,” Mother said proudly. She was always indulgent with Ming­ming, letting her do whatever she pleased, even if it wasn’t ladylike.

“That is a useful skill,” Fan Enze said in a neutral tone.

Ailin could not decipher if he was being polite or sincere. But either was a positive mark for his character. He was good-natured, and his conversation was lifting Mother’s spirits higher than they had been in days.

Ming­ming ascended the tree like a monkey, deftly weaving through the boughs until she reached the kite. The waxy green leaves and bright orange persimmons on the branches shook as she freed the crimson koi from its prison and jumped down from the tree with success.