Chapter 446

The heavy snowfall blanketed Evelyn's memories of this place, perhaps because she now had someone reliable by her side. Though the courtyard remained physically unchanged, it felt entirely different to her now.

"Are you cold? Should we head back inside?" Alexander Kensington asked, his hands resting protectively on Evelyn's shoulders as he studied her expression.

Evelyn smiled faintly. "It won't be much warmer indoors. If we stay active out here, the cold won't bother us as much."

She spoke the truth - their assigned room was drafty and unheated. Without servants bustling about, the ancestral home felt particularly frigid. "If you're uncomfortable, we don't have to stay overnight. We can return to the city," Alexander suggested after a moment's consideration. He couldn't fathom how Evelyn had endured these conditions for so many years.

Though Alexander had conducted business with the Hawthorne family before, their dealings had been strictly professional. He'd never imagined they maintained such antiquated living standards.

"I grew up like this, so it's nothing new. I'm more concerned about you adjusting," Evelyn replied. It wasn't that she couldn't adapt - she simply hadn't visited in so long that readjusting took effort. Once accustomed to modern comforts, no one willingly returned to hardship.

"If you can tolerate it, so can I," Alexander began, but Evelyn suddenly raised her hand to silence him, her gaze fixed on something in the distance.

Following her line of sight, Alexander barely discerned a shadowy figure among the snow-laden fruit trees that bordered the Hawthorne estate. The heavy snowfall made identification impossible at this distance.

"You recognize that person?" Alexander asked quietly.

Evelyn didn't answer immediately. Meeting someone familiar on family grounds wasn't unusual, but her reaction suggested this encounter held special significance. "I believe it's someone I've been wanting to see. Wait here," she finally said.

Moving cautiously, Evelyn approached without calling out, her steps measured as if afraid to startle the mysterious figure. Alexander had never seen her behave this way. Frowning, he followed quietly behind.

The crunch of snow underfoot betrayed their approach. The figure tensed and turned abruptly.

"Is it really you?" Evelyn gasped, clapping her hands together in delighted recognition when the person's face came into view.

The stranger appeared equally shocked. "You...?"

Evelyn laughed breathlessly. "I've been wondering where you disappeared to. What are the chances we'd meet here of all places?" She hurried forward eagerly.

Both the stranger and Alexander stood frozen in bewilderment.

"What are you doing here?" the stranger asked, clearly astonished by the encounter.

Evelyn's eyes sparkled with amusement. "That's exactly what I was going to ask you!"