Tessa lets out an angry exclamation of frustration and crumbles the paper into a ball and hurls it at the opposite wall of her bedroom. It bounces off and joins the other crumbled balls of paper on the floor, the dustbin now spilling over.

"It's no use!" She throws her arms up in the air in exasperation.

Sophie comes in silently, holding a tray, and she says, "What's no use, Miss Gray?"

Tessa turns and gratefully takes the glass of water. "I just can't manage to actually write a proper letter to Will. I've wasted my entire diary, and the outcome is this." She gestures at the mess of paper all over the floor.

Sophie blinks in confusion and sits on the lounge chair with the tray on her lap. "Forgive my curiosity, but whatever are you writing a letter to Master Will for?"

Tessa sighs and shakes her head. "I want to get things clear with him."

Sophie wears an unreadable expression. "Oh. About Master Jem, this is, isn't it?"

Tessa, reluctantly nods. "Yesterday I told him we were engaged before everyone else knew, and his reaction-well, let us just say it wasn't lovely."

The other girl shrugs and sips from her glass of water. "Master Will ought to understand. He's been through a lot, and he even seems to have been changed."

Tessa is painfully reminded about that meeting in the drawing room. The way his eyes were pleading, almost desperate, or the way it looked as if his soul would shatter any moment.

And yet at dinner , when Jem and herself had announced the news, he had been perfectly accepting about it. He had even congratulated them.

Her hand fingers her clockwork angel, which lay directly below Jem's jade necklace. She had decided to wear both of them, a reassurance that Jem was there for her as well as her clockwork angel.

"And besides, he was fine with it at dinner. Why not Now?"

Tessa looks at her. "Will is-unpredictable. He masks his feelings and emotions well. And you won't believe me if I told you this, but before he knew I was engaged, he had confessed and told me that he loved me."

Sophie's glass stops halfway to her mouth. "He...what?"

Tessa nods glumly. "And the truth is, I'm a bit confused myself."

Sophie laughs. "You are quite a heartbreaker, Miss Tessa Gray."

"That is the problem," Tessa says. "And Will, well I once did have certain feelings for him, but now, those feelings have been veiled. Jem needs me, and loves me more than anything. And I want to return his love just ad passionately, and doing that means leaving Will behind."

Sophies eyes look thoughtful. "They both are worthy of your love, Miss Gray. Both of them are strong and brave, and both love you wholeheartedly. Either would be a good choice."

Tessa closes her eyes . "The only question left to answer is-which one do I love more than the other?"