Ellie stood frozen, her eyes wide, hand hovering in the air from where Forrest had held it and pressed his lips against her fingers. She had been treated as such often, but usually by friends of her father and their sons, obnoxious and rude boys who let their eyes scour every inch of her form and made her skin crawl. This boy--man--however, Forrest, he was much different. Polite, and friendly, calling her brother's rudeness onto himself.
"Mr. Chamberlain, please, you mustn't blame yourself..."