There, Millicent found Edward and she grinned. Edward chuckled and shook his head at her, then he widened his eyes to warn her from doing anything silly. She held her smile, she kept her back straight, and she stood still as another young lady appeared at the top of the staircase.
“I remember my own debut,” Celestine said quietly, an edge to her voice that suggested such a memory was not a happy one. “It is… well, let us just say I am glad we only debut once.”
Edward very nearly asked her to explain, but he caught his tongue and said nothing.
It was almost two weeks ago when he last saw Celestine. That was the night that he kissed her on the balcony, a moment that should never have happened, and one that Edward had spent two weeks trying to come to terms with as well as justify.
He liked to pretend that he had done so for a good reason. Since this false engagement had started, he had enjoyed teasing and testing the limits of Celestine’s patience. She thought she knew him so well, and he took pleasure in upending her presumptions so that she never truly knew what he might say or do next.
Just as she might never truly know me.
But such excuses were lies. The truth was that Edward had lost control of himself at that moment. They’d had their first honest conversation, and Edward had opened himself to her just enough that he’d dropped the façade and shown her a side of himself that few had ever seen. And when she accepted this side, even embraced it, he had felt… something.
While Edward was playing a role, Celestine had not bothered to change who she was. She might not have known him, but he knew her, and try as he might to say otherwise, he rather liked what he had seen. Far more than he wanted to.
He needed this false engagement to be over with. He needed to get through this Season so things could return to how they were. Most of all, he needed to control himself around his fiancé!
“She is doing well,” Celestine said as the final young lady started down the staircase.
“How do you mean?”
Celestine indicated with her head toward Millicent. “See how the others shy away and look so awkward. Millicent stands out because she isn’t nearly so nervous. It almost looks natural.”
Edward smiled. “Yes, she is rather…” He chuckled. “She has a way about her. Far too confident by half.”
“I wonder where she gets that from,” Celestine said with a wry smile.
Edward very nearly made a joke, but he stopped himself once again. He and Celestine stood toward the back of the foyer, for once they were not the center of attention, so there was no need to feign flirtation or put on a show for the ton.
All that was needed for tonight was to make certain that Millicent’s debut went well. No drama. No chaos. And no unwanted rumors about himself and Celestine. And, most of all, no more mistakes.
“It is done…” Edward cleared his throat as the last of the young ladies took her place. As she did, Lady Harrowell stepped forward and presented them, reciting each name, and announcing their arrival onto the scene. “Let us congratulate her before tonight begins in earnest.”
“Yes,” Celestine agreed. “I am also looking forward to meeting her, seeing as she will soon be my niece-in-law.”
Edward frowned at her. “She won’t be…”
“I know it,” Celestine said with an eyeroll. “I am just playing my part.” She gestured to the room and its occupants. “Just in case.”
“Ah, yes.” Edward cleared his throat. “Of course.”
Celestine hadn’t mentioned their kiss. Nor had she given any indication at all that it happened. But that did not mean that things were back to how they had been. Edward had noticed already that she was not quite so distant as before, and not nearly so antagonistic and argumentative.
In fact, it appeared that finally she was willing to play her role properly. Ironic, really, as Edward was now the one who acted aloof.
“Come, let us…” He went to link their arms but stopped short. She noticed and raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled sharply before dropping his arm and indicating for her to follow him.
Walking together, but not touching, Edward moved through the crowd. Already, the young ladies had started to peel off as their parents collected them and heaped on them praise. Millicent stood alone in wait… or she had been, until someone approached her.
Edward stopped short and his hackles rose.
“Edward, what are you…” Celestine trailed off when she saw the reason.
Lord Grundon cornered Millicent by the base of the stairs. Not that it looked aggressive or anything worth worrying about. The conniving lord spoke to Millicent with a charming smile and laughter on his lips, while Millicent chuckled at whatever he said. In fact, she looked somewhat infatuated with the man, as if she could not believe that he was speaking to her at all.
“What is he…” Edward growled as he glared at Lord Grundon. He then started forward, his intention to sweep into Lord Grundon and pummel the man into submission.
“Careful.” Celestine’s hand took his arm and pulled him back.
