That was the other difficulty from which Edward could not escape.
As he shuffled across the carriage, he allowed his gaze to drift over Celestine. She wore a formal gown of dark blue, one with a scooping neckline, that was tight across her bodice, that pronounced her curves and the softness of her body in ways that he would have rather not noticed but couldn’t possibly ignore. Her face too, those soft lips… their single kiss would haunt him for longer than he was proud to admit.
“What?” she asked when she noticed his eyes linger on her. “What are you…”
“Nothing.” He looked away quickly. “I just… you look beautiful in that gown, Celestine. I forgot to mention it earlier.”
Her cheeks blushed. “Why would you when there was no one around to hear it?”
“Some things should be said, regardless of the audience,” he said with a smile that spoke to his disappointment. “Just as some truths cannot be ignored.”
Her cheeks colored further and he saw how touched she was by his comment. Once, she might have accused him of teasing her, but she seemed to understand that they were past such things.
Edward climbed down from the carriage and offered Celestine his arm. She took it gratefully and he helped her onto the street. There were dozens of people about, all peers, and they noticed Edward and Celestine’s arrival. Not that Edward cared at all, and for once he wished that they were alone.
Tonight would be their last night together, and it did not feel nearly so triumphant as Edward might have liked.
Chapter Ten
They sat in a private booth that overlooked the stage below. Just Celestine and Edward, alone, their last night together.
The show had been going for close to an hour by that point, and while Celestine had never been a huge fan of the opera, she found that tonight she hardly noticed it at all. The colors. The majesty. The music. It was white noise, a mirage that she could not focus on, just as she wanted it to end.
Although, its end would also mean an end to this evening, and an end to her engagement with Edward. A month ago, she might have jumped at the chance for such an occasion, and if she had been told then how upset she would be tonight, she would have laughed as if it was a joke.
This should not be nearly so difficult. I want this! I know that I do.
As Celestine had been doing all evening, she glanced side-ways at Edward. He sat right beside her, his hands folded in his lap, his attention focused squarely on the performance below. It looked as if he was engaged and entertained, his only thoughts for the music and the actors and nothing else.
Celestine felt a pang in her heart, perhaps even anger. That she struggled so much with what was to come, and that he hardly seemed bothered by it at all… it felt wrong to her.
“Are you enjoying the show?” she asked in a whisper.
“Hhmm?” He turned to find her looking at him.
“The show,” she repeated. “Are you enjoying it?”
“I am,” he said. “Are you?”
“Oh yes,” she lied. “It is wonderful.” She smiled as if it was the truth and then turned back to watch the stage.
As she did, she felt Edward’s eyes on her. Did he know that she was lying? Did he even care? Why would he? He was not the type who cared about anyone other than himself, and he was likely counting the minutes until this was over.
No… that isn’t true either.
Celestine did not know Edward as well as she could have done, but she knew him better than she had. All that was said about him, the rumors and the gossip, was false and highly exaggerated. She had seen with her own eyes how much he cared about Millicent, and what he was willing to go through to ensure that her debut and her reputation were not ruined by his own actions.
What was more, she thought back to two days ago, when he had distracted Emily from her worries about Ariadne, playing a role that he did not have to do but did anyway. He had wanted to help her, to shelter her from sadness, to be there for her when no one else could be.
And after that… when they had been alone… he was kind and caring, he was tender… he was not wicked, dispassionate, or self-involved. He truly did worry about Celestine and her family, done when nobody was watching, and when there was nothing to gain from it.
“I…” Celestine spoke before she could stop herself. “I must admit, however, I am not nearly so captured by it as I thought.”
“Oh?”
She looked at Edward, found his probing eyes on her, and looked back at the performance. “I guess I am just distracted, is all. Thinking about what we must do after this.”
He chuckled softly. “In truth, I am the same. It promises to be rather awkward.”
