“Not now, Percival,” Edward growled, unable to tear his eyes away from Celestine and Lord Grundon.
If there was one positive to be taken from the situation, it was that Celestine looked none too pleased with her dancing partner. But across the way, her mother watched and nodded along as if willing the pairing to happen, and Edward came to understand that it might not matter what Celestine wanted.
As a single lady of the ton, she would always be seen as a commodity, someone to be pursued and eventually owned. Shemight not have wanted it, but that was simply the way of the world.
For a time there, Edward had saved her from such a fate. No more…
“I do find it strange,” Percival continued. “That for a man who was so sure of himself, so certain of his own feelings, that you stand here now and look at Miss Celestine as if you lost something.”
“I said not now.”
“Perhaps you should have just done as you had told everyone you were doing and married her,” Percival said dryly. “A pity that you lost the chance.”
The words stung like a knife being driven through his chest, and the longer that Edward watched Celestine dance with Lord Grundon, the more that he came to realize their truth.
I am too late. I had my chance, but I have missed it…
Chapter Fourteen
“Ialways suspected that His Grace was a fool,” Lord Grundon said. “It is nice to have it proven so resolutely.”
“Is that right?” Celestine said dryly, showing as little interest as she could.
“If it were me in his place, I would have never let you go,” he continued. When he spoke, there was no sense that he believed anything that he said. It was more that he said the words he believed he needed to say, as if that would be enough. “But I suppose that is his loss.”
“He did not let me go,” Celestine said. “We simply realized that we were not right for one another.”
“You are better off,” Lord Grundon said. “Truly, a jewel such as you are should be worn by a king, not a wretch as His Grace is. That is what I have always thought, anyway.”
Celestine offered a curt smile but said nothing.
She did not enjoy speaking so poorly of Edward, for it felt wrong to do and unnecessarily mean. It was not as if anything that Lord Grundon said was true, as he had no idea why the engagement was dissolved, nor would he ever.
Also, his words stung a little more than Celestine could bear. All they did was remind her of what had happened, while forcing her to concede that there was nothing that she could do.
Even if there was, I doubt Edward would want to do it.
“Ah, I see you disagree,” Lord Grundon said with a cold smirk. “Or is it false loyalty that quiets your tongue.”
Celestine considered her words carefully. “I will not speak ill of my once-betrothed, if that is your intent.”
He exhaled sharply. “You might not, but others will and do. He is poison. A rotting limb that ought to be amputated before it takes the body with it Most of thetonknow this, but only few are willing todoanything about it.”
Again, Celestine said nothing. Lord Grundon’s words, while sinister, were likely just brought through resentment, even jealousy. Better not to encourage him.
I do wonder what Edward would say if he knew how Lord Grundon truly felt.
So, she focused on their dance, willing the minutes to pass so that it might end. Lord Grundon gripped her right hand tightly, while his left clutched a little too forcefully at her waist. And where she tried her best to not stand too close, he was insistent on pulling her body into his own as if they were one.
It made her skin crawl, truth be told. It made her want to wretch, stop the dance, and storm away. Perhaps she should? At the very least, such an action would go a long way towards scaring off other potential suitors.
But then she caught sight of her mother on the edge of the circle. She nodded along, her eyes wide and purposeful, and Celestine knew as she knew anything that no action taken would stop her mother’s persistence. Like it or not, Celestine was going to marry one day soon, and all she could do was her best to make sure it was to a man who she did not loathe.
As for liking whoever my future husband might be? That is too much to hope for.
“Might I suggest that we have a drink together after the dance?” Lord Grundon asked. As he did, they began to slow.
“Oh…” Celestine did not hide her revulsion. “No, I am fine, thank you.”
