She saw his expression. He let her see it; he let her see how much he craved her. And while she frowned, even looked away as if to dismiss him, there was no denying the tension which built. Tension that he very much wanted to break.
Yes, this was a good decision. The right decision…
“Celestine…” He made right for her, seeing no point in being coy. “Oh, to see you again is like a light in the darkness.”
Her frown deepened and she leaned back. “There is no need to be so exaggeratory. I have not changed my mind, if that worries you.”
“Worried?” He laughed. “I am not worried.”
“Then why are you trying so hard?”
Edward stopped short, her comment more cutting than he expected. When he first saw her, he’d taken her hardened expression to be a challenge of some sort, as if she wanted him to continue in the dance to which they had both become accustomed.
Now, however, he looked at her again, and he realized that something was wrong.
The way she stood, the way she refused to meet his eyes, reminded him of when they had first started their false engagement. She had not wasted time then with falseness or exaggerating their so-called love. She had been cold and distant, and it had been up to Edward to lure her from her shell.
That she acted that way again… it was strange, and a little worrying.
Edward searched her for the desire, the want and the hunger. He looked for that same woman who he had kissed so passionately two nights ago. But she was nowhere to be found.
Something is wrong…
“Your Grace!” Celestine’s mother swept into the foyer. “It is so good to see you.”
“As it is good to see you.” He turned and smiled formally. “I thought I ought to stop by to see how preparations are proceeding.”
“Wonderfully,” Celestine’s mother said as she stood beside her daughter. “Celestine is thrilled, as you can imagine. As are we all.”
“That is good to hear.” He looked at Celestine, seeing none of the thrill that her mother spoke of.
“Shall we go over the arrangements?” Celestine’s mother asked as she linked her arm with her daughter’s. “There is much to discuss. The wedding license!” she then cried. “I trust it is being taken care of?”
“It will be…” Edward continued to watch Celestine, and her despondency was undeniable. “As for the arrangements? Those can wait for later.”
“Are you sure? There is so much –”
“If I might,” he cut over her. “I would like to take a walk with your lovely daughter? This has all happened so quickly and there are a few things we ought to discuss.”
“Oh, yes, yes,” Celestine’s mother said, quickly unlinking her arm and stepping away. “Of course there is. Please, take your time, and come see me once you are done.”
“Celestine…” Edward offered his arm to Celestine. “Shall we?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “I suppose we should.” And then, without another word, she turned and strode across the foyer towards the back of the manor.
Edward stared after her, surprise taking him. She was upset, of that there was no doubt. Worse than that, he feared that she had changed her mind, and that all of this would be for nought.
While such things should not have troubled Edward, because it was not as if he was in love with Celestine, he could not ignore the way his stomach twisted… a sickness roiling through his intestines.
And this is precisely why I never married in the first place.
That he was set to marry Celestine now, while not ideal, was not nearly as awful a thought as he might have once believed. He told himself it was merely the attraction that did it, a hunger he felt that he needed to satisfy. And because he forced this belief so fastidiously, it allowed him to ignore that niggling voice in the back of his mind that tried to warn him of the true reason… one that was anathema to his very being.
He found Celestine outside waiting for him. When he stepped through the door, she offered a curt smile, turned, and started down the garden path. Edward exhaled sharply and hurried after her.
“Is this the part where you tell me what is wrong?” he asked as he caught up to her.
“And who said that something is wrong?” She looked ahead as she walked, not once glancing at him.
