She could not say for sure, nor would she be able to until she spoke with Edward and confirmed for herself. While she had no doubt that Edward was upset with what had happened, she wondered if he was sorry. Did he know he’d done the wrong thing? Or was he going to lay the blame at Lord Grundon’s feet?
More than that, would he be willing to listen to Celestine? Would he take her advice? Or was he so obsessed with his vendetta, so stubborn and narrowminded, that he would dismiss her, as well as his niece. What sort of man was he truly?
And in that question, Celestine wondered, what was their marriage…
“I will go now,” she said as she stood from the bed. “But please know, I am on your side, Millicent. As I will always be. And Edward…” She sighed and shook her head. “Hopefully, he knows that he did the wrong thing. Because he does love you, do not doubt that for a second.”
With those words said, she left the room and closed the door behind her.
That conversation had been a most difficult one, and it had gone about as awfully as Celestine predicted… the reason she had avoided it until that morning. But as bad as it was, she knew her next confrontation would be even worse.
It was time that she had a serious conversation with Edward, just as it was time that he proved to her once and for all how he really felt. About Millicent. About her. And about their marriage.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Edward.” Celestine knocked on Edward’s office door. Then she waited for his response. It did not come, so she knocked again, louder. “Edward, are you in there?” Still, there was no answer.
Celestine exhaled with frustration. She knew very well that he was inside, so he was either ignoring her or so distracted that he did not hear. Neither brought her much comfort.
“Edward…” That time, she turned the handle and popped the door open. “Are you busy?”
It was early in the morning, so the office should have been flooded with natural light. But the curtains were closed, the only source of light coming from a single lamp that sat on one of the shelves behind Edward’s desk.
Edward was hunched over the desk, a dark monolith that appeared far too big for such a small space. He glanced up whenhe heard her, but the light failed to reach his eyes so she could not see his expression. No matter though as she felt his mood like a cold wind.
He was angry. Rage still poured from him in waves. And as soon as he looked up and saw her, he bent his head back down.
“I am a little busy, Celestine,” he grumbled into his chest.
“I am aware.” She closed the door and walked toward his desk. “But this cannot wait.”
He sighed, still not looking up. “I take it that this is to do with Millicent? You spoke with her?”
“I did.”
“And?”
“She is upset with you.” Celestine stopped at his desk, but she did not sit down. Never before had she felt so unwelcomed in Edward’s presence, and she worried that if she did sit that he might ask her to leave. “Embarrassed, too. She is convinced that what you did yesterday was on purpose, as if you meant to humiliate her.”
He scoffed. “Ridiculous. Lord Grundon was –”
“He was not the one who raised his voice,” she spoke over him, calmly, but firmly. “He was not the one who nearly started a fight. While his presence was unwelcome, clearly his intent was to upset you. And everyone saw it.”
He scoffed again. “Millicent is young, she will get over it.”
“I am not so sure.”
“She will,” he said sharply, as if he needed to believe it. “Just as she will come to understand that everything I have done is for her. She wants to blame me? Fine.” He growled. “But she best thank me too. After all the effort we put into yesterday, that she really believes that I…” He groaned. “She will come to see that what I do is for her and her best interest. I know that she will.”
“Perhaps an apology?” Celestine pressed gently. “That will go a long way toward –”
“I have nothing to apologize for.”
“You do.” Celestine looked down at Edward’s hulking form, her own frustration rising steadily as he continued to ignore her. Rather, he was focused on a swathe of documents spread across his desk. “Even if you do not believe it, you ought to tell her as much. It will go a long way to making her forgive you.”
“I do not want her forgiveness,” he said sharply again. “What I want is for her to understand that she is… that I… I am trying to help her! Why can she not see that?”
Celestine sighed and her heart cracked.
