Miles ran a hand through his hair as he worked to keep the pained expression off his face. “She is blissfully happy with her husband and children and I am…” His words trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
“Envious?” Edwina asked, finishing his thought.
“Yes, you could say that,” Miles responded. “I also didn’t want her to know how much I was struggling with Arabella and John’s deaths.”
Edwina placed a comforting hand on his sleeve. “You do not need to explain yourself to me.”
“Thank you,” Miles said.
Dropping her hand, she took a step back. “I will be down shortly. Will you ask White to prepare the carriage for our journey?”
“I will.”
As Edwina headed up the stairs, she paused on the top step, turning to face him. She offered him a smile, one that he would no doubt remember in his dreams.
Chapter Eleven
Edwina sat across from Miles in the open-air carriage, her eyes fixated on the countryside passing by. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as they traveled towards the village. Would they discover anything else about her uncle? She hoped not. But it was rather obvious that he was not the man she had believed him to be.
For the past four months, Edwina had been plagued by questions and doubts surrounding her relationship with her uncle. What had she done to earn his ire? But she had been doing nothing wrong. It was him. All him. She wondered if he even felt a shred of guilt for lying to her.
Miles’ voice broke through her musings. “It will be all right.”
Edwina met his gaze, searching for reassurance. “Will it?” she asked. “My uncle has been lying to me. Once the truth is revealed, will he hate me even more than he already does?”
“He doesn’t hate you.”
Edwina lifted her brow. “He hardly can be in the same room as me.”
“It might just be guilt,” Miles proposed.
“Or perhaps he believes I don’t deserve my inheritance,” Edwina said.
Miles shook his head. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks, you are legally entitled to that money.”
“But I am his ward,” Edwina pointed out. “He has complete control over my finances until I reach my majority, including how that money is spent.”
“Regardless, he should have told you about the inheritance.”
“Even so, I am at my uncle’s mercy until I am twenty-one,” Edwina sighed.
Miles leaned forward and held her gaze. “Bennett will ensure that nothing bad will happen to you. I can promise you that.”
She had to acknowledge that Miles did make a good argument. Bennett had been fiercely protective of her since she was little. “You are right,” she said.
Settling back into his seat, Miles smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
A laugh escaped from Edwina’s lips. “You must not hear that very often.”
“Oh, I do indeed,” Miles joked. “It is almost a curse, really.”
“What a burden you must bear, my lord,” Edwina teased, feeling herself relaxing against the bench. “We should be reaching the village soon.”
Miles adjusted the top hat on his head. “But I must say, I am rather enjoying myself. The sun is shining down upon us, the birds are singing their songs, and the company is quite pleasant.”
“Are you truly resorting to flattery?” she asked.
“I am, but only if it is working,” Miles replied with a wink.
