“You will ruin both your reputations over this folly,” his godmother said.She turned her firm gaze on Melody.“How could you have accepted such an offer after the lengths I went to in order to make sure he’d give you up?”
“So you admit that you meddled in my affairs,” Edward snapped, the tether he’d had on his anger slackening.
“Someone had to use common sense when you refused to do so.”Lady Heathbrooke huffed a breath.
“You deliberately removed Miss Roberts from my life without consulting me first.”Edward did not care that the effort could have been to his advantage.Had it worked, he might have moved on, and as a result, he might not have cared about the lies and deception.But he hadn’t moved on.Instead, Melody’s absence had made him long for her even more.As such, the events that followed were all the more painful.“What right did you have to interfere?”
“Edward, be reasonable.”Lady Heathbrooke’s expression was harsher than he’d ever seen it.“You’re an earl.As such, you must put the preservation of your title ahead of your own desires.Miss Roberts, while lovely, will not make an acceptable countess.”
“Perhaps not,” he mused, since Melody’s qualifications were the least of his concerns.“However, it isn’t up to you.Is it?”
Something dangerous flashed in Lady Heathbrooke’s eyes.She straightened in her seat, and, for a second, Edward was sure she imagined shooting him dead for daring to disrupt her day.
“No, I don’t suppose it is,” she said, her voice frigid.“However, I dare say Mr.Harlowe will need to be informed.”
Edward smirked.Did the old woman honestly think he hadn’t considered as much?“Even though Miss Roberts is of an age where she does not require his blessing, I wanted to make sure Harlowe and I remain on good terms.As such, I met with him last night.He’s thrilled with the prospect of having a protégé marry into the peerage.”
All the more reason for Edward to think this had always been Melody’s goal.
He shifted his gaze toward his bride-to-be at that moment and noted how pale she suddenly looked.It disturbed him slightly to realize he did not care if her upcoming nuptials distressed her.The wall that had formed between them, intended to make sure she’d never hurt him again, prevented him from sympathizing with any concerns she might have about what was to occur.
Rather, knowing she had become the pawn in his game for a change satisfied him so much, he felt his lips curve with amusement.“You should know that I have procured a special license.”
“Are you determined to make matters worse?”Lady Heathbrooke asked.“A special license will lead to questions.People will wonder at the need for such haste.At the very least, give Miss Roberts the dignity of calling the banns.”
A tiny sliver of guilt snuck its way into Edward’s conscience.Hehad caused the need for the special license.Perhaps…
No.He would not feel bad about what he had done.Not after the cruel way in which Melody had used him.To Lady Heathbrooke he said, “The special license is necessary after the Duke of Moorland happened upon us in the park yesterday afternoon.”
She gave him a disapproving look that would have made him feel horribly small a few weeks ago.Now it bounced right off him.But then… “Honestly, Edward, I thought you were better than this.”
Unlike her gaze, the words managed to penetrate his defenses.They settled deep in his gut where they started to fester.The effort it took to shove that feeling aside and remain on task was tremendous.
Hating the fact that he was being made to feel bad about any of this when it was Melody who was to blame, he told both women, “It could be worse.I could have let Moorland believe that I had acquired a new mistress.”
“I would never agree to be any man’s mistress,” Melody said, the words slightly strained.
“Just as well,” Edward clipped, “since you’ll be my wife instead.I’ve made arrangements with Vicar Moseby, who has kindly agreed to make time for us tomorrow morning, ten o’clock, at Saint George’s.Don’t be late.”
With nothing left to be said and no wish to stay in his godmother’s dining room one second longer, Edward stood, produced a short bow, and left.
Despite having gotten his way, he felt no pleasure, only more bitter resentment as he strode away.
His heart was in pieces, his soul shredded, and rather than try to heal either one, he’d built a prison for himself and a woman who probably loathed him.
Which begged the question: Who was he really punishing?Himself or her?
4
Adrian stalked through the park in search of something — anything — that could offer some clue as to what had become of Lady Edwina.He needed a place to start, information besides the details provided by Wrengate.
“Perhaps we should take a moment to review the facts,” Murry suggested while keeping pace with Adrian.“It feels like we’re walking around without purpose.”
Adrian huffed a breath and immediately stopped.After insisting Samantha not be involved in the active search for Lady Edwina, he’d taken her advice and asked Murry for help.The trusted valet had served in Adrian’s employ for more than a decade.During that time, he’d improved his education and speech dramatically, due to his constant interaction with Adrian.He’d become not only a close confidant but also a man upon whom Adrian knew he could always depend.
Even when it came to doing away with those who threatened the Crofts.
He'd been present when Adrian kicked the stool from under Clive Newton, and had later helped hang his corpse from Saint Bartholomew’s church steeple.He’d also assisted Samantha when she’d planned Adrian’s prison escape, and had nearly died last year while trying to protect her.
