Page 81 of The Duke’s Wager

That would be the only secret he would keep from now on – one he shared with the woman he loved. He would not, however, keep any secrets from her any longer. Lucy Beaumont had been privy to his deepest fears and feelings. Now it was time to admit to her that he had made a grave mistake.

She would be angry, of course – he expected this. But she would forgive him, even if she only loved him half as much as he loved her. She would forgive him, for the separation between them would be as unbearable for her as it was for him.

Edward turned from the mirror to face the box on his nightstand. In it lay the gift he would give her, a gift that would tell the world she was with him. Not ‘his’ – she would never be ‘his’, he never wanted to own her. But he would ask her to wear it proudly and show the world that she had chosen him as he had chosen her.

He moved to his nightstand and opened the box carefully. The aquamarine necklace that glittered in it reminded him of Lucy’s eyes. Her eyes that sparked like jewelry.

There was, however, something he needed to do before he could give the necklace to Lucy. It did not take long for him to find his grandmother.

She was – as he had expected – in the ballroom, making sure that everything was perfect for the night’s event.

“Grandmother.”

She turned when he spoke, her smile radiant. “Oh, Edward! Does it not look perfect? I must admit, I am rather excited to be entertaining tonight. It has been quite some time since we had done so, and…”

She trailed off when she caught sight of the look on his face and rested a hand against his cheek. “What is the matter, darling?”

“Grandmother, I… I have decided to take your advice.”

She looked pleasantly surprised, and she lifted her brows. “Oh? What advice would that be?”

“You told me…” Edward paused but decided to push through with a small smile. “You told me to live, to make memories, and that is what I will do. So… I have to admit that there is someone who will be here at this ball tonight. Someone who has become rather special to me.”

Evelyn looked at him through narrowed eyes when he made this admission. “Please, my son, for the love of God, tell me that it is not Lady Margaret!”

Edward laughed at this.

“It is Lucy Beaumont.”

Evelyn froze at this, and her brows shot up. “Lady Lucy? How is that possible? I did not realize you knew her that well, despite your ogling at the opera.”

“We have been meeting in the cemetery. Quite… quite a few times. And we have gotten to know each other rather well. She is special, grandmother, and I would like to court her.”

“Goodness!”

Evelyn pressed a hand against her chest, but her eyes sparkled with joy. “I must admit that this is rather unexpected, but I could not be happier, Edward. Lucy… She is a rather special girl, and I can see that you are happier than ever. It does my heart well.”

It was enough – his grandmother’s approval – and Edward watched eagerly as guests started pouring into the ballroom. No one, however, captured his attention for longer than a few seconds.

No one was Lucy, and he watched with increasing anxiety as guest after guest filtered in without that extraordinary pair of aquamarine eyes catching his.

He saw her, just as he was about to give up and sulk back to his room – a vision in a red dress. She looked like she was made of fire.

Lucy Beaumont was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and if everything went the way he planned, by the end of the night he would be courting her.

He certainly was the luckiest man alive.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Lucy could not remember the last time she had felt so incredibly uncomfortable at an event. She knew that it was certainly long before she had received her nickname – the moniker that she wore around her like a protective cloak.

The Ice Queen. As long as she was protected by that name, no one and nothing could affect her. She felt strong, guarded, untouchable.

Now, because of Edward, all that had changed. She did not want to be the Ice Queen anymore; she wanted to be Lucy. She wanted to be the girl that believed in love, in happily ever after, in joy.

This made her feel exposed.

Despite her discomfort, she could not help but be elated by Edward’s eyes boring into hers, admiration so evident in them.