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Cassie clapped her hand over her mouth, but still her laughter bubbled out.
“Do not poke fun at the locals, Cass,” Edward said, his voice mock-reproving. “You’ll discover that every New Yorker holds staunch views, though it seems to me that Mr. Beatty has of late begun to show a rebel chink in his Tory armor.”
“But a corsetmaker, Edward.”
Cassie’s smile lasted until they reached Edward’s rooms. She knew that finally she must tell him. As she could think of no smooth preamble, she said only, “Could we please talk a moment, Edward?”
“Of course.” She looked suddenly pale to him. “Sit down,” he said gently, and propelled her to the settee.
“What is it, Cass?”
“There is something I must tell you. I fear that I have been a coward, for I could not bring myself to tell you before. But I must tell you now.”
He gazed at her intently, not speaking.
She looked at him desperately. “Edward, I am going to have a child.”
“What?”
“I am pregnant.”
“No, you cannot mean it.” Unconsciously, his eyes flitted over her body.
It was impossible for her not to see how truly appalled he was. She lowered her face, unable to bear the shocked, glazed look in his eyes.
“It is the earl’s child.”
She flinched at the harsh flatness in his voice.
“Yes,” she whispered.
Edward leaped to his feet, his chair scraping loudly on the bare floor. “That bloody bastard. Oh my God, Cassie. Are you certain?”
She nodded, mutely. How stupid she was ever to have thought that Edward would react differently, but she had nurtured the memory of how the earl had behaved when she had told him that first night they were together that she was pregnant with Edward’s child.
“I will fetch a doctor. Perhaps you are mistaken.”
“No, I am not mistaken. I am sorry, Edward, but there is naught I can do about it.”
His son, his heir, to be a bastard. The earl’s seed. Murderous, confused thoughts mired his mind. “God, no,” he croaked, unable for the moment to look at her. When he did, he saw that she was deathly pale, her lips drawn in a tight line, her shoulders squared.
“I will do what you wish, Edward.”
“Damn him for a scoundrel.”
Cassie turned her face away from the fury in his voice.
Edward forced himself to calm. It was not Cassie’s fault. God, he could not blame her. He managed to make his voice clear and taut. “We shall be wed Friday, and leave for England as soon as I can be relieved.”
“Very well, Edward.” The words fell like ashes from her mouth. The earl would never even know that she would bear his child.
“No one must ever know, Edward.”
“No,” he said, slowly shaking his head. He took a jerking step toward her and awkwardly patted her shoulder. “It will be all right, Cass.” He straightened. “I would like to be alone for a while. I must have some time to myself, to think. You must rest now. I will return soon.”
“Yes,” she said, “soon.” She watched him leave, his bearing so taut with control that she wanted to weep for him.
Cassie lay wide-eyed in the dark bedchamber when she heard Edward’s footsteps in the sitting room. She could feel him hesitate before he walked into the room. At least, she thought, there were no more secrets between them. She felt a tightening within her. At least no more secrets they could share with each other.
