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Edwina eyed him. “Then pick up yer sword, Cousin.”
“Ye must nae be a fool, Edwina,” Kenney shot back. “Me cousin has been dishonored! There’s impropriety afoot! Laird Moore would ruin me cousin!” he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
At that moment, Felix leaped to his feet and lunged for Kenney, clamping a rough hand over the rabblerouser’s mouth. Edwina wished she had the strength and courage to do the same, for Kenney was the only one threatening her reputation with his loud mouth.
Yet, Felix’s actions came too late. From beyond the wall of hedges, voices filtered out across the lawns. Guests were coming out to discover what the commotion might be and, judging by the anxious faces of those around her, there was only one way out of this part of the garden. Kenney, on the other hand, seemed delighted.
“In here!” Kenney yelled, tearing away from Felix’s grip. “In the gardens, there is dishonor and deceit afoot!”
Felix and Edwina glanced at one another, both frozen to the spot. All the while, the guests came closer. Soon enough, they would barge into the secluded garden, where Kenney would reveal everything of what he believed he had seen. The truth would not matter once the lies had taken root.
* * *
Even as the first whispers of scandal reached Felix’s ears, he could not break his gaze with Edwina. Upon her sweet face, he witnessed a barrage of emotions: panic, determination, horror, hope, anger, and everything in between. All of her bravery slowly vanished, prompting her to cling onto Meredith’s arm as if it was the only thing keeping her afloat.
“Who is it?” A guest shouted from beyond the hedge wall, though some guests had already made their way into the gardens.
“Is it Laird Moore?” asked another.
“With Lady Edwina Young? Did I hear it right?” shouted a third, in case there had been any doubt.
“Aye, they were seen together in the dark, alone, kissing!” a fourth voice sealed the fate of the innocent pair, though that was the kindest of the remarks about what the couple had done in the dark.
Understanding dawned on Felix like a chilly fog rolling in, filling him with an eerie sense of calm. He had never wanted to marry. He had never missed the presence of romantic affection, for he had never known it. He had never wanted another person to care for, as caring just meant crushing pain when he eventually lost them. But, seeing the terror in Edwina’s eyes, he knew what he had to do.
I caused this, Edwina. I caused this because I couldnae keep me hands to myself.He slowed his breaths to steady his voice.I should’ve told ye to go back inside. I should’ve escorted ye to the healer.
If he did not save Edwina from the ruination of a scandal, he knew he would not be able to live with himself.
Clearing his throat and praying his voice would not shake, he addressed the crowd that had streamed in, raising his voice so that even those beyond the hedge wall would be able to hear.
“Return to yer revels, ladies and gentlemen, for there is nay scandal here,” he declared. “Lady Edwina Young and I have just been betrothed for several months, but there has been no dishonor other than a desire to walk together. Indeed, we intended to make our announcement later tonight, but Mr. Young has rather ruined the surprise. He cannae be blamed, for he wasnae privy to the secret.”
The crowd hushed, hanging on Felix’s every word. The captivated silence struck fear into his heart, for he hated being the center of anyone’s attention.
“We are to be married a week from tonight,” he concluded, sparking a ripple of joy and congratulations from the gathered guests. “Now, please continue with yer evenin’. There is nothin’ more to hear.”
Of all the satisfied guests, no one bore a wider grin than Kenney Young. Felix noticed him smiling slyly at Edwina, who was trying so very hard not to burst into tears. Felix could see it in the tremble of her full lips and the frantic flutter of her eyelashes: her head tilted upward to force her tears to retreat.
CHAPTER6
Felix had hopedthat he might feel more at ease with his decision when morning came, but his head pounded as if he had imbibed half of the wine stores, confused thoughts bombarding him relentlessly. Nor had he slept well, fraying his already fragile patience.
How could I sleep at all, with my mind full of her?
In the moments where he had managed to snatch some sleep, she had been waiting for him. Wearing a sheer nightgown that revealed everything he had only been able to imagine, she had stood in the gardens in bright moonlight, lifting up the hem of her flimsy garment to show him her calf. He had gone to her, kneeling on the path, caressing her smooth skin with his fingertips… and then his lips.
But not all of his dreams had been pleasant. Some had turned into nightmares, with a horde of guests swarming the gardens, wrenching Felix and Edwina away from one another. He had been punished for the crime of touching her, and though it had not been real, his body ached as if he truly had been beaten by an angry mob.
The most painful, however, was the dream in which his father had appeared in the garden. For an eternity, he had waited for his father to speak. When he did, at last, he said only one thing:“What have ye done, my boy?”Felix had woke in tears, burdened with the weight of a despair that threatened to crush him.
“I assume ye called us all here for a purpose, Felix. If ye could begin soon—we need to return to the bairns,” Ryder prompted.
In truth, Felix had forgotten where he was for a moment: his mind too distracted. He had summoned his family to the tower, now that all the other guests had departed. With Meredith, Ryder, Angus, Melissa, and John all crowded around the small table that Felix rarely used, it was going to be an uncomfortable meeting for more than one reason.
“Is Edwina nae joinin’ us?” Melissa asked, struggling to conceal a grin.
Felix took a sip of his drink, preparing his thoughts before he said a word.
