AllFreeNovel
Share Us
After his father escorted the doctor out of the room, his mother came to sit beside him. “Who is this girl?”
“Ariadne Davy. She saved me after some thugs left me on the street to die,” Edward said.
His mother burst into tears. “Oh Edward, I can’t even begin to imagine what would have happened if she hadn’t found you.”
“Mother,” Edward said, softly patting his mother’s hand. “I’m fine now. I’m back at home, aren’t I? There’s no need to cry or upset yourself further.”
“What were you doing in that horrid place anyway?” Maisie asked with a hand to her heart.
“Charles and I got talking and then something about what he said wouldn’t leave my mind. I had to go.” It was more than that. Something had rooted inside him, compelling him to go. What he had found there was much worse than he could ever imagine.
“He informed us that you were acting strange when you left,” Maisie. “The footman and the carriage driver rushed home to inform us that you were last seen going into a strange alley and never returned even after more than an hour had passed.”
“It was past our bedtime and we had already retired when he came in through the door and announced you missing. My soul left my body at the news. I know what lies beyond the main streets of London,” Judith said.
But she didn’t…even Edward had only heard the worst of the ordeals that Ariadne and her family had to face every day. He hoped that she would actually use the coins that his father had left for them. They desperately needed them for survival. But one thing that he had learned about Ariadne was that she was a proud girl. She would hate him for the coins and the way his father had treated them like they were nothing of consequence.
Maybe Maisie caught the faraway look on Edward’s face as he thought about Ariadne, because she said, “Who is the girl?”
“She’s a strange one, that’s for sure,” Edward said, fondly remembering Ariadne. “She dragged me down the street and then up a flight of stairs. She cleaned my wounds and stitched me up, not even flinching from my wounds. She gave me food when she didn’t have enough for herself.”
“She sounds like a wonderful girl,” Judith said. She looked at her son with an odd expression. She opened her mouth as if to ask him a question but then let it go.
“Even I am in awe of her strength,” Edward said. He already ached to see Ariadne again. The loss of her was palpable inside him. He wished she was here by his side, with a stern look on her face, as she read him to sleep.
His mother touched the fabric of the shirt he was wearing. “It doesn’t look like any of your shirts. Who does this belong to?”
“My old shirt got soiled and I was given this instead so that I wouldn’t be cold.” Ariadne had given him her father’s shirt.
“It's best we change it,” she said shortly. She rang for Edward’s valet who appeared shortly.
“John, please draw Edward a bath and bring him a new pair of trousers and a shirt.”
John nodded and disappeared into the bathing room to draw the bath water.
“Come now, we’ll go and let your brother change and rest for a bit. He needs to get his strength back. The poor dear looks like he hasn’t eaten in days.”
“I ate enough,” Edward said, which was the truth.
“I’ll come to see you later,” Maisie said. She waved at her brother before exiting his room behind the Duchess.
On the evening of that day, Edward lay on his bed reading a newspaper when Charles came to see him. His cousin, however, didn’t look too happy to see him.
“Good evening, cousin,” Edward said languidly. He was tired of sitting in his room alone and was glad to finally have some company. He knew Charles would come just as soon as word was sent to him of Edward’s return.
Charles ignored his greeting and drew further into the room. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now that I have a change of clothes and a nice warm bath. The appearance of a mustache was beginning to bother me too, but John has taken care of it,” Edward said with a chuckle. He was in much better spirits.
“You scared us out of our mind, Edward. What were you thinking going into the alleyway alone?” Charles asked, trying to keep his voice level but failing miserably.
“I was only thinking of what you said to me.”
“So you’re saying this is my fault?” Charles asked with a scowl.
Edward shook his head. “On the contrary, you opened my eyes.”
Charles frowned. “Whatever do you mean by that?”
