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Chapter Twenty-Six
Edward felt the weight of the ring box in his pocket. He had decided to propose to her today. The doors to the tea room were thrown open and Lady Jane stepped forward. She was dressed in a soft-pink evening gown that accentuated her delicate features. Many men would think her beautiful, but Edward felt nothing for her.
“You wanted to see me, my Lord?” Jane asked. He stood up out of politeness, the ring box jiggling quietly in his pocket. He had purchased it on his way here. As soon he was done explaining away this unfortunate situation, he would be on his way to meet Ariadne. He knew that his father was planning something, but now that he had his mother on his side, it would be best to marry her right away.
But before that, he needed to be clear to Jane. “My Lady, there is something I need to confess. Something which has been weighing on my chest heavily lately.”
Jane put one of her gloved hands to stop him. “I’m aware of it, my Lord.”
Edward blinked. This was shocking. “You know?”
Jane shook her head. “Maisie told me. She came to me earlier and begged me to convince you about the wedding. She has imagined us as sisters already.” She smiled wryly.
Edward frowned. He hadn’t expected Maisie to do this. “What do you want me to do now?” he asked Jane cautiously. She wasn’t the one at fault here and he would hate to break her heart.
“I will admit I began to see you as my husband. My feelings for you perhaps magnified since the engagement,” she said softly. She almost had tears in her eyes. Edward tried to step forward to console her, but Jane stopped him with her hand again. Most ladies were of delicate bearing and Jane had been brought up to believe that they would be married. He really didn’t blame her.
“I didn’t want you to think that—”
She cut him off before that. “When Maisie told me everything, I thought to myself that perhaps I would be able to convince you. You’re a man in love. I can see it in the folds of your cheeks and the softness in your eyes, but it's not for me. You’re anxious to return to your beloved.” She looked away from him then. “It pains me greatly. Tell me, my Lord, if I had done things differently, could I be the one you proposed this afternoon?” she said. When Edward didn’t answer, she continued. “Maisie told me about your plans.”
“I never imagined my life would take this course,” he said softly. “I’d never hoped to fall in love, not even with you. I’m a politician and my father believed you would be the perfect wife for me. Over time, I began to see that too. I have immense respect for you, my Lady, but I know now that it is not what a marriage should be about.”
Jane nodded. “I’ve read many things about passion. I’d hoped to seek them in you, but you’ve already found it in another.” This was not a question, but a mere declaration. Edward didn’t try to deny his words and while it was true and the heat of his passion for Ariadne had indeed melted even the dark recesses of his hearts, seeping into places he never knew existed, it was also the sweetness of her smile and her glistening eyes when she looked at him. He wanted to wake up to that for the rest of his life. “Perhaps if I hadn’t been thrust on you as a responsibility or if we had met under different circumstances—”
“I’m sorry, Jane.” He wasn’t sorry he had met Ariadne, but he was sorry that he had to hurt another innocent soul. He didn’t even want to think about the otherwise. He couldn’t imagine loving another woman.
“It's all right, my Lord. I appreciate your honesty, I really do. Maybe someday even I can hope to find love as deep as yours,” she said. She gave him a smile then, a rather sad one. “I’ll explain everything to Maisie and I’m certain she will come around. I wish you all the best.”
Just then her parents entered the room. Jane gasped as the Viscount and his wife came in. From his glare, Edward could fairly ascertain that he had heard their conversation. “How dare you ruin my daughter’s life?”
“Father—” Jane cried out but the Viscount was beyond reasoning.
Edward faced the man. “I’m ready to face the consequences of my actions. You may choose to punish me however you see fit.”
“Father, no,” Jane said. “I don’t want to marry him.”
The Viscount who was walking toward Edward froze. “What are you saying?”
Jane nodded. Edward could see tears glistening in her eyes. “I want a husband who loves me. I will not find it with him because he has already given his heart to another. Don’t force me, Father. He will not make me happy.”
The Viscount looked conflicted. Edward knew he was only looking out for his daughter. “We shall talk about it later.” He exited the room and his wife followed.
“Thank you, my Lady,” Edward said. Jane only nodded in understanding. “I will talk to him and make him understand. You won’t have to worry about me.”
But he was worried. Breaking up the engagement possibly meant that no one would marry her. “My cousin, Charles is looking for a bride and he is willing to marry you.”
“He is?” she asked in surprise.
“I’m sorry for not leaving you a choice in your engagement,” Edward said, knowing she would have to accept it if she didn’t want to be ruined.
Jane gave him a watery smile. “It would have been a marriage of convenience either way. At least this way I’ll have a husband who may love me someday.”
Edward had no words left to say.
“It’s all right. I’ll have to talk to my father about it,” she said, quietly getting up from her seat. It was a dismissal. “Good day and good luck, my Lord.”
When Jane left the room, he felt nothing but relief in his heart. Confessing the truth to her was the most difficult task that he had set about doing. And now nothing else stood between him and Ariadne. Instead of riding to his house, he made his way to Charles’. He dismissed his carriage and then knocked on his cousin’s door.
