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Oh, the rest of the world had to be blind, Edith thought as she stood in the parlor and watched Adele and Mr. MacKinnear. How could anyone not see the love between them?
She paused. Perhaps that was not the problem at all! Her gaze swept over the faces of Lord and Lady Ashbrook before moving to the Duke of Halston. Indeed, they looked far from happy, and why else would they look unhappy if not because they had come to realize that Adele held affections for Mr. MacKinnear and not for Lord Aberley.
Edith watched as Lord Ashbrook and Lord Halston exchanged whispered words, their faces taut as they cast the occasional glance at Adele. Lord Aberley, however, seemed far from upset by this evening’s development. Indeed, he hardly even looked at Adele. Instead…
Smiling, Edith followed his gaze and found him looking at none other than Lady Mary. The young woman, in turn, did her very bestnotto look at Lord Aberley, her cheeks slightly flushed as she kept fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve.
Oh, how endearing, Edith thought, contemplating how best to proceed. Clearly, life was simple. Or rather, it should be simple, were it not for the interference of the two fathers currently eyeing Adele with a mixture of disapproval and regret.
“This was your doing, was it not?”
Edith flinched at the sound of Lord Whickerton’s voice, for she had been too absorbed in the scene before her to have heard him approach. Turning to face him, she frowned upon seeing his face lit up with delight. “What was my doing?” she asked innocently, batting her eyelashes at him.
Lord Whickerton laughed. “You truly are impossible!” he murmured, and from his lips, it sounded like a compliment. “But you have a problem.”
Edith nodded. “I am aware of that.” She turned back around, now standing shoulder to shoulder with Lord Whickerton, and regarded the two fathers. “What would you do?” she asked him without looking up.
Beside her, she could feel him shrug. “I’m not certain anything can be done,” Lord Whickerton remarked. “In my experience, parents can rarely be reasoned with once they have made up their minds.” A hint of bitterness swung in his tone.
Edith considered his words for a moment. “Perhaps…this is not about reason. Perhaps it shouldn’t be.”
Lord Whickerton turned to face her, a frown upon his face. “What do you mean?”
“Mmmh,” Edith murmured as her gaze swept from the two fathers to Adele and Mr. MacKinnear before seeking Lord Aberley and then Lord Whickerton’s sister, Lady Mary. “Perhaps…a different approach would work.” And with that, she left Lord Whickerton’s side, moved across the room, and stopped in front of Lord Aberley.
The young man seemed rather caught off guard by her sudden appearance. “Lady…Lady Edith, good to see you. I hope you are enjoying yourself.” Indeed, he did look a bit flustered, which, of course, was not surprising, as he was trying very hard not to glance at Lady Mary.
Edith smiled at him. “Oh, yes. This is a marvelous evening; would you not agree?” She moved to stand beside him so as not to obstruct his view of Lady Mary. “Did you happen to seek out the library, my lord?”
A genuine smile curled up the corners of his mouth as he looked down at her. “Yes, I did. Thank you so much for the suggestion. It is such a…beautiful place, calm and serene.”
“I’m glad to hear it,” Edith assured him. “I had a feeling you would appreciate its beauty.” She breathed in deeply and then turned her gaze back towards the many goings-on in the room. “We are not all the same, are we?” she murmured, as though to herself. “Not everyone enjoys the outdoors, to mingle from sunrise to sundown. Some of us do prefer quiet solitude as well as the company of others who share our inclination.” Without turning her head, Edith could tell that Lord Aberley was listening most intently.
His shoulders drew back with a deep breath, and for a moment, she thought to see him nod almost imperceptibly out of the corner of her eye.
“May I speak honestly, my lord?” Edith asked, chancing a quick glance at him.
“Of course,” he replied after a moment of hesitation, the look on his face one of surprise. “Feel free to speak your mind.”
Edith smiled, for she liked him. He was not the right man for her friend, but he was a good man. “I have to admit that I was a bit…apprehensive about your betrothal to my dearest friend,” she admitted, noting the way he tensed. “After having gotten to know you, though, I find I no longer hold any reservations.” She smiled at him sweetly. “Indeed, you’re a good man, and I have no doubt that you two shall find happiness in marriage.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Lord Aberley’s frown deepened, his lips thinning. “Thank you, my lady. That is too kind of you.”
“You’re most welcome,” she assured him. “Although I cannot speak from experience, I believe that a good marriage makes all the difference. To have someone to share one’s interests, someone to speak to and confide in is priceless.”
Lord Aberley inhaled a deep breath, his gaze directed across the parlor at Lady Mary. “Indeed, you are quite right, my lady.” Yet the tone in his voice suggested regret and sadness.
Inwardly, Edith smiled. Of course, she felt for his misery, and yet his state of mind made her believe her plan could work, that everything would truly end well.
From across the room, Edith caught Lord Whickerton’s narrowed gaze. Speculation rested in his brown eyes as they moved from Lord Aberley to her, and she smiled.
Two birds with one stone.
Chapter Eleven
A SPRIG OF MISTLETOE
The fact that Lady Adele and Mr. MacKinnear seemed more and more in love with one another each day, unfortunately, did not escape her parents.
