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“You mean the Duke is not going to marry you?” Kitty whispered with great feeling, seeming outraged.
“Yes, he is not going to marry me. He announced it to rescue my reputation.”
“What manner of cad is he? And here I respected him because I thought him honorable. How could you agree to something like that? After all the efforts we made. Do you not want to break free of your stepmother and brother for good?"
"More than anything, Kitty," she replied, "but harboring expectations is dangerous, especially for someone in my situation. It is something I cannot afford. Not when he has made the terms clear and I agreed. I thought things would change. I foolishly thought he would change his mind."
"Good heavens, Edwina! What should I do with you?" Kitty sighed.
"I have a plan. I have been pondering it for a while now," Edwina said quietly.
"You have a plan on what I should do with you?" Kitty asked, blinking owlishly.
"I have a plan on what I should do with myself." Edwina chuckled in spite of herself.
"What is it?" Kitty pushed.
"I shall have to nip this problem in the bud," she said. "I allowed him liberties because I feel very strong feelings when he is around me—”
“Feelings of desire?” Kitty asked.
“Yes.” She shut her eyes. “These… feelings… I would not harbor them if there was another man in my life."
Kitty’s eyes lit up and she began to grin "Are you proposing that—”
Edwina interrupted her with, "Do not get any wild notions in that silly head of yours, Kitty. I only mean that I shall start actively searching for a proper gentleman to marry now. Someone that is willing to marry an orphan without manners.” Her chest felt constricted. There were many times when she felt unwanted and unloved. “The earlier the Duke and I go our separate ways, the better for both of us."
"Yes, dear friend. The sooner we free ourselves of that man the better,” Kitty agreed. “I truly wish for you to be happy and I shall do what I can to insure you are."
Just then, Danny appeared, addressing Kitty after curtsying politely to both of them. “Pardon the interruption but Lord Hanshaw is waiting for you, Miss Kitty.”
"Oh, my goodness!” Kitty placed a hand on her chest. “I am late!" She jumped to her feet. "This is unbecoming of a lady. I completely forgot."
"Viscount Henshaw?" Edwina asked, stopping her. "I thought he had the chills."
"He is better now. I received a note asking me out for that drive at supper last night." She gave Edwina a worried look. "Will you be fine by yourself?”
"Of course, I will be. I think I might take a walk." She gained her feet and smoothed her powder-blue frock with her gloved hands.
"I shall see you later, then," Kitty threw over her shoulder as she rushed back into the Mansion, abandoning her watercolors.
“I shall return these inside,” Danny said and began to gather them.
Edwina plucked her bonnet from the bench and covered her head. Contrary to what she had told Albert yesterday, she did not always wear her bonnet and she did not mind the freckles overmuch. She disliked how it covered her head and shadowed her view. “Take this with you, Danny.” She gave her the book she had been reading.
Glass Blanket seemed like the perfect place to clear her head right now and she decided to venture there. She had heard that Albert was occupied within the Mansion, thus, the chance of an encounter with him was rather low.
Instead of taking the route she was familiar with to the lake, she decided to take a longer route, feeling adventurous. Turmoil usually made her wish to explore as a means of diversion and there was a lot to explore here.
The vegetation leading up to the lake was denser on the path she took and she found herself moving toward a forest. She loved forests and sometimes imagined herself a fae with magical powers. If only she truly had them and could use them to extricate herself from her difficult situation. She was nearing the forest when she heard a whimper.
Edwina stopped in her tracks, frowning as her head turned, slowly surveying her environs. The whimper came again from the south, and she followed it. It sounded pained and she thought it could be an animal in distress. She hurried.
Arriving at what appeared to be a wide ditch that she had not seen because of the tall grass and shrubs in the area, she found the little creature and it was in need of help. The puppy looked up at her with big puppy eyes and whimpered again.
"Oh, you poor dear!" she cried. It was stuck in the ditch and it jumped and scratched the sides, wagging its tail. She could not tell what breed it was because it was covered in mud with the fur matted to its body. It looked like a cross between a spaniel and a poodle. "However did you fall in?" She crouched at the edge of the ditch, careful not to set her foot on the slippery grass and mud, and looked about for something to help it out. Something like a stick.
She found a rather long one and picked it up, holding it out to the little dog. “Here,” she said, “hold onto this and I will pull you out.”
