"But... but... How can a beautiful lady like you be in love with me?" He could see her smile and blush happily at what he had just said.
"I had always pined in silence, hoping that you would notice me and tell me you feel the same way about me, but it just seemed like that day would never come. I was heartbroken when I learned that you were courting Inese. It was then that I knew that there was no hope for us ever being together anymore," she said dreamily.
"That must have been quite awful," he goaded her on.
"It was, especially since everyone always chose Inese over me. Every person that I have ever taken to, prefered Inese to me. They always chose her even when it's sure that she doesn't want them. It was as though she pulled them with a kind of magical power."
Seeing that she was lost in her own thoughts and was now vulnerable, he decided to hit the nail on the head.
"That's quite awful. It must have been the reason why you decide to get Inese out of the way," he said in a soothingly calm voice.
"Of course, I..." she must have realized what he was trying to do because she stopped short and frowned.
"I don't understand," she said.
"You were just telling me why you decided to take her out of the way," he reminded her.
"Take her out of the way? Who?" she asked feigning innocence.
"Inese, of course," he said.
"I did not do anything to take her out of the way, please. Inese was my friend, and I was quite sad when I learned what she had done," Freya said, obviously scared.
"Have no fear, madam," Bedford said, giving her another little wink, "I would understand perfectly if you had orchestrated the scandal. I would be quite flattered even to know that you took her out of the way because of me. You are an exceptional woman, because few women would have the courage to do anything just to get the person that they loved."
Freya smiled a little. "Would you have really loved it if I had planned Inese's scandal just to get to you? Wouldn't you think that I am an awful person?"
Bedford laughed, then shook his head. "No, I would not think that you are an awful person. We've all had to do unspeakable things just to get to the things that we want. I would only see a woman who is so deeply in love with a man that she decides to have him to herself at all costs. After all, all is fair in love and war, they say."
Freya seemed relaxed now. "Can I confide in you then?" she asked.
"Definitely." He already knew what was about to come next.
"I was the mastermind of Inese's scandal," she said.
"Wow!" he feigned surprise, "that was quite ingenious. Tell me, how did you plan it so perfectly?
She smiled, pleased with herself.
"I saw the Earl of Coventry—who is known popular Rake—walk into the tearoom, so I quickly devised the plan. I told my maid, Lisa, to tell Inese to meet me in the tearoom and I watched as she entered the room. Next, I told Lisa to lock her in the room. That was all I did while the rest of it fell in place."
"You are such an awful person," he said suddenly, dropping all pretense.
"What do you mean?" she looked scared again.
Bedford rose to his feet. "Inese is the sweetest and most innocent girl ever. She has never harmed anyone, yet you decided to ruin her reputation. You need to ask for her forgiveness and let everyone know that she is innocent."
"But she really is not as innocent as you think," she replied. "I know this because just this morning, I read it in the Morning Times that she gave a certain earl a late-night visit. This shows that she really is what I painted her to be. The fact that she spent the night in another earl's house means that she is quite immoral."
Bedford shook his head. "You know nothing about this. She paid the earl a visit at night because she had an important issue to discuss with him."
"Your Grace, how can you be so sure when you were not even there?" she asked.
"I can be sure because... "
"...the Earl of Bedford is the earl that Inese paid a visit to at night," a voice said, and they both looked towards the doorway where the voice was coming from.
Hans, Inese's father, walked right into the salon. Freya gasped while Bedford was confused.
"You heard all that we have been saying?" Bedford couldn't help but ask.
Hans nodded. "I heard everything."
Freya gasped again, then picked up her skirts and rushed out of the room.
"The doorman was nowhere to be found when I came in, so there was no one to announce me. I was about to enter when I heard Freya mention Inese's name. That was when I waited to hear everything that had been said."
"I hope you see now that Inese is innocent," Bedford said.
"I have," Hans said solemnly, "I will do right by her. However, her reputation is still at risk, and we have decided to send her to Germany today."
"Today?" Bedford couldn't believe his ears.
"Yes. In fact, she is on the carriage that would take her to the ship. The ship is scheduled to set sail tonight."
He didn't even have to think about it. He knew what he wanted to do. "I'm going to Inese right away."
***
Inese trudged ahead reluctantly. The ship that she would be boarding was just a few feet away and for every step that she took, she was tempted to turn back and run off to Bedford's house. She wondered just how heartbroken and sad Bedford would be when he learned that she had left.
She sighed. This was easily the worst Christmas she had ever had. She was going to be lonely and miserable in Germany, and she knew it. However, there was nothing that she could do.
"INESE!" a voice that she knew so well shouted.
It could not be, she thought, she must be hallucinating.
She looked back to see Bedford running towards her. She stood there, transfixed and too shocked to utter a word.
When he finally got to her, she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Seeing him right before her with love shining in his eyes and knowing that he loved her so much, she burst into tears.
"Inese!" he said, panting, "Inese, the worst is over now. Freya has confessed, and your father knows everything."
"He has changed his mind?" she finally found her voice.
"Completely."
She wanted desperately to believe him. A look into his eyes told her that he was saying the truth. His eyes were filled with such desperate hope and love that she couldn't hold back the love that she had for him.
"Bedford! What joy you have brought into my heart."
He looked at her, his eyes searching her face. "There is one very important thing yet to be done."
"What is that?"
He sank to one knee and extended his palm towards her. "Inese Strupule, will you take pity on this lovesick soul? Will you do me the extraordinary honor of being my wife?"
Inese's heart raced. She covered her mouth with a hand, unable to speak. She couldn't believe it. She moved slowly towards him and nodded.
"Yes. I will be your wife."
She was wrong, after all. This was easily the best Christmas she had ever celebrated.
*** The End ***
A brief note of thanks:
Thank you for reading this collection. If you liked these stories, could I ask you to kindly leave a review on Amazon? That would be most appreciated.
Regency Romances Page 173
