by Ella Edon
No sooner had he said this, than George had opened the door and George walked in. He held the cloth that had covered his face in his hand and made a habit of wrapping it around his fist.
Edmund sat up. “Have a seat so I may proceed with what I wish to discuss with you lot.”
Cecil nodded, Eric stared blankly, and George looked eager. Edmund decided that he would make what he wished to say short and not detailed. He did not think it would work in Rachael's favour if he told his men that she had ended their courtship. He intended to relay his information in a way that would be beneficial for Rachael. Although he was the leader of the group, he needed his men's support.
"The lady was once my intended," he began. This earned him bewildered looks from all three of his men.
Eric sat up. “Your intended? You had planned to wed?"
"What happened? How did she end up wedded to such a crook as Loftus Allen?"
Edmund raised his good arm as a signal to keep the men from talking. "I am unaware of what happened after our courtship fell through."
Cecil shrugged. “I see no reason why we should withhold our previous plans. Surely she is not the same lady she was years ago. If she has been married to Loftus Allen for so long a time, then she is just as guilty as he is.”
Edmund clenched his teeth and faced Cecil squarely. “I do not know who she has become after all these years, but I shan't simply condemn her. I had known her, and I trust that she is a good lady. Allow me to talk to her first to understand truly what was between her and Allen."
"But what good would that do us?"
"We shall figure out what to do about her soon enough, but for now, I want her to stay here in my home. It would be safer for her here, and prevent any other enemy that Loftus must have made from taking her away," Edmund said.
George sighed. “I understand, Edmund, and I do say that you have made a valid point. We shall wait and think up something else to do about the lady. But in the meantime, perhaps she could tell us of some wrongs done by Loftus. Some wrongs that we can right,”
Edmund nodded. “Yes. Yes. No one deserves to suffer from Loftus’s actions any longer." There was silence after George had spoken, and Edmund waited for a response from Eric and Cecil, who kept staring in confusion. "Have you nothing to say?" Edmund queried, relaxing back in his seat.
Eric cleared his throat. “I agree with what George has said. The best idea now would be to wait and decide what to do about the lady. That should be up to you, Edmund."
Cecil sighed and relaxed in his seat. After a while, he nodded. “It seems we have come to a suitable agreement."
Edmund released a breath he had not known he had been holding. Although he led the guerillas, their approval mattered a lot. He grinned. “I am pleased by this agreement. I appreciate your cooperation, as always."
The men nodded.
Edmund turned to George. “Is the lady being tended to?"
"I have asked Gerald to assign a footman to stand outside her bedchamber while the lady's maid tends to her.”
"Good.”
"How do you intend to speak to the lady, Edmund? Do you think she would be willing to speak to you, let alone be completely honest about her marriage and who she has been all these years?" Cecil asked.
Edmund smiled. “Well, I cannot tell until I have made a trial. But rest assured that I shall inform you of every progress made with the Duchess.”
This time Cecil seemed satisfied by his answer and smiled. It was a genuine one. Edmund was certain that before now Cecil had not been pleased with the decision reached. But with this assurance he relaxed more. Edmund could not blame Cecil for feeling such a way.
Loftus Allen had caused Cecil pain by taking away land that had been in his family for years. Cecil, who had been away at war, had returned home to nothing but the house he had lived in as a child. The land and wealth his father had acquired while he lived was taken away from his mother, who had become a widow upon Cecil's father's death. Edmund could understand why he was so angry and wanted to have his revenge. One way or the other, Loftus had hurt all of them in that room. All they wanted was justice for what they had lost.
Edmund sighed. Now that all was well with his men, all that was left was for him to speak to Lady Rachael. He sucked in a breath as he thought of that. He shook his head, trying to keep his thoughts at bay. He did not want to dwell on his future meeting with the lady. He needed a distraction.
"Shall I have Gerald serve the brandy now?" Edmund asked his men, an amused smile on his face.
Cecil slapped the table. “I am down.”
Eric nodded. “So am I.”
George smiled and rose. “I shall ask Gerald to bring the brandy."
The men had left Edmund's house during the late hours of the night, after they had shared two rounds of brandy. Finding himself alone, Edmund had been filled with thoughts of Rachael and how she was faring. Unable to stop himself, he made his way to where her bedchamber was located, intent on knowing how she was doing. He was met at the door by the footman Gerald had assigned.
"How is the lady?" he asked.
The footman bowed. “There has been no noise since Beth left her, My Lord. It would seem that she is fast asleep."
"Asleep?" Edmund found that strange. “She has made no attempt to bring down the doors, I see.”
"No, My Lord.”
"Has she not made an attempt to run?"
"None at all, My Lord.”
Edmund creased his brows. Perhaps she was quite tired and could not bring herself to attempt an escape, he thought. It should be the only reason. He had expected that she would bring some trouble. But hearing that she had not, pleased him in a way. It gave him hope that having a conversation with her would be possible.
Now, as Edmund lay awake in his bedchamber in the early hours of the morning, he was yet again thinking about Rachael and what it would be like to speak to her after all these years. She had changed a lot since the last time he had seen her. Her hair had grown a lot longer. He remembered then that she had liked to keep it at her shoulder, but now it had grown past that length. He remembered that she had been quite stubborn. She always spoke her mind, but she had been a very cheerful lady. The Rachael he had taken yesterday seemed different. She seemed calmer, wiser. She was unlike the lady he had last seen when he went away to serve his country. He sighed and sat up.
What would she think of him now? He stared at his missing hand. What would she think of a disfigured man? What would she think of him for being a part of her abduction?
He tossed the duvet aside and rose from the bed. He made his way over to the window and pulled his drapes apart to let the sun cascade into the bedchamber. He began to pace as different thoughts crossed his mind. He felt knots at the pit of his stomach. He was nervous about meeting with Lady Rachael. Seeing as she was no longer the lady he knew, he could not help but wonder how he would speak to her or what he would say to her. It was a lot harder than he had imagined, now that the meeting was drawing near. And it was inevitable. A knock on the door called his attention.
"Come on in."
The door opened and his valet, Richard, walked in. “My Lord."
"Richard!" Edmund sighed in relief. “Come, come. Prepare a bath for me and pick out what I am to wear today. Pick out the very best coat."
Richard nodded.
Edmund needed to look his best. He needed to be dressed very finely. He stopped pacing. During the abduction, he had only taken one of the lady's trunks, out of consideration. He knew deep down that it did not contain all of her dresses. Perhaps it did not contain the necessary dresses she needed. He rubbed his temple.
"Richard!" he called.
"My Lord?”
Richard left what he was doing and ran to Edmund.
Edmund waved his hand. “Quick, have Beth sent to me.”
Richard nodded and walked out of the bedchamber. Not long after, he returned. Beth curtsied upon seeing him. “My Lord."
"Has the lady a
woken?" he asked.
"I am yet to discover, My Lord. She is yet to respond to me this morning.”
Edmund raised a brow. “Hmm. Well you must make an effort again. I called you here to ask that you take some old dresses owned by my late sister. Not the ones that have been worn. Have them taken to the lady and help her dress. I doubt that she has any," he muttered the last part.
Beth inclined her head. “As you wish, My Lord."
"And Beth?" He turned abruptly to pass across his message. “If the lady still refuses to answer your calls, make it known to me.”
Beth nodded. “I shall, My Lord."
"And after the lady has prepared for the day and broken her fast, lead her to the drawing room to await me. I wish to see her there,”
Beth curtsied. “Yes, My Lord.”
He watched Beth walk through the threshold, yet his mind was far away. He hoped that Rachael did answer the lady's maid. The last thing he wanted was meeting under any circumstance where either of them weren’t ready. Having to be the one to force her awake would be an utter disaster. He did not need to anger her more.
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Ella Edon is an American author of steamy historical Regency romance books. She started pursuing her childhood passion of putting stories to paper after experiencing two of the most life-changing experiences of her life.
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She lives in New Orleans, Louisiana with her loving husband and candy-sweet daughter. Before she started writing Regency romance, Ella was working in a phone center, despite the fact that she majored in English Literature. However, her restless spirit leads her to chase her dream and now she is devoted to sharing her stories with the world.
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