There was no point in hashing things out in her brain. What she needed to do was put together a more comprehensive list as she interacted with him, and while she was at it she should try her best to look pretty. She needed him to find her pleasant to look at, at the very least.
“I think grandmother’s emerald earrings would match the best,” she said, taking charge of Mama’s indecisiveness. “I’m also going to add a little rouge to my lips and cheeks. It brings out the warmer tones in my skin.”
“Let me see. I’ve always thought that adding color to your face just makes a person seem vulgar, but with you it might help,” Mama said.
Edith pulled her little red tinted compact out of her desk drawer and added it the way Aunt Margaret had shown her with a little elderberry on her eyelashes. Then she turned to Mama and waited. She had no idea what Mama would say.
Mama hemmed and hawed for a moment as she tilted Edith’s face this way and that. “I like it. I was sure I wouldn’t because I know it was something Margaret bought for you in London, yet it makes your features stand out and you were right about it helping with your sallow skin tone. Now that I see you all put together, I have one last idea. Give me a moment,” Mama said as she rushed out of the room.
Edith squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. Aunt Margaret said confidence was attractive to some gentlemen, and that sounded easier to accomplish than to change herself completely. She was in the middle of flipping her fan out flirtatiously when Mama returned. She tried not to blush as she tried to hide the white lace behind her, but she did feel extremely silly doing the things she’d secretly mocked others for doing. Was it so bad to act silly? If it made Miles notice her, she’d wear three fans and wave them about as though it were the height of summer.
Mama held out a small black box, and Edith took it, uncertain of what it contained. She opened the lid and an elegant strand of pearls shimmered inside. “I wore these the day I married your father. Every time I have worn them since, I’ve had a wonderful time. I’m sure they’re good luck. Wear them tonight and spend time with the earl.
When Edith was about to speak, Mama shushed her. “You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t interested in the man and I have a plan to help the two of you. One of the main tenets of romance is spending time together,” Mama explained.
Edith, however, didn’t want to hear Mama’s plan. “I don’t want to play games with my future, Mama. If you care about my happiness, then please no schemes or plans or anything. Just tell me I look lovely.”
“You do look nice, dear, and while I understand how you feel now…opportunity does not always strike by luck. You need to carve out the future you desire. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t try my best to help you.”
“A supportive one. I’ve always done what you’ve asked of me. I’ve never told you no or disobeyed like Felicity and Lucy. I love you, Mama. I want to follow in your footsteps and marry the man who captures my heart. Did you need a scheme to make Papa propose?”
“No, of course not. I had eight gentlemen propose to me within a fortnight. All I had to do was bat my eyelashes at him and let him hold my hand a moment longer than was proper, and your father was hooked. I hardly think the same would apply to you and your earl. You need a push, that’s all.”
Edith’s shoulders drooped. Mama didn’t have any faith in her. “Give me time to try my way, Mama. Promise me that at least.”
“I’ll try, but I think you are being ridiculous.”
Mama floated out of the room as quickly as she had entered. Gretchen stepped forward and took on all of the finishing touches that were still undone. Placing the pearl necklace around her neck and curling the fringe of hair framing her face in small and delicate ringlets. The mirror showed a lady in a beautiful dress. While she wouldn’t stand out next to the other women here, she thought she looked better than she had in a long time.
She needed some confirmation that all the work they’d put into dressing up for the winter picnic had actually made her more pleasing. “How do I look, truthfully,” she asked her maid.
“Dignified. I know you want me to say yer pretty, but I think yer more than just a nice face, miss. You also look kind, sweet, and a little excited.”
“Thank you, Gretchen.” Edith liked her maid’s honesty. Tonight she would focus on being kind, sweet, and on living in the moment. With that in mind, she glided downstairs with as much grace and enthusiasm as she could muster. Lucy met her at the stairs, and they walked to the conservatory together arm in arm. Laughing at each other’s silly and mundane comments.
When she entered the glass covered room, Edith gasped. The room was much larger than she expected with a variety of plants from all over Europe and Asia. Some of the foliage was composed of ferns and palms she’d never set eyes on before. The sky overhead was overcast which gave the day a sense of gloom, but here in the conservatory hundreds of candles were lit, illuminating both the interior decor and the snow falling outside. The snow all fell at the same angle, the wind picking it up and shoving it into mounds of white carpet covering the grass. It was magical. The center of the conservatory had several large rugs laid out with large pillows where people were sitting around three picnic baskets overflowing with cheese, fruit, and wine.
Miles was sitting next to his mother and Lady Anne. Edith chose a cushion nearby where she would be close enough to at least hear what he was talking about. A serving girl quickly brought her a plate and opened a basket full of food. Edith tried a little of everything and talked to Miss Green and Miss Trimble. She asked actual questions about their lives and learned that she had more in common with Miss Trimble than she had previously thought.
Chapter 12
Miles noticed the spring in Edith’s step the moment she walked into the conservatory. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to sit next to him, but he did hear her laughing with Miss Trimble and wondered what was keeping them entertained.
After all of the food was eaten, Mother called for the servants to clear the floor. Within minutes the rugs and pillows were gone, and there was a large space left for dancing. His mother had moved a piano into the corner of the conservatory just for tonight, and Miss Trimble offered to play if anyone wanted to dance. The gentlemen agreed, and a moment later he was escorting Miss Green onto the makeshift dance floor. He’d been heading towards Miss Wilson, but before he could reach her to ask her to dance, Sir Archibald beat him to it. Which was why he’d turned to the nearest female and asked her instead. A minuet began and five sets of partners moved synchronously to the rhythm of the song.
He asked his dance partner a few questions as they followed the steps, and she answered. Yet his mind wasn’t able to focus on their conversation since he was having a hard time trying not to watch Edith and Sir Archibald as they danced to his left. She smiled at him with wide eyes. He wanted this set to be done and over so that he could make sure she danced with him next. Why do I hate the two of them being together?
When the music finally ended, he marched over to Edith and asked her for the next dance. She smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling as she agreed. Miss Trimble chose to play a quadrille and the couples circled up holding hands. Edith placed her hand into his and Miles remembered how soft her skin was. It was too bad she was wearing gloves. He’d love to help her take them off again.
“You look especially nice tonight, Miss Wilson,” he said truthfully. Her purple dress complimented her creamy skin and doe-like eyes. She squeezed his hand and smiled, transforming her face from nice to lovely.
“Thank you, Lord Camden. You are dashing, as always, yourself.” She winked in his direction away from other prying eyes. Edith constantly surprised him, and while he wanted to wink back, there were too many people in that direction for him to do so unseen. Instead, he rubbed his thumb in a circle on top of her hand.
They began to twirl, exchange partners, and return to each other. Miles had always enjoyed the quadrille before. Today it felt rushed and impersonal. He wanted her all t
o himself and wished they didn’t have to switch partners from time to time. Edith was elegant and graceful as she moved about the room, and he enjoyed watching her almost as much as he enjoyed holding her hands.
Time flew and the dance ended too quickly. Miles took his time escorting Edith back to her mother, but the next set was already forming, and as host he needed to help Mother keep the ladies entertained by dancing. He bid Edith farewell before asking Lady Ann to accompany him for the next song.
With so few people dancing, the night ended early and Miles retired to the library. He often spent a few hours in his favorite chair reading before bed. It helped him unwind from the day. Tonight he chose one of his childhood favorites to reread, Robinson Crusoe. It had been years since he’d last spent time with his favorite castaway.
He poured himself a generous glass of port, lit an extra candle, and settled down. About thirty pages in, he heard the squeak of the door opening. Tomorrow he’d remind James to grease the hinges, but who would be coming here this late?
Miles set his book down in his lap and peered around the bookshelves. Edith, in her night rail and robe! Even though she was properly covered, her hair was down, and the candle she used to find her way illuminated and softened her features. He watched as she purposefully strode to the other side of the library. It seemed as though she was searching for a specific book.
“Found it,” she exclaimed as she extracted one tome from his vast collection. She turned around, and glanced at the candles lighting his favorite spot. Their eyes met and she blushed beet red. “I didn’t realize anyone was here. I should have assumed a candle meant a person, but I just thought that someone had either left the fire going or that a servant would be coming around to blow out all superfluous fires.” Her voice trailed off in embarrassment.
“All of my guests are welcome to enjoy my collections of books. I’m glad you’ve made yourself comfortable.” His eyes lingered on her thin night rail; the robe kept the light from traveling through the layers, but he could see a hint of ankle peeking out of the bottom. Her blush spread delightfully from her cheeks to her neck and décolletage.
“I need to go,” she said. He was about to tell her goodnight when the library door creaked closed. Followed by the scrape of metal on metal, which sounded suspiciously like a key turning in a lock. Miles set his book on the side table and walked to the door. He turned the brass knob only to confirm his suspicions. They were locked inside, alone together after dark with Edith wearing bedclothes.
“Is there another door?” Edith asked rationally. She too must have realized their predicament.
“Yes, there is one other that is connected to the music room.” He commandeered her candle and said, “Follow me.”
He led her to the north side of the room. The second door was also closed, but it shouldn’t be locked. At least he’d never found it to be locked, until today. He turned and pulled at the door, but it did not budge. This was a deliberate act then. Someone knew they were together and was making sure they stayed that way.
“It cannot be a coincidence for both of these doors to be locked when they are always open.”
Edith frowned; her front teeth nervously bit down on her lower lip as though she had something to say. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?” he asked.
She turned, her big brown eyes looking up at him wide with emotion. “It’s my mother. She did it again. Just this afternoon I begged her not to interfere, but she is the one who asked me to come down here to get a book for her since she could not fall asleep. She doesn’t even like reading.” Edith exclaimed. “I should have known.”
“We can either work to break down the doors, or accept our fate and enjoy the evening.”
“Are you terribly attached to these particular doors? Would you rather use money to replace them or be caught with me in an improper situation?”
“At the moment, I’d rather not break them down. Why don’t we give it some time and hope for a peaceful resolution.”
Edith agreed, so Miles led her back to his favorite chair and bid her to sit. Once she was comfortable, he pulled another leatherback chair a few feet closer to her. “I’d rather sit next to you than in the dark. Do you mind?” he asked, indicating the spot next to her.
“Not at all, Lord Camden. I’ve taken away your peaceful evening as it is. I don’t want to deprive you of light as well.”
Miles picked up his book again and had just read a sentence when Edith spoke again. “Have you read Robinson Crusoe before?”
“Yes, years ago my father read it with me. We compared our thoughts and ideas on what we would do if we were in his place. Stuck on an island all on our own.”
“He sounds like a wonderful father. How long has it been since he passed?”
Miles counted back and was surprised at how long it had been. It still felt so fresh and new despite the passing of time. “Over ten years now. He was the best father I could have asked for, I wish he could have met Grace. He would have spoiled her rotten. Though that would also mean that he would have met her mother.”
“You sound sad, would they have gotten along as well?”
“No,” he said more emphatically than he’d intended to. He was about to change the subject to avoid speaking of his wife, but Edith was so sweet in her white lace he felt a strange desire to let her know the truth of things.
“My wife and I were unhappy in our marriage. My father would have hated that. Sometimes I wonder, if he’d been alive, would he have seen through her perfect facade and advised me against her?”
Edith leaned forward in her chair. Her eyes locked on him.“Even if he had, would you have listened to him?” she asked. “I’ve heard love can turn a sane man blind to the truth before his eyes.”
“I’m not sure. I was both blind and deaf to Louisa’s faults before we married, yet at the same time, I’ve always worshiped my father as my greatest hero. If anyone stood a chance at getting me to see the reality that she only wanted me for my title, it would have been him.”
“You also wouldn’t have had a title yet to tempt her with, should he have lived longer.”
“I’ve never considered that. No, she would not have married me if I wasn’t an earl. The day we wed she explained how little she cared for me. She said once she produced an heir she would take another lover.” Miles had never told that particular tale to anyone, not even George who knew more than most.
Edith shook her head and put her hand to her heart. “That’s awful. I'm sorry if this offends you, but I don’t think I would have liked your wife. I know members of the Ton are not always faithful, but to go into a marriage already planning to break your vows seems particularly cruel. Even if that was her intention, she should not have said so out loud. The only reason to do that would be to hurt you on purpose.”
“True, if she’d continued to pretend to love me both of our lives would have been easier. No, I don’t think it was cruelty. I think it was loathing. She found me brutish, and telling me was the only way to make me keep my distance from her.”
Edith looked around the room, as though she was afraid someone was watching them. “You are handsome, Miles.” His face must have shown his surprise. It was the first time she’d ever called him by his given name. “I find you devilishly attractive. Sir Archibald cannot even hope to compare to your manly good looks.” She tucked her knees and feet up under her dress and sat there like a mischievous child who just did something wrong, which he supposed she had. A lady should not give a man such a personal compliment.
Miles was unsure of how to respond. He chose, “Thank you, Edith.” Using her given name felt right. “Now that I am incapable of running away, do you have any other awkward questions you would like me to answer?” At that moment, he was willing to tell her anything.
Edith had a plethora of questions floating around in her head. Her issue was choosing which ones to ask, since she did not know if she would ever have another chance to speak with him like this
. “What attracted you to your wife? I heard she was both beautiful and talented.”
“She had a way with words. She could make anyone feel special and she had a way of looking at people as though they were the most interesting person in the world. I liked her the moment I saw her. She eclipsed everyone else in the room, but I think I fell in love with her the first time I heard her sing. She had a voice like an angel from Heaven.” Miles paused for a moment and focused on her. The force of his gaze made Edith wonder how he’d looked at his wife when he was in love. Had his eyes softened to the green of summer pasture, or turned hard and gray like a winter storm?
“I know that my love for Louisa was mostly superficial. It didn’t feel that way at the time though.”
“How did she die?”
“She was small, delicate, even frail, and Grace was late in coming. She died two weeks after Grace was born. I sometimes wonder if she would have recovered if she’d had a boy. Louisa was distraught when she heard that Grace was female. She hated being pregnant, and she wanted to be free from me.”
“There are some things it is better not to consider. Does Grace know how her mother died?” Edith asked. “ It would be hard knowing your mother died because you were born.”
“Yes, and no. She knows her mother died when she was still a baby. I never told her how soon her mother passed after her birth or that it was from complications that happened afterward. And I will make sure she doesn’t learn that her mother never touched her. I tried to get Louisa to hold and feed Grace, but she refused. She was in pain. I know that, but for two weeks she didn’t even ask to see her daughter.”
“That must have been hard on you. You are a good father. Grace is beautiful, happy, and carefree. If we ever get out of this library, we should take some time to spend with Grace.” The world outside the window was dark but she could still see the faint shadow of falling snow. “We could bundle up and play in the snow. I’m sure she’d love it.”
An Earl for Edith Page 12
