Page 13 of The White Enchantress

”Ihavebeen honest with him.”

“No, you haven’t.” I glare back at Josh, my eyes full of daggers. Josh doesn’t scare easily though. “All you said to him is, ‘I don’t want this, I don’t want that,’ tell him why. Tell him what happened. From his side of the stage, you and Wesley have had asuccessful relationship for nearly a year. You didn’t even tell Ed that you broke up with Wesley two months ago. He thinks you have cold feet. You are both being stubborn. It’s time to listen to each other.”

I let myself fall against the cold window, stubbornness defeated. With one look at Josh, he knows I’ve given in. “I’ll go find Ed. Don’t get married before I come back.” Before closing the door to the bridal chamber, Josh looks back at me, flashing his biggest smile.

He is right; I wasn’t honest with my dad. But Ed also didn’t let me explain the situation. Maybe he truly wants to believe that the match he made for me was one that blossomed into love. A love he doesn’t have with his wife. I know he doesn’t want that life for me. He has lived a miserable life with a miserable woman as his wife. And the love he so desperately wanted ran away from him. And then I ran from him. But all I want to do right now is run to my father to tell him how sorry I am, how much I love him. That I will never run from him again.

“Ed is coming,” Josh says as he walks back into the bridal chambers. “I think something happened, though he wouldn’t tell me what.”

“What do you mean something happened?”

“I dunno. When I found your father, he didn’t even let me speak. He said, ‘Stay with Guin. Make sure no one else speaks to her. I’ll be there in five minutes.’ That was three minutes ago.”

“Did he seem angry?”

“Yeah, he did, but I don’t think he’s angry with you. Just stay calm. Breathe, Guin, you are not breathing.” Josh closes the distance between us in two steps, pulling me into a hug, a hand slowly caressing my spine, attempting to coax a breath out. My chest heaves with a deep breath, my heart slowing down to a healthy pace. A second later, my father bursts in, sending my heart into overdrive.

“Guinevere, I am-”

“Wait, dad, let me speak first.” Another deep breath helps me prepare myself for what I want to say, what I should have told my dad months ago. “Before I left for Princeton, I broke up with Wesley. I told him that after nine months, I still didn’t feel anything for him and knew that love wasn’t going to grow between us. He didn’t take it well. He slapped me.”

I pause, looking up at Ed. His green eyes are focused on me, listening. He waits patiently for me to finish, understanding my need to tell him everything I had been keeping from him. “I didn’t tell you this because I didn’t want to be a failure to you. Every time you talked about Wesley and me, you were so happy, so proud of me, and delighted that you were the one to introduce us. I couldn’t crush your spirit, your hope that I’d marry a rich man from a good family and that we’d love each other. I really tried, dad. The love just wasn’t there. And Wesley turned out to be a massive shitbag. I thought I would have time to figure out how to tell you while I was away in Princeton. But Wesley couldn’t let me go so easily. I really had nothing to do with planning this wedding. This dress,though gorgeous, the first time I laid eyes on it was this morning. I came back to England for Uncle Al but also because I didn’t want to make you look a fool. If I had stayed in Princeton, it would have been like I abandoned you. I couldn’t do that. But I thought you would hear me out and believe my side. It hadn’t occurred to me that you would be on Wesley’s side. I’m so sorry, dad.” I run into my father’s open arms, crying uncontrollably into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry I left and said nothing.”

“I am sorry I did not believe you, my sweet, dear girl. Even though you wanted to prevent me from feeling foolish, I cannot help but feel like a pig-headed fool. The letter you left me was vague and incoherent. It brought me back to when Vira left me, and I was worried that’s what you were doing to Wesley. But when I first read the letter, I thought it best to leave you alone and give you the space you requested. While you were gone, Wesley played a convincing role as your lovable fiancé. I did not understand why you ran away to Princeton and would not tell me the news of your engagement. Maybe I was subconsciously playing dumb because I had hoped that the two of you would be a perfect match. I now understand the emotions that were flooding your mind at the time. Could you ever forgive me, Guinevere?”

“Of course I forgive you, Ed.” He cringes hearing me call him ‘Ed’ and not something paternal. “But, dad, why the change of heart? Just this morning, you were in a rage, telling me I had cold feet and that I would get over it as soon as I saw Wesley at the altar.”

“Yes, I was a bit of an ass, wasn’t I? Before Josh came looking for me, I overheard Wesley talking with Cecily. He reassured her that you would never take my title and all that comes with the earldom. Wesley said he did not love you and only wanted a son from you. A son he would raise himself, a son that would take the earldom before you could claim it. Wesley even made plans with Cecily to sneak into her room at night. I am sickened by my own daughter. The look of ecstasy I saw on her face at the expense of your misery is something I wish I could unsee. But now I know the truth of it all.”

“And thank God for that!” Josh whispers loudly, breaking Edmund and me out of our bubble of confessions and emotions.

“Leo is parked right outside that door.” Ed points to the side door that leads out to the parking lot. “Take Josh and get out of here.”

“But what about the wedding?”

“I will handle it. Do not worry about me. I will see you at home.”

“I love you, daddy,” I yell as I leap back into his arms for one last hug. He gives me a warm kiss on my forehead before pulling out of our embrace.

“I love you, Guin. Now go before someone walks in here.”

Not wanting to waste any more time, I grab my bag and Josh’s hand and run to the door. I take a peek outside, hoping nobody will notice the bride acting strangely just before her nuptials are due to begin.

Leo is parked outside, as promised, holding the door open to the back seat of the car. Josh pulls me along, careful not to run too quickly since I’m still in heels and the train of my wedding gown hasn’t been fastened up yet. Josh ushers me into the backseat, picking up the lacy fabric of my gown as I slide in. Leo then sprints around the car gracefully, jumping into the driver’s seat. He pulls out cautiously, wanting to avoid any suspicion from the guests still arriving for my wedding that will never happen. In no time, we are making our getaway.

But I soon notice that we aren’t going in the direction of Eden Manor. We are driving west instead of east. “Leo, where are we going? Ed said he’d meet us at home. Home is in the other direction.”

“I apologize, my lady. When his lordship said ‘home’ he didn’t mean Eden Manor.”

“He didn’t? Where is ‘home’ then?”

“There’s a little cottage by the coast. It’s where your mother used to live.”

“What?” Shock rattles my brain. “How did I not know about this cottage before now?”

“I apologize, my lady.”

“Stop apologizing. Do you know why this place was kept a secret from me?” Leo keeps his mouth shut, eyes focused on the road ahead. “Do you know if my parents would sneak away to this cottage during our summer visits?” More silence, but Leo’s eyes twitch up at the rearview mirror, giving me the answer. “I bloody knew it! Mama was always way too happy during those visits. I’mgonna strangle her when I see-” I stop myself before finishing my thoughtless thought. After years of missing her, I sometimes forget that she is gone. The urge to text her, call her, make plans for a movie night is still a reflex in my mind like she had never died.

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