Page 68 of The Gentleman Was Right
She paced to the window and stared out at the grey sky. It wasn’t raining, but the heavy clouds made it clear that the rain would return sooner rather than later.
As she stared into the dreary day, her thoughts coalesced into a single truth.
Shewasglad she’d married Edward.
He was everything he’d presented himself to be. The fact that he was as kind and patient with Isabelle as he was with her was particularly meaningful. It had only been a few days, but she was starting to think she could trust him.
It didn’t scare her as much as it should have.
Maybe she had no reason to fear.
Or maybe she was just as foolish as she’d ever been.
How could she trust herself to know the difference?
She gripped the edge of the windowsill, her knuckles turning white. Her brain was at war with her heart, because if she allowed herself to trust him, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from loving him, and she would be absolutely wrecked if he betrayed her.
She heard the door click open and spun around, her heart in her throat. Edward took one look at her, crossed the room in brisk strides, and tugged her into his arms. He held her tight and kissed her forehead softly as she sank into him.
Comfort enveloped her, and it made her want to weep.
“What is the matter?” he asked into the wispy hair that had escaped the knot at her nape.
“Nothing.” The lie tumbled out.
“I thought you were going to join me for tea, but instead I find you morosely staring out the window.” He looked at her closely. “Something is wrong.”
He had no way of knowing how truly confused she felt, so she said, “I am perfectly well, and tea sounds lovely. I must have lost track of time.” She was nearly certain she had convinced him that everything was fine as she followed him out of the bedchamber.
* * *
Violet had lied.Somethingwas bothering her. Edward knew it as well as he knew his name.
The faraway look on her face when she’d spun away from the window had suggested she was distressed. Her insistence that she was fine had confirmed it. He couldn’t help worrying that she had somehow discovered the truth about her inheritance, even though he knew she hadn’t.
Waiting had been pointless.
There wasnevergoing to be a perfect opportunity to tell her she hadn’t needed to marry him. It was always going to be an unpleasant revelation.
“Are you alright?” he asked again, as she poured their tea.
She didn’t respond other than to glare at him and ask, “Sugar?” even though she already knew quite well how he liked his tea.
He nodded, and for the first time since they’d met, they sat in near silence, sipping their drinks. It wasn’t tense exactly, but it was ripe with things they weren’t saying.
He’d give just about anything to know what she was thinking, but he couldn’t quite figure out how to ask. It was long past time that he tell her about her inheritance, and yet the words still wouldn’t leave his mouth. He had never been particularly adept at lying, and the longer they remained unspoken, the more the omission ate at him. Heneededto tell her, but he couldn’t make himself do it, especially not when she already seemed out of sorts.
His concern for what was wrong grew as the afternoon passed, and by the time they climbed into the carriage to join his family for dinner, he was overwrought. He hoped an evening with his family would allow them both the chance to breathe easier, but he wasn’t at all confident that it would.
* * *
Violet was relieved when the meal was over. The tension between her and Edward had been almost unbearable. She wasn’t sure if he was responding to her turmoil or if he was experiencing his own.
Either way, she couldn’t help wondering if he regretted marrying her. Or if he was simply annoyed that she’d been so curt with him all afternoon.
The conversation she’d overheard between Edward and Isabelle continued to consume her thoughts. Her sister had been as cheerful as ever at dinner, but now that Violet knew how awkward Isabelle felt, she could see the underlying doubt that plagued her.
“Are you going to tell me what is amiss between you and my brother?” Belinda asked later in the evening when they found themselves alone. They’d been deserted by Emmeline, who was weary and had retired to her bedchamber, and Jane, Louisa, and Isabelle, who had disappeared up the stairs at Louisa’s insistence.
