Page 40 of A Bride for the Beastly Duke
“He simply denied me. What could I do after that?”
Edward cast about for something to say. He honestly could not fathom that a man could have gone so far as to deny a child. “Had he no honor?”
She snorted derisively. “I am not sure he would know what the word means.”
Edward had come across Lord Fenton in the halls of the Home Office. The other man worked for the crown as well. In his few months working there, he’d become severely disillusioned about the integrity of the government, but he was still shocked to his core that they would employ a man like Fenton if what Ava said was true—and he had no cause to doubt her.
“Has he ever met his daughter?”
“Sheisn’this daughter. She ismine,” Ava said fiercely.
“Of course. My apologies. That must have been extremely difficult for you.”
She looked into his eyes. “Frankly, there are days when I don’t know how I survived it. But those days are behind me… hopefully.”
He reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. “I shall make sure of it,” he said with determination.
Her smile was tremulous but genuine. “Thank you.”
Chapter Sixteen
She expected the next morning to be awkward. Had thought that she would wake up and find Edward gone. But as she slowly came back to consciousness, she realized that his warmth still surrounded her, his arms just as tight around her waist as they had been when she drifted off to sleep. Happiness suffused her being, and she smiled like a cat that had caught the canary. She let her eyes slip closed and went back to sleep.
She was startled awake sometime later and realized that she had slept quite late judging by the angle of the sunlight. She sat up in bed with a sigh, her eyes on the empty pillow by her side. Even the indentation from Edward’s head was gone which meant that he had woken up quite some time ago. She shuffled out of bed, and that was when she noticed the folded piece of paper on her bedside table.
“What’s this?” she asked herself as she unfolded it.
She frowned as she realized it was a letter from Edward.
You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you. The reason I came to your room last night was to tell you that I need to go to the city this morning to meet my private investigator as he has some news for me. It shouldn’t take more than a day or two. Forgive me for leaving so abruptly.
Thank you for last night.
Yours, Edward.
Ava blinked at the letter, not sure what to think. Should she believe him? Or was he using his investigator as an excuse to run away?
Only time will tell.
She put the letter back down on her bedside table and went to wash her face. Once her ablutions were completed, she put on a shawl and went in search of her daughter. She doubted very much that Edward would have told Lily that he was going away, and she knew that Lily would be brokenhearted about it.
She found her daughter in the garden, listlessly following after the governess as Mary pointed out plants to her and named them.
“Good morning, Lily. Why do you seem so sad? Are you not enjoying your lesson?” Ava asked as she came up to them by the gazebo.
Lily gave a long put upon sigh, shoulders shrugging as she pouted, “It’s Papa. He left a message that he had to go away. He didn’t say when he’s coming back.”
Ava felt her heart warm at the thought that Edward had made an effort to say goodbye to her daughter. She rubbed Lily’s shoulders consolingly. “He left a note for me too, telling me the same thing. I think instead of being sad that he is gone, we should find a project to do that we can surprise him with when he comes back. What do you think?”
Lily's face immediately lit up. “Yes, I want to do that. When can we start?”
Ava smiled, looking toward Mary. “Finish up your lesson, and then we can go for a picnic and come up with something lovely.”
Lily gave a little skip. “Yes, Mama!” Her face was beaming, and she immediately ran to Mary, paying her far more attention than she had before.
Ava smiled, shaking her head.We are both so pathetic.She wrapped her shawl more firmly around herself and went off in search of breakfast, feeling much less doubtful about Edward’s words.
Whatever lies he might or might not say to her, she highly doubted that he would lie to Lily. Unless she was vastly mistaken about who she had come to know him to be, shewas surehe would not do that.
