Page 50 of The Reclusive Earl's Scandal
“But as you said, the gossip ruins us both.” It hurt him how weak her voice sounded. Edward shook his head quickly.
“I do not care about any of that any longer. My priority isyou.”
“But your reputation...”
He let out a helpless laugh. “My comment was unjustified. If people speak about me, or speculate, it will not be the first time.” And he meant it. People would already speak on his honor, already had been, according to his mother and sister when they came for him in the countryside.
Edward met Rebecca’s eyes. “Let me protect you. I will not stand for any of this gossip any longer. I know your truth, Rebecca. I know you.”
She gave a small hiccup as her cries died down, her tears drying up. Slowly, she nodded.
“I accept.” Rebecca’s whisper made his heart flutter foolishly. “I accept your proposal.”
Edward smiled at her, pulling her closer with a respectable hold on her arm. “You may help with whatever you wish, but do let me take care of it all. You have enough to worry about.”
Rebecca sniffed again, but she nodded. “Thank you.” Looking towards her mother, she gave a small sigh. “I would like to go home.”
“That only looks like defeat, darling,” her mother reminded her. “If you flee after...”
“I do not care. I want to leave. You cannot expect me, nor ask me, to endure this any longer. Not tonight, not after this week.”
After a moment, her mother gave a weary exhale. “Fine, but I will be staying.”
“Then I shall escort you home,” Edward offered. “Ride with me in my carriage, and I will see you back safely and respectably.”
Rebecca’s mother looked ready to argue, but Rebecca was already nodding, eagerly stepping closer to him. “That would be perfect, thank you.”
“But the two of you?”
“We are already betrothed,” Rebecca muttered. “Edward can be my chaperone officially.”
The Duchess of Bancroft looked between the two of them as though she did not like the set-up one bit, but eventually nodded. It was likely in favor of not wanting more drama, or being eager to return to her own night, but she conceded, and he didn’t waste another moment in pulling her from the Canterbury townhouse. They located his carriage easily, and he ordered his coachman to head towards Bancroft Manor.
For a while, the carriage was silent, and the two sat apart. Rebecca’s right hand rested on the bench between them, and Edward kept fighting the urge to reach out and slip his fingers through hers. He didn’t; he knew she would pull away. Still, helowered his own hand within reach, and hoped she knew she could take hold of it if she wanted to.
He searched for the right words. He needed to tell her why he had gone silent this past week. He needed to make sure she knew what she was getting herself into by marrying him.
“Edward, I must tell you something.”
Rebecca broke the silence, surprising him. He turned to find her eyes already on him, still teary and bright, but more sullen than before.
“I am ever so grateful for all you have done, and continue to do for me, but there is another thing you need to know.”
Part of him withered and wanted to askthere is more? Because he felt like there were so many things he had been kept in the dark about.She had asked to speak to me,he reminded himself.I was the one who did not approach her to give her the chance.
But he had also promised her a husband she could always speak to, so he nodded for her to continue.
Rebecca gazed at him for a few moments. Her face was unreadable, and he thought she looked like she warred with herself. Her wavy hair was styled to frame her face, her skin pale, and freckles standing out even more with the highlight of the lantern hanging just outside the window.
Her dress framed her shoulders, drawing inwards towards the bodice with a respectable elegance that he found himself wanting to chase with his fingertips.
“There is a reason I had to cut off my connection with Harry Maudley,” she began. Her voice shook terribly, and in that moment, he had never wanted more than to take away whatever pain burrowed in her. Rebecca alternated between looking just past him and actually meeting his gaze. “And it is the same reason I made myself so good at getting attention from suitors, why I put myself in the path of so many in the first place. Ofcourse, every lady wishes to secure a good husband and tests her options, but… I fear I must tell you the truth about my reasoning because I have pulled you into my mess.”
Edward didn’t dare interrupt her, but he nodded.
“My father… I told you—well, you saw part of it, at least—is a drunk. By day, he drinks everything he can find, and what is left of it at night he throws down on any gambling table he can find. He has received more letters than I care to think about with threats of repossessing our assets, demands to clear his debts, and yet he does nothing. Furniture goes missing, but the letters still come through. My mother has been in a terrible bout of misery this past week, for he sold all her old gowns that were memories for her. She is not a sentimental woman, but they meant a lot to her.
“Still, nothing seems to have been gained financially from them being taken. I have seen the account books, Edward and I confess I do not know what money my father has been able to offer you. I do not believe he can pay you my dowry. I was surprised at the offer, for I did not believe I had one. But we do not have the money for it, so I do not know where he is getting the money from. I fear that I do not have much at all to bring into our marriage. We were once a notorious name, and I have used that to woo suitors, but now my husband will be you and I could not be dishonest any longer. I...I cannot use you without you deciding if this is something you can take on.”
