Page 60 of Royally Wed
Amelia blinked. Of course she had cold feet. She’d been plagued with doubts for weeks. But what did that have to do with Lady Wentworthand the watch?
“What do you mean I’ll get through this?” Amelia’s hand went limp in her mother’s grasp.
“The wedding.” The queen’s eyebrow lifted ever so slightly.
That damn, calculating eyebrow. Amelia should have known better than to get her hopes up. She wasn’t on the receiving end of a get-out-of-jail-free card. She was getting a premarital pep talk.
“Surely you don’t expect me to marrya man who is in love with another woman.” Amelia glanced at Edward, pleading with her eyes for him to speak up and agree with her. But he didn’t look up. He was studying the engraving on the back of the watch.
Forever.
Another shiver snaked its way up Amelia’s spine. Would she ever be warm again?
“You know nothing of the sort. Wilhelmina and Holden have been friends for years. And need I remindyou that Wilhelmina is married? She and Henry have been together for more than two decades.”
“Married people have affairs all the time,” Amelia said. God, she was about to be in one of those marriages, wasn’t she? “They’ve probably been secretly in love for years.”
She wondered briefly if the affair had been going on since before Eleanor’s mother died, then decided she was probably better offnot knowing. Ignorance truly was bliss sometimes.
“Amelia, stop this right now. Holden and Wilhelmina are not lovers.”
“But the engraving matches Lady Wentworth’s locket exactly. The H stands for Holden, not Henry.”
“And why shouldn’t it? They’refriends, dear.” She placed Amelia’s hand back in her lap and gave it a final pat. “Forever friends. You’ve misinterpreted this entire situation.”
Amelia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knew her family was in danger of losing the crown, and her marriage to Holden was supposed to put all those worries at rest. But if that’s why her mother wanted her to continue to go through with the wedding, why not just say so? Why insist she was imagining things?
She couldn’t be jumping to the wrong conclusion. The odds that they were just friendsseemed absurdly far-fetched.
“What do you think, Edward?” She swiveled her gaze toward her brother.
He let out a sigh. “I don’t know, sis.”
“You’re telling me that if a female friend gave yousomething like this, Jane would be completely fine with it?” Amelia wholeheartedly doubted it. In addition to being the world’s most perfect princess, Jane was also head over heels in love with Edward.Finding a gift like this would bother her. A lot.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying at all,” Edward said calmly.
Too calmly.
Why was everyone being so rational? Amelia couldn’t shake her own eerie composure, but she’d expected a reaction of some kind. If not outrage, then maybe at least disappointment? But as usual, she was the one causing the disappointment. Not Holden.
“Mum’s right. Holdenand Lady Wentworth are longtime friends. They’ve known each other since boarding school. Remember when Eleanor’s mother died? Lady Wentworth helped the staff with all the funeral arrangements. She was really there for Holden. Eleanor adores her.”
He was right.
Still. Something seemed very off.
Maybe things seem wrong because you nearly had sex with another man last night.
Amelia swallowed,and considered the possibility that she was projecting her own disloyal feelings onto Holden. Was that possible?
Surely not. The orgasm had been an accident. An accident that would never be repeated.
She swallowed. “You really think it’s just cold feet?”
“I do, darling. But if you’re so concerned, leave the watchwith me and I’ll get to the bottom of things. I assure you, there’s a perfectlyrational explanation.” Her mother held out her hand.
Amelia didn’t particularly want to let go of the watch. It seemed important, but she didn’t have much of a choice. And her thoughts kept spinning back around to Asher. And the things they’d done together.
