Page 33 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
She breathed out, but she still said nothing, only nodded.
He smiled at her. “Good. Can you tell me your name?”
She cleared her throat and then said softly, “Seraphina.”
“Seraphina. The young woman who is coming is named Arabella. Once you see her, you will feel even more comfortable.” Chuckling, he said in disbelief, “Truly, I swear it. You two look like twins.”
Giving him a quick smile, she put down her basket and stood where she was. “I will wait here, then. No need for the church.”
“Thank you.”
Licking her lips, she then asked him, “Why have you come here? Just to find me? Or is there some other reason?”
“Clever girl,” Edward said. “I, too, would be full of questions, but I fear that I must tell you I am not the one who should be answering them. I am only here to assist a friend of mine, and it is she who should do the explaining. Ah, there she is now; thank God.” He turned and pointed at the elegant carriage, which stopped on the other side of the market.
The truth. We will soon come to the truth. I wonder how Arabella will react?
Whereas before, he had not been very eager to see Arabella after their kiss last night and his running away, he now wanted to see her urgently. He wanted her to know their good fortune and that likely Gregory was just around the corner, full of all the answers they needed. Sampson jumped down and helped Arabella from the carriage. Edward watched her from afar, Seraphina not far behind him.
She looked as elegant as always, her intelligent eyes searching from among the hawkers and sellers of the market. She walked through, and he could see the kindness in her eyes. Many in her position in society would look down on such places, their expressions full of disdain.
But Arabella watched with curiosity and eagerness, and she spoke kindly to everyone who spoke to her, nodding and smiling along the way. A few of them paused to stare at her, whispering to their friends and pointing. He knew they could see the similarities as well, and that it would soon spread around the village.
And then she saw him. When her eyes met his, his body remembered all that had happened the night before, when she’d been limp with desire in his arms, his body taut and ready to finally come together as one. But then, it had all stopped in a moment, and even though there was so much riding on that moment, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he craved her more than ever.
“Edward,” she said. “Your message was very urgent.” She walked up to him, and he held out his hand for her, walking towards her, eager to touch her again.
In her eyes, he could see that her thoughts were on the same occurrence last evening, but there were also questions. They would have to get to that later.
“Arabella, there is someone I think you should meet right away.” He smiled down at her, and her eyes were a little nervous, but they looked at him with trust.
He cursed himself a little, knowing that he did not exactly deserve it after the way he’d been treating her, but he was glad for her trust. Pulling her forward, he turned to show young Seraphina, who was waiting patiently, her hands folded in front of her.
“And this is Seraphina,” he said. “Your near twin, I believe.”
When Arabella set eyes on her, in fact, when the both of them set eyes on each other, Edward could hear their barely audible gasps.
Chapter 36
“Seraphina?” Arabella asked, removing her hand from Edward’s and walking towards the young woman before her. “What a beautiful name.” She swallowed, still unable to hide the shock at seeing exactly what Edward had described: her near twin.
“Thank you, Miss.” The woman blinked green eyes at her, different from her own, but nearly everything else was the same. The skin, the lips, the hair, the shape of her face.
At that moment, Arabella wished that Alvin could be there too to see the similarities. Realising she had not spoken for several moments, Arabella rectified that error.
“Forgive me, but I’m so in shock. By the look on your face, I think you are as well.” She grinned at her. “It feels like we are each looking into a mirror.”
“Hardly, Miss.” Seraphina blushed a little, running dirty hands over her dark gown and white apron. “You are a fine lady, I see, whereas I’m just a young lady here in Maidstone, far away from the fine things in London.”
Arabella smiled kindly. What a different life the two of them had led. The young woman clearly had not been very educated, and her accent was that of the area, but she was gentle and elegant. She had no roughness about her, even if she was embarrassed by her rural appearance.
“Oh, do not fret about that. I think you have been dealt a very bad hand in life, Seraphina.” Arabella folded her hands together and stepped closer, but that only seemed to make Seraphina uncomfortable, her chest rising and falling a little faster than before.
“Why do you say that? What could you mean?” she demanded, a familiar furrow marring the clear space between her delicate blonde brows.
“I will explain everything. I’m sorry that it all seems so strange.” She glanced at Edward, and he nodded at her comfortingly.
Seraphina shook her head. “You’re right, Miss. It is too strange.” Her nose scrunched up in a way that Alvin’s sometimes did when he didn’t like something, and she began to back away, slowly picking up her basket.
