Page 42 of An Earl's Scandalous Return
Her heart was beating fast, but she knew this to be the right thing. She would no longer allow her father to make ridiculous pronouncements when her heart was on the line.
When she walked in the door and saw him, her heart twisted in pain. He stood and looked at her, dark circles under his eyes, such pain in his expression that she knew just how hard it had been on him in the past ten days.
“Jacinda,” he said with such eagerness and hope that she smiled at him.
Her lady’s maid found a seat in a far corner, and she walked right up to him, grasping his hands.
“Alvin, now I want you to listen to me.”
“What is it?” he asked. “Does your father know about you being here?”
“Forget about him. Alvin, I love you, and I am determined that we marry. I don’t care for your past. It is not you, and I will not be stopped by it.”
“But Jacinda,” he said, a little light in his eyes, “what if your father disowns you for going against him?”
“Ha! I dare him to do so.” She felt more courageous than she had in days. “You will be my family then. You and Arabella, once we are wed. I think the best thing we can do is … elope.” She held her breath then, feeling nervous that he might reject her idea.
His responding smile gave her hope. “Is that truly what you wish to do?” he asked lightly.
She nodded.
“Well then, I suppose I cannot fight you,” he teased. “I shall obtain a special license this very day, and then we leave for Gretna Green.” He leaned forward and kissed her.
Chapter 45
The next morning, Arabella couldn’t stop fidgeting as she and Edward waited together for Seraphina to appear.
We hadn’t told her a time; we just said the morning. She will come. I am sure of it.
Sentences like this kept repeating in her mind as she tried to comfort herself. That morning, she’d awoken in Edward’s arms. Her back was to his front, and his face was nuzzled in her hair. It had been the most perfect way to arise, knowing that there was much to be expected for that morning.
She’d also felt the hard line of his desire on her backside, but she pressed back against it only once, hoping for that day when there would be no barriers between them. His response was only a tired groan, and when she pulled forward to get out of bed, she felt his arms tighten for just a few seconds before he let her go. It had been utterly blissful, but at that moment, she had to get herself to focus.
Edward looked down at her kindly as she stood there, still fidgeting. Their eyes met, and she could see the love in them that he was so desperate to keep away from her, that he was desperate not to talk about. But it comforted her that she believed he still loved her, even if he was angry about the past. There was still hope, however faint.
“She’ll come,” he whispered, leaning down to say it in her ear, his lips brushing against it.
She closed her eyes, a surge of longing, unexpected in its intensity, running through her. She licked her lips and tried to gain her equilibrium again. She could not wait until all was resolved so that she and Edward could finally tackle the past so that she could confess how it had all come about. And this time, she would not let him run away.
But after another hour without Seraphina’s appearance, Arabella began to worry. When she saw Edward’s face, she could tell he was worried, too. Shaking her head, she took a few steps forward and put her hands on her hips as she faced him.
“No, something is wrong. I know I cannot expect she would say yes to coming home with me, but if she couldn’t come, she would have sent word. She would not have simply left us here to stand alone all morning wondering where she was. And besides all that, she seemed pleased by my invitation and the knowledge that she has family now. I am sure she would have sent word to us!”
Edward frowned, furrowing his brow, and he nodded in agreement. “Yes, I quite agree. Perhaps she was waylaid?”
Arabella paled. “Oh, Edward, I was worried about this. What if Gregory hurt her? What if he was so angry about her wanting to leave and ruining his chance at revenge? I will go to the house immediately and demand to know what is happening.”
She began to storm away from the church and the market’s edge towards the small cluster of homes when Edward rushed after her, gently clutching her elbow.
“First of all, my dear, we do not know where she lives.” Arabella paused and blew out a frustrated breath, trying not to focus on the endearment he’d just used. “Second of all, we should not race to rush in. I suggest we ask the location of the house, and then we go to watch it and see what we can discover.”
Arabella replied, “But Edward, what if he has hurt her, or God forbid, killed her?” She shuddered to think of such a thing. “It seems I am no judge of character, for I never thought my father capable of such a thing, and then I receive word that he is guilty of it. How can I know that Gregory will not do the same?”
She was shaking, but Edward, his eyes kind, pulled her into a tight embrace. She stiffened for a moment, but only out of surprise, and then she sank against him. Her fingers clenched around the lapels of his coat, and she closed her eyes as she breathed in his perfect, calming scent.
The scent of Edward, love, andhome.
She took a deep breath of it, and then Edward, his fingers trailing down her spine, spoke calmly to her.
