Page 72 of Unmasking a Wicked Marquess
“Good, thank you, Edward.” Philip sat heavily down in the chair behind him, with relief washing over him. “Thank you.”
***
“No, no, no,” Juliet whispered repeatedly under her breath. She stood in the middle of Hyde Park, the clouds gathering, threatening more rain, as beside her, her mother fed the ducks in the pond nearby with chunks of bread.
“Something wrong, dearest?” Cecily said as she dropped more bread into the water, urging the ducks to gather nearer.
“Nothing,” Juliet lied through gritted teeth as she stared across the pond. On the opposite side of the river, standing on a track path, was Edward. He stared straight back at her, his clothes somewhat wild and disarrayed, even more so than before. He began to walk around her, clearly intent on talking to her. “My apologies, Mama, but we have to leave at once.” She tugged Cecily’s elbow so strongly that her mother actually yelped in surprise.
“Juliet! What has got into you?” Cecily tried to laugh it off, scurrying along behind her. “I thought you were the one who wished to come for a walk to think about Arthur’s proposal and if you wished to accept it. You have a few days left to think, do you not? He was not so insistent on an answer right away. Do slow down, dear. My legs are not as young as yours.”
“Please, I beg you to hurry.” Juliet reached back and took her mother’s arm again, drawing her as far forward as she could. Glancing back down the path, through the people who paraded around the park, she could see Edward hastening to catch up with her. He even ignored someone when they tried to speak to him and hopped around another group, intent on catching up to her.
I cannot speak to him. I cannot! Am I not heartbroken enough as it is? To speak to him now will be sheer torture!
“Juliet? What on earth is happening?” Cecily cried once more, breathing heavily in her attempt to keep pace with Juliet. “Something is wrong. I must insist on knowing what it is now.” She suddenly stopped walking, and Juliet turned back to face her.
“Please!” Yet it was too late. As she turned to face her mother, Edward had now reached them at last.
“Lady Clarence.” Edward bowed to her mother first and then shifted his attention to Juliet. She jumped at his proximity, walking to stand at her mother’s side and looping their arms together. “Lady Juliet.” He bowed even slower to her, holding her gaze throughout the movement.
Juliet bobbed a quick curtsy, aware that her heart thudded so much in her chest that she thought it might crack a rib. The way he looked at her, the way his eyes searched her face, it would have been so easy to believe that he did care for her. What else could that look possibly mean?
“Oh, Lord Ashton.” Cecily smiled at him. “How good to see you, how … surprising to see you come and talk to us,” she said with full honesty, though she seemed truly happy too. “How is your mother?”
“She’s well enough.” Edward’s answer was not convincing, though Cecily nodded all the same.
“Well, if you would excuse us, Lord Ashton, my daughter has a sudden need to be home. I expect it’s all this walking in the rain we keep doing at the moment.”
“I …” Edward stepped forward, clearly wanting to stop them.
Juliet’s heart ached in her chest as she looked at him, wishing he would say something, anything to declare that he did care about her. Why could he not shout it from the rooftops as Mr Pensky evidently wanted to do?
It is my curse, is it not? To be loved by the wrong man.
Her breath caught in her throat, and she fought back tears.
“I enjoyed seeing your family at Ascot, Lady Clarence,” Edward said, shifting his focus to Cecily. “I truly hope that things do not have to be the way they have been for so long between our families.”
“Kind words indeed.” Cecily’s voice softened. “Perhaps there will be a better time indeed. Now, if you would excuse us, Lord Ashton. I really must get my daughter home.”
Cecily pulled Juliet forward, and they left. To Juliet’s relief, Edward did not try to follow her again. When they reached the edge of the park, she glanced back to see Edward had not moved but just stared after her, a look of what she could have almost mistaken for longing in his expression.
“What is going on, Juliet?” Cecily hissed so harshly that Juliet was forced to look away. She hung her head as they stepped out of the park. “Come, out with it. He was evidently the person you were trying to avoid just now. Why is that, exactly? Why do you look on the verge of tears?”
“I’m not …” Juliet insisted. They hurried towards the carriage that awaited them in the street. Despite her words, the moment she stepped into the carriage, her strength failed her. She was so overwhelmed with confusion at seeing him she couldn’t hold back the tears. Her heart had swelled with hope and yet had cracked into pieces at the same time.
He is to marry another. He will marry Lady Clarissa!
“If you have any care for the man, then oh dear, indeed,” Cecily muttered, clambering into the carriage behind her. “The scandal sheets are full of him at the moment. They say he is a rake, a cur –”
“He is not!” Juliet abruptly wailed. She raised a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her cries as Cecily sat down opposite her. With eyes wide in shock, Cecily reached for a handkerchief and held it up to Juliet’s cheeks, trying to dry her tears for her.
“What secrets have you been keeping from me, dear Juliet? What breaking heart is this?”
“Please, no more,” Juliet begged as her breathing stuttered. “I cannot do this anymore.” She bent her head forward and just let the tears wash over her as the carriage pulled away. Cecily said nothing more. She fell into silence and held onto Juliet, drying her tears and patting her shoulder soothingly.
As thankful as she was for her mother’s comfort, it was not enough. Try as Juliet might, she could not forget the pain in Edward’s expression.
