Marchioness Divine | A Regency Romance

Chapter Thirteen: Everything of Importance

It was not as easy to speak to Edward alone as Amelia had hoped. As soon as the engagement party had finished, they were caught up in all kinds of wedding plans. The affair was not to be particularly large but Lady Herriot and Lady Madeleine were determined that the wedding would be nothing short of perfect.

A wedding which, Amelia had to remind herself, may not even take place. She prepared herself every day to tell him the truth and either he would be too busy to call or as soon as he did their families would have errands for them to run and decisions for them to make.

Two days before the wedding, Amelia's stomach was twisting inside of her. She could not sit and embroider in the blue room with the other ladies and instead took a turn about the house. She loitered around the hall for forty minutes waiting for him. He said he would call. He said he would. He was not a liar.

He was a good man. She had to tell him.

She was pacing the empty dining room when she heard the unmistakeable sound of his footsteps and rushed to meet him. "I must speak with you," she gasped as she rushed to him.

Edward stepped back in surprise and chuckled before taking her in his arms. "Very well. Nothing serious, I hope."

She could not even look him in the eye. Could she really do this? She had to.

Amelia took his hand and pulled him into the library. It had to be there. Frederick was in his study, the family in the blue room, and the servants would hear them in the dining room.

Oh no. Eavesdroppers. What if someone overheard?

Amelia was already putting everything she had worked for on the line. She was risking everything she had for him. Surely he would see that when she told him the truth.

She had been avoiding the room for weeks. As soon as she closed the door behind them, she could smell it again, the way the room had smelt the night of the engagement ball. All she could smell and feel was him as he pressed his hand to the small of her back and watched her lean against the door.

"Is something the matter, Amy?"

She cleared her throat and summoned as strong a voice as she could. "I think you should sit down."

As usual with this vexing woman, Edward wanted to argue, but upon seeing her lean against the door so pathetically he consented and took a seat on the sofa. The very same sofa they had used the last time they were in here. He allowed a slight chuckle, wondering if this desperation was born of a desire for another tryst. He had thought about little else for weeks.

Of course! How could he be so stupid? Amelia must be with child – no wonder she was working herself into such a state. It was less than ideal and would mean them being forced to pretend the child was born a few weeks premature, but they were to be married in just a couple of days. The idea of Amelia already having his child within her thrilled him – the next Earl, or a lovely daughter who would grow up to be the exact incarnation of her mother. It was a terrifying thought, but it was what he and Amelia wanted.

Edward tried to bite back a smile and watched as his betrothed pushed herself from the door, straightened herself up, and glided to the centre of the room.

Tell him tell him tell him. "Edward, I love you," Amelia all but gasped. "Which is why I want to be honest with you and give you the chance to...change your mind, should you wish."

Edward nodded obediently. "I will hear whatever you have to tell me."

The twinkle in his eyes as he gazed at her gave her the confidence she needed to speak. She laid everything bare before she lost her nerve.