The Earl and the Wedding Crasher (The Brides of Elderglen #3)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

T he sky was clear, and the sun beat brightly down on the estate as Kenneth and Abigail rushed out of the house and through the gardens, holding hands and laughing heartily. Louisa and Cedric trailed behind them, falling into step together as she shaded her eyes with her parasol and he hitched the large wicker picnic basket higher into the crook of his arm. Louisa glanced across at him, noting the lines of tension settling around his eyes.

"Is it heavy, my lord?"

Cedric broke out of wherever his thoughts had taken him, meeting her eyes and raising one eyebrow in that maddening way of his. "Surely I'm not giving you that impression, my dear?"

"Your eyes are all tense. I wondered if you might like a hand is all." Louisa batted her eyelashes innocently, waiting for him to take the bait.

"Well, it's not heavy. It's fine. Everything's fine." They turned past the orchard and began descending the small hill down to the river. The children had already reached their destination and were running back and forth along the riverbank. Cedric watched the children, and Louisa watched Cedric, and finally he relented. "I suppose I am a little apprehensive is all."

"Do you not trust me to arrange a family picnic?"

Cedric turned quickly to look at Louisa, the mischief in her eyes showing she was only teasing him. He smiled back at her. "I'm sure the picnic will be delicious. After all, I hired cook, I know she is skilled."

Louisa laughed a little, relieved at the friendly back and forth. Their interactions with each other had been feeling somehow lighter over the past few days, and she was glad the good mood was continuing. "So, if you're not concerned over the picnic…" she prompted.

Cedric sighed. "I'm concerned that the children do not like me much. Or at least don't feel at ease with me. I'm sure they'd much rather spend time with you alone. Kenneth especially seems to adore you."

They had almost reached the spot on the riverbank that the children had selected, but Louisa placed her hand gently on his arm, making him pause. "Kenneth is a beautiful soul who is likely to adore most anyone who cherishes and spends time with him. I am sure the children like you. And I am sure that they feel safe with you. But if they do not feel at ease with you yet, I think it's because they don't know you. They are bereaved, and you are bereaved and busy, and the time just has not existed. But today we have time, and today we will become more at ease with each other as a family. And I promise I will be here to smooth the path." She squeezed his arm lightly, trying to convey her sincerity to him.

Cedric found her eyes and yet again she felt electricity fill her veins at his gaze.

Cedric was touched by her sincerity, and at the care she had so obviously taken over her plan. When she had first informed him that they were going to have a picnic lunch down the river, he had been rather reluctant to join in. He had a lot to do before he went out to the Gentlemen's Club with his friends later in the evening, and perhaps more pressingly he still couldn't shake off the notion that the twins were somehow afraid of him. Cedric liked to think he was not an obtuse man. He noticed them become quieter when he entered a room, saw them stiffen and draw away. No, he had thought, let them enjoy themselves with Louisa. They won't want me tagging along and making it a formal affair.

But when he had declined the invitation, Louisa stood firm. She had insisted that she wanted them to spend a little time all together, and now he understood why. So, it wasn't his imagination that the children sometimes felt ill at ease around him. The confirmation should have been jarring, and yet as he looked at her, he knew that she was trying to help. Perhaps with her guidance, they would be able to get past this initial awkwardness and form a true bond as uncle, niece, and nephew; a bond such as the one he liked to imagine they would already have if he had been present in their lives from the very first moments of them. A bond they would have had if he and his brother had found their way back to each other.

Or if we had never been parted at all, Cedric thought bitterly. He was however broken out of this dark line of thought by the twins, who had grown bored of sitting by the river and waiting for the adults to get to them. The two children rushed to Louisa and Cedric, full of excitement and energy.

"Can we unpack the picnic?" Kenneth begged. "Please uncle, show us the picnic!"

"I want to play!" Abigail countered. "We can eat later, please can we play a game?"

Cedric laughed, swept up in their joy. "Let me put the basket down. I think Kenneth here should be in charge of arranging the picnic, and while we unpack we can decide on a game to play."

He shot a sideways glance at Louisa, who nodded encouragingly. "Excellent idea. Here, let me spread the blanket."

Kenneth was thrilled to be in charge for once, bossing his sister around with the greatest of glee. Together, the four of them unearthed a glistening pigeon pie from the basket, along with fresh baked bread and a pat of butter, cold chicken slices, hard boiled eggs, and a punnet of fresh strawberries that must have come straight from the garden that morning. Kenneth and Abigail crowed in delight as they found the bundle of small, rich rout cakes, and Louisa had to quickly pull that parcel out of reach of tiny hands before they gorged themselves sick on the sweets.

Cedric was put in charge of pouring them all glasses of cool ginger beer. As he handed Louisa's glass to her, their fingers brushed and he was surprised by the strength of the feeling. He wet his lips, vividly recalling the night of Allington's party when they had danced together in the rain. He had wanted so badly to kiss her then. Cedric had put it down to the romance of the occasion, the setting, dancing under the moonlight. He had assumed it was a one-time feeling, and yet here he sat with the sun beating down on his neck, children clamoring around him, not a hint of romance in sight. So why did he still feel that urge pulling him towards her?

Louisa turned away first, her hand slipping from his as she claimed her drink. She called to the children, "Now then! Uncle Cedric has said he wants nothing more than to learn the ins and outs of playing tag while I sort the plates."

Cedric frowned, ready to argue that he most certainly had not said that and besides, he knew very well how to play tag thank you. But that mischievous glint was back in Louisa's eye, and suddenly he was flanked by the twins.

"Do you really want to play tag with us, Uncle?" Any thought Cedric might have had of protesting died when met with Abigail's hopeful tone. He dutifully stood, ignoring Louisa's smirk of triumph as she began stacking plates, and listened to Abigail's instructions on how to play his own favorite childhood game. Naturally, he was designated "it" to start and, as he began to chase the delighted children, he felt his heart lift slightly. He thought it must surely be a good sign that they were so eager to play with him.

As he ran back and forth between them, Cedric kept one eye on Louisa sitting against the large oak tree. She was beaming at them, and he felt like he had passed some important test, that now she thought slightly better of him in a way. The thought made him inordinately happy. He feigned right and then doubled back to tap Abigail lightly on the shoulder as she streaked past. He heard Louisa clapping and turned a deep bow in her direction, internally cursing his own dramatics a moment later when Abigail barreled back into him, slapped his arm and took off cackling.

Cedric targeted little Kenneth next, moderating his stride slightly to make the boy pull farther ahead. He stalked him down the river and halfway across the low stone bridge before reaching out, hand ready to close on the back of Kenneth's shirt. Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced the air, causing all three to stop in their tracks. Cedric whirled, instinctively looking first at the tree Louisa had been resting under. Her spot was now empty, and icy fingers gripped his heart as he tried not to panic, tried to decipher where she had gone.

"Aunt Louisa!" He heard Abigail's terrified call and looked down over the side of the bridge. She stood on the edge of the river staring into the middle of it. He followed her gaze to find Louisa lying face down in the flowing water.

Cedric ran.

Louisa had been feeling very pleased with herself as she watched Cedric chase the children over the warm grass. Abigail and Kenneth seemed happier than she had ever seen them and it was a joy to watch them laugh and play. And Cedric also seemed like a weight had been lifted, his eyes bright and warm. Louisa congratulated herself on her wonderful picnic idea as she stood and stretched into the warm sun.

She wandered down to the river and as she spied the large flat stepping stones leading across to the other side, she had a sudden flashback to being young and racing across stones just like these with her sisters. Before they had grown, before they had been expected to be Sensible and Suitable, before their lives had become a whirlwind of debuts and parties and engagements leading to duties, they had spent many a fine summer day traipsing around the woodlands and rivers near their home. Louisa felt a sudden nostalgic longing for the feeling of balancing on water.

She pulled her long dress up slightly so she wouldn't trip and gently stepped onto the first stone. Water lapped around the edge of it, but there on her perch she felt tall. She hopped onto the next stone, and the next even quicker, chuckling quietly to herself. Who says adults should never have any fun?

Louisa was so absorbed in her fun that she didn't notice the middle stone was wet. She leapt, landed, and slipped, windmilling her arms wildly as she tried to regain her balance. She felt herself tilt forwards and let out an involuntary scream as she faceplanted the cold water, plunging under. Somewhere above the watery quiet she heard a voice shouting – is that my name? – before she surfaced, spluttering and coughing.

"You will stay where you are, do not move! And hold onto your brother!" Dimly, she registered Cedric's voice from somewhere behind her, followed by a loud splash. Large hands gripped her waist and hauled her upright. Blinking water from her eyes, she looked breathlessly up at Cedric. Louisa tried to speak only to start coughing again.

Why were his arms around her now? She could not think clearly enough to understand how close he was but – she felt safe. She felt – warm and protected, even with how frightened she had just been his arms made her panic ease.

"It's all right, Louisa. I've got you, everything will be all right." She sagged into his arms as he gently guided her from the water and back onto the safety of the bank.

Her legs felt like jelly and she sunk down onto the grass. Immediately Kenneth threw himself onto her, squeezing her neck with trembling arms. Louisa hugged him tightly, trying to stop herself from shaking. She saw Abigail hovering over his shoulder, lips wobbling, and reached out an arm. Abigail jumped into the hug and the three of them swayed for a moment.

"I thought you were going to die ," Abigail mumbled into her soaking dress.

Louisa held her tighter. "Oh my darling, I'm so sorry I scared you. I was just being silly. And see, your Uncle Cedric was there and he was ever so brave to rescue-" She broke off abruptly as she looked up at Cedric.

He was standing beside her, arms held out protectively as if he was expecting to need to catch her again. His eyes were full of concern and worry, but for once Louisa wasn't paying attention to them. Cedric was drenched from head to toe. His shirt clung to his shoulders and torso and Louisa's lips suddenly felt very dry.

Cedric crouched beside them and rubbed Abigail's back soothingly. "It's all right Abigail. See, Aunt Louisa is just fine. Nobody is hurt, I promise. Isn't that right, Louisa?"

Louisa squeaked. She cleared her throat. And squeaked again. She looked away abruptly.

Cedric's expression slowly turned from concerned to amused. He reached out his forefinger and gently turned her head back towards him. "Whatever is the matter, my dear? Is there something affecting you, perchance?"

Louisa attempts to glower at him but the effect is ruined as her eyes betray her by glancing back down to his chest. "N-no, nothing."

Cedric huffed. "Perhaps you're embarrassed? Waiting for your husband to save you like that."

"I am not!" Louisa retorted. The two stared at each other, and Louisa felt the tension crackle in the air between them. She didn't know what to say. He had saved her and been scared for her, and now he was back to teasing her. He was standing in front of her, dripping with river water, shirt practically translucent, and he was teasing her . What on earth could one say in such a ludicrous situation?

The silence stretched until Cedric smirked again, holding out his hand to help her stand. "Come along. Perhaps we should all go back to the house and change out of these wet clothes?"

Louisa couldn't possibly tell him about her sudden desire for him to never change out of his wet clothes. So she said nothing at all as she followed him back up to the house.

"Nice to have you back in the land of the living, Pembroke!" Theodore slapped his shoulder heartily. A chorus of agreement followed from the group and Cedric rolled his eyes.

The way they're all carrying on, you'd think I had spent the past few weeks on my mortal deathbed instead of on a honeymoon , he thought dryly. He tried to pay attention to the chatter around him, but he couldn't stop his mind from straying back to Louisa. He hoped she was all right after her ordeal. She had insisted that he keep to his plans, swore that she was perfectly content to sit in the library swaddled in blankets and with a steaming pot of strong tea. The children had finally settled, though he noticed they didn't let Louisa out of their sight for the rest of the afternoon.

He was pulled back into the conversation by the calling of his name followed by raucous laughter. One fellow leaned forward, leering slightly. "Come on then, man. Out with it. How - er - enjoyable would you say the honeymoon was?"

Some of the men jeered, but on either side of him Gabriel and Theodore stiffened. "Watch your tongue, sir," Theodore warned. "She's my wife's younger sister, you know."

Cedric waved his hand soothingly. "It's fine. Douglas here should know that I'm not one for lurid details." More jeers followed, this time directed at Douglas, who scowled. Cedric went on. "I'll have you know that our honeymoon has been perfectly pleasant. Thank you."

Theodore looked mollified even as some of their friends protested at only receiving "perfectly pleasant" as an answer. Gabriel waved another bottle of wine to their table and leaned in close to Cedric. "How is Louisa though? She's settled in well at St Vincent?"

Cedric thought for a moment before answering. Had she settled in well? It seemed like it, to him at least. Mrs. Brooks had informed him that she was performing a lady's duties with more and more confidence, and the children adored her. He had become used to seeing her each day and had found himself looking forward to the times when their eyes met, when he teased her and she flushed scarlet or, even better, when she bit back with fire in her eyes. Did that count as settling in? He felt sure it was not what Gabriel wanted to hear anyway.

"Yes, I think so. She seems to have no complaints really. I find I am getting quite used to her presence, in fact I am even enjoying it."

Theodore grinned. "Hark at that. England's finest rogue has settled down at last. Who would have thought you'd become such a devoted husband so soon?"

Cedric heaved a long suffering sigh, causing Gabriel to chuckle and clap him on the shoulder. "Come now Pembroke, you act as though it's a bad thing to care for your wife. I know it wasn't exactly an…orthodox start to a marriage but if nothing else you seem to have learned some patience." His eyes twinkled as he seemed to be struck by a thought. "You know, that'll land you in good stead once you become a father."

Theodore chuckled but Cedric's veins suddenly flooded with ice. He pulled away from Gabriel's touch abruptly. "I will not be a father."

Their laughter died at his expression. Theordore tilted his head in confusion. "Well, sure, not yet. But give it some time Pembroke, you've only just gotten married."

"No. I will never become a father. Not ever." Cedric hadn't realized his hand was shaking until he pressed it to his lips in agitation."

His two friends glanced at each other, concerned. Gabriel broke the tense silence first. "But- whyever not?"

Cedric shook his head sharply. "Because I have other priorities. I do not need more children, least of all my own. I have quite enough to be concerned with."

Cedric hoped that was the end of the matter, and took a long drink from his glass. But as he lowered it, he saw realization dawn in Gabriel's eyes. "Oh. Ohhh , I understand. You feel guilty, don't you? That's what this whole decision is about."

Damned man had always been the most perceptive of us. I should never have started this.

Cedric stood abruptly, jolting the table and causing the rest of the group, who had long since grown bored of teasing Cedric and moved onto their own more interesting topics, to quieten and look up in alarm. Gabriel held his hands up in a truce, but Cedric couldn't accept it. Not now. Now, he had to get out of there.

"This is not something I wish to discuss, Dunmore." He turned and walked away, ignoring Theodore calling his name and the murmurs of "the devil is the matter with the man?" As he stepped out into the rain and called on the doorman to fetch his carriage, Cedric turned his face up to the sky. He wouldn't discuss it. He wouldn't think about it. He knew his duties and what he had to do. And he didn't need anybody else giving their opinions on matters they knew nothing about, no matter how close a friend they were.