Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
“She is fine.” Celestine had her arm linked through Edward’s and she reached over and rested her other hand on his arm to help calm him. “You need to trust her.”
“I do trust her,” Edward said, not sounding at all like he meant it. “It is everyone else who I do not trust.”
“She knows what is expected,” Celestine assured him. “As she knows how hard you have worked. Allow her to enjoy herself, Edward. Remember what I told you at her debut?”
He clicked his tongue with frustration. “Vaguely.”
“The harder you push her, the harder she will pull away. Young women are funny like that. If she gets a sense that you are trying to control her, she will only work to frustrate you more.”
He did not answer, his gaze still fixed across the garden.
“Come on…” Gently, she pulled him. “I am thirsty and you have not even asked if I would like a drink yet. Shame on you.”
Edward hesitated for a moment, still focused across the garden. However, as Celestine gently pulled him, she felt him give in, just as she saw him force his stare back so that he finally looked at her.
“You are right, as much as I hate to admit it.”
“How hard that much have been for you,” she laughed.
He chuckled but without humor. “Just promise me you will look out for her, Celestine. If anything should happen…”
“Have I not been?” She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. “Now, come. Let us try and enjoy ourselves, if you are capable of such a thing.”
He shook his head but laughed. “Yes, yes, I suppose I can try.”
“You better do more than that.”
Celestine was sure to smile, wanting to show Edward how relaxed and uncaring she was. Although she respected his concern, even admired it, there came a point where he needed to learn to let go. And by her estimation, today was a perfect chance to do just that.
So, she kept her arm linked as she led him through the garden, pulling him in the opposite direction to where Millicent stood with her friends.
She is a good girl, and she will do the right thing. I know that she will.
Lord Ironvale’s garden party was typical and exactly what Celestine had grown used to since turning eighteen.
She had been to dozens of them by that point, and rarely were they that different from one another.
Strange, she always thought, as if the host was scared to step too far out of expectation, always toeing the line so that there would be no risk of courting judgement.
There were perhaps three score of guests in total.
They were spread across the large garden, each enjoying the day the best that they could, while sure not to show too much joy because nobody wished to be the center of attention.
It was all decorum and poise, controlled grace and manufactured elegance.
Not to mention being rather boring.
It was lucky that Celestine had Edward to keep her entertained. Even with how distracted he was by Millicent, she still enjoyed his company immensely. He was fun, was the reason, not so serious, and while he did care about what others thought, he did not let their expectations control him.
“Do you have any notion of who has caught Millicent’s attention?” he asked her as they found a waiter who carried a tray of glasses filled with wine. He took two, handed her one, and swallowed half of his in one gulp.
“What makes you think that someone has?” she asked as she had a sip of wine.
He looked at her flatly. “Lies already, Celestine? And less than two weeks into our marriage. It does not bode well for the future.”
Her expression was sharp. “So, you were listening in the other night?”
“Not on purpose,” he defended. She cocked a questioning eyebrow. He grimaced. “I might have heard one or two things said. Nothing concrete, however. Just the suggestion that there was someone who she was trying to woo… or have woo her.”
“She did not give me a name,” Celestine said.
“Another lie?”
“A truth,” she assured him. “I tried to coax it out of her yesterday, but she refused to say anything.” She bit into her lip as she considered. “I dare say we might find out today. But she was rather worried that you would not…”
“Not what?”
“That you would not like him.” She then laughed. “Which, to be fair, is indicative of half the ton.”
Edward swallowed the rest of his wine and turned to find Millicent once more. His expression was hard, and she saw his eyes find not just his niece but work over each lord in her vicinity as if to assess who the threat might be.
Celestine sighed. Not with frustration, but with concern. As much as Edward wanted a young lord to court his niece, she knew too that none would be deemed good enough. He was overly protective, not to mention distrusting.
Thus, Celestine concluded that her task today would be to defend Millicent, to help calm Edward, and to try and see him towards a middle ground so that he would not scare off whoever it was that Millicent was so eager to speak with.
“Who is he…” Edward growled as he watched his niece. “Why is he hiding?”
“From you, perhaps,” she joked.
“As he should be,” Edward said.
Despite Edward’s surly attitude, Celestine could not help but smile. She knew him so well by now, so she saw through the darkness and the raging storm, able to find the light at its end that told her all she needed to know about the man who she now called her husband.
What is more, I like what I see. Just as I like the man who my husband is when he allows it.
Their marriage was going even better than Celestine had dreamed. While she had known that the physical nature of the relationship would help bind them together, she had not countered on their natural sense of companionship and compatibility outside of that.
It was all so easy, she had come to realize across the last week.
Spending time with Edward. Helping to guide Millicent into adulthood.
Being a part of a family, is what it was, one that she did not feel a stranger in.
Better still, it was one they welcomed her too, encouraged, and wanted her to be the center of.
Many times in her life, Celestine had thought about married life and what it might be like.
She had always romanticized it, unable to consider the bad because in her mind what could be better than marrying the man you loved?
And in all those hours spent daydreaming, hoping and wishing, not once had she considered that it would be anything like what she had now.
This was better. This was real. And this had the potential to grow into so much more… she wanted it to grow into more.
As she looked at her husband, as she thought back to the past week, Celestine no longer saw the rakish lord who had bullied her into a false engagement.
And she stopped seeing the man who she did not know if she could trust. Rather, she saw a man who she was growing attached to, starting to care for, and even…
no, Celestine, do not dare think such a thing yet.
Nonetheless, her heart soared, she smiled, and she stepped into Edward and took his arm because she liked having him so close.
“What is he…” Edward’s jaw clenched. “No. She cannot be…”
“What?” Celestine followed Edward’s line of sight and her stomach dropped at what she saw. “Oh no. Edward, remember what I said. Do not – Edward!”
Edward wrenched his arm free and stormed across the garden, heading straight for Millicent. Celestine, with no choice, and knowing that she was needed, hurried after him.
“Edward,” she tried as she caught him. “Please, people are watching.”
“I do not care.”
Indeed, as he stormed across the garden, those they passed turned to see what was causing such alarm. But Edward did not seem to care, his thoughts set squarely on Millicent and who she was speaking with.
This will not end well…
“Millicent” Edward spoke up as he approached his niece. His voice was too loud, and it had those close-by already watching. “I need to speak with you. Now.”
Millicent heard her name, turned from who she was speaking with, and her face dropped when she saw Edward coming for her. Then, her cheeks colored with embarrassment, and she looked past him to Celestine for help.
Of course, there was nothing that Celestine could do. At most, she might be able to pull Edward away before he embarrassed his niece further.
“Ah, Your Grace.” Lord Grundon was who had captured Millicent’s attention. The two stood alone, speaking closely, looking as if they were rather enjoying one another’s company, in fact. “It is so good to see you.”
“Millicent.” Edward stopped next to his niece. “I need to speak with you.”
“Edward,” she hissed. “What are you –”
“Now,” he barked.
“Oh, there is no need for that,” Lord Grundon said cooly, and he clearly took pleasure in how upset he had made Edward. “Your lovely niece and I were merely having a pleasant conversation. She is a beauty, Your Grace. You ought to be proud.”
“You would do well to walk away, Lord Grundon,” Edward snarled. “If you know what is good for you.”
“Edward…” Celestine swept into him and took his arm. “Not here.” She tried to pull him away, but he snatched back his arm.
“Millicent, we are leaving,” he said.
“What? No!”
“Already?” Lord Grundon said with a curt smile. “Whatever is the cause? The day is still young, and I was so hoping to get to know your niece a little better.”
Celestine watched the scene unfold with a sense of impending doom.
Clearly, Lord Grundon was the lord whom Millicent had been so eager about all week, and while she might have agreed with Edward’s reservations, she could not condone the way he behaved. This is exactly what she had been afraid of!
Millicent glared at Edward. She widened her eyes. She looked pleadingly at Celestine for help. Most of all, she did all that she could to maintain composure, even as her eyes welled with tears and her cheeks turned bright pink.
“I was not speaking to you,” Edward snapped at Lord Grundon. “I suggest you leave at once.”
“But I was speaking to you,” Lord Grundon said coolly. “Or rather, of you…” He smirked proudly. “I have heard some rather nasty rumors about you of late, Your Grace. That gaming hell you own.” He clicked his tongue. “Rumor has it that the patrons that it services are of a rather low character.”
“Careful what you say next,” Edward snarled.
“Merely repeating what I am told,” he said simply. “It was easy to avoid such horrid dispersions of your character when fellow lords spoke highly of you. Alas, most of them now refuse to go anywhere near your establishment. The things they say of you.” He chuckled. “Tragic. So very tragic.”
Edward turned on him. Celestine tried to pull him away, but he stood firm. “I know it is you,” Edward sneered into his face. “That you are the one spreading rumors about me. That you are the cause.”
“Are they rumors if they are true?”
“Edward!” Millicent tried desperately. “Please…” She looked at Lord Grundon. “Lord Grundon, I am so sorry –”
“Do not apologize to him,” Edward snapped at her.
“Edward,” Celestine tried to ease him. “This is not the time.”
The garden party had grown silent. A quick glance dared, and Celestine saw that nearly every single guest was watching the scuffle unfold.
People started to whisper. They started to shake their heads.
They started to form opinions of what they saw, all of which would surely lay the blame at Edward’s feet… and Millicent’s by default.
“Think of Millicent.” Celestine took his arm again. “Please, Edward. Not here.”
Edward literally shook with rage. His face had turned red. And he bared his teeth at a very calm looking Lord Grundon. Celestine braced herself for the worst…
Thankfully, he seemed to come into himself, a moment where he blinked as if only just realizing what he was doing; that he was the center of unwanted attention.
“Millicent,” he said with forced calm. “We are leaving.”
Thankfully, Millicent did not argue. So embarrassed was she, and so ashamed, that she put her head down and raced from the garden party. And while Celestine did not see them, she knew the young girl was wrecked with tears.
“She is a prize,” Lord Grundon said. “I think I might call on her soon.”
Edward clenched his fists as if he meant to strike Lord Grundon.
“Edward, please.” Celestine held his arm again, pulling gently, forcing him back. That time, he did not fight her. Even if he so clearly wanted to do so.
And then, having embarrassed himself and his niece beyond compare, Edward turned sharply and stormed from the garden party. He rushed past the guests who all quickly parted, and every single one wore a look of abject judgement on their haughty faces.
Lord Grundon chuckled ruefully. Celestine threw him a nasty glare. Then she hurried after her husband, knowing that the worst was far from over. In fact, if she knew Edward as she was sure that she did, the worst was yet to come.