Chapter 4

Oh no.

Arabella was out of his arms in a split second.

"Jasmine," she stammered, straightening her dress where his fingers wrinkled it. "What are you doing in this part of the hall?"

"I'm sorry, My Lady," the maid said frantically, her eyes darting rapidly between them. "Lord Thorne requested I change His Grace's sheets."

Arabella took another deep breath and put on a fake smile. "Well, thank you, Jasmine. I was just showing His Grace around. Would you like me to help gather the sheets?"

Why would she help the help? No one would believe that she was showing me around. She does not have a chaperone.

"Oh, My Lady, that is very kind of you, but I thought you would rather rejoin the festivities," Jasmine said, keeping her head lowered.

"Jasmine, what?—"

"I must strip his bed first, My Lady!" Jasmine blurted out, clearly distressed at witnessing something no one should have seen.

The maid walked away before Arabella could say another word to her. She turned to look at Edward, her eyes wild and her breathing heavy again.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. "What do we do?"

Edward wasn't quite sure what to do, as he had surprisingly never found himself in a situation like this. He knew that this could have been bad if it were someone of higher standing who walked in on them, but it was just a housemaid.

He sat on the bed, leaning back to watch her pace the room, anxiety coming off her in waves. She walked in a smart pace, unlike the sedate pace she used in the ball which accentuated the curves of her legs. She really cut a lovely figure in her dress, and he'd been so close to ripping it off her had that cursed maid not found them.

He understood her fear, but he thought it needless and told her as much.

"Breathe, My Lady. She is but a maid," he tried to soothe her.

"Yes, she is, but she is also a renowned gossip in the estate, Your Grace," Arabella retorted, her voice jaded and shaky. "Word will get around."

"Lady Arabella, surely no one of the ton would take the word of a housemaid that seriously," Edward reassured, trying to get her to relax.

It wasn't working. She was still pacing frantically.

"Please stop pacing and come sit."

A near-hysterical laugh escaped her lips. "You do not understand, Your Grace. Jasmine has a strong reputation among the staff and our family. She has been able to prove that some of her gossip is true. Her word is regarded as reliable."

She continued pacing, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, not knowing what to do with her hands.

"Your Grace, my family is holding on to their reputation by a mere thread. And I was the cause of it. Will I be the cause of their ruin? If I'm the reason no one in the ton takes us seriously, what will become of us?" she spat. "What if we're forced to get married?"

The end of her rambling made Edward tense up. Marriage? That was the last thing he wanted. He had just met Arabella, and he did not want to hurt her in any way, but marriage was a step too far.

"Lady Arabella, I do not believe that anyone could force me into anything," he stated before she could spiral further. "Plus, I have no intentions of getting married."

She paused and cast her gaze downwards, staring at the floor beneath her feet.

"I do not either," she mumbled, taking him by surprise.

"You do not wish to wed?" he asked, his tone betraying his surprise.

"Yes," Arabella said, looking up and staring him straight in the eye. "Believe it or not, that is not every woman's dream."

Edward stared at her as if she'd grown another head. What woman did not wish to wed?

"It is an odd thing that you do not want to wed," he commented. "May I ask why?"

"I would rather not be trapped in a golden cage for the rest of my life," she answered plainly.

He nodded.

"You believe that reason is sufficient?" she asked in surprise.

"I do believe that, believe it or not," he answered lightly.

"Then please understand that that may be the future we both have to contend with," she said, her voice cracking. She was upset—her eyes were filling with tears.

That reminder was enough to dampen Edward's arousal, and he promptly decided he needed to get her away from him, so he could think.

"I should go to bed, Lady Arabella. I need to think on this," he murmured after a brief moment of silence.

"I will try to get this resolved. Marriage shall be our last option," she said, before she turned quickly and briskly walked out of the room.

When she stepped out of the chamber, Edward couldn't stop laughing a little bit at the situation. He was not a cynical man by nature, but he had a knack for finding humor in difficult situations. Though he should not have been laughing this time.

Arabella's words had been all too true, and as much as her words scared him, he decided he'd face their fate when he was better rested.

I need to rest.

He struggled to fall asleep at first, frustrated by the predicament he found himself in.

But soon he fell asleep, angry with himself. For claiming Arabella's body for even a night made him forget every shred of propriety.

* * *

The next morning, glances and whispers from the staff caused a lump to form in his throat, almost choking him. It appeared Arabella had been correct.

He had found the maid, Jasmine, who had caught them in a compromising position, speaking in a low whisper with an older gentleman.

When they saw him, the maid's face turned red, and she bobbed a quick curtsy, before scurrying out of the room.

"Good morning, Your Grace," the butler said, bowing his head. "Allow me to show you to the drawing room."

"Thank you…" Edward paused.

As the two made their way into the dining room, Edward nodded in greeting at Arabella's family.

"Good morning, Your Grace," Lord Thorne greeted, rising from his seat. "I am glad you joined us this morning. I had the cook make her cakes extra sweet this morning."

Edward offered him a polite and appreciative smile, then took a seat at the place Lord Thorne indicated. Herbert pulled out the chair, and Edward gingerly sat down.

When he looked around the room, he noticed Arabella was two seats away from him.

"Your Grace, thank you for joining us," she said to him. She looked like she hadn't slept the previous night, but her tone was pleasant and calm. "We hope you found your chambers comfortable?"

"They were, thank you, Lady Arabella," Edward answered, giving her a short look.

The Duke of Ridlington and his wife entered the room, and with that breakfast commenced with a small discussion about their plans for the day.

"Brother," Arabella spoke, surprising him. He wondered what she had in mind and why she was so bold as to seek him out so purposefully. "Do you think I could show His Grace the hedge garden? When we talked, I remember him saying that it reminds him of his childhood."

She is witty. I never told her that. I didn't even have a hedge garden.

"That would be lovely, Ara. I believe I will join you as well. The weather is quite beautiful for a walk," Lord Thorne commented.

To anyone not paying attention, they would have missed it, but Edward swore he saw Lord Thorne shoot his sister a questioning look.

"I would enjoy that, Lady Arabella," Edward answered, grateful for the chance to talk with her alone.

When breakfast ended, the kitchen maids came up and cleared away the plates. Edward heard Arabella whisper to one maid.

"Nancy, are you feeling better this morning?"

"Yes, My Lady," the maid answered. "The babe is still."

"All right. Please feel free to rest for a while. You worked so hard this morning."

Hearing that sparked admiration in his heart. He did not often see his peers asking after their servants.

"If you insist, My Lady," the maid replied, a happy smile showing her teeth. She looked around fourteen.

Edward, Arabella, and the Earl left the room shortly after and set off for their promenade around the garden.

When they neared the entrance, they spotted Jasmine wiping some furniture.

"Lady Arabella, how did you sleep last night?" Edward asked loudly, catching the maid's attention.

Arabella shot him a look, but seeing the quick look he gave Jasmine, she understood.

"I slept really well," she answered with a smile. "It is good I retired to my chamber early. That way, I can finally beat my brother at a game of chess later.

Their party laughed and set off towards the gardens.

Luckily, the other members of their party were not standing too close.

"I do not know if you have noticed, but I do believe word has gotten around," Arabella whispered, her arms folded tensely behind her back.

The two walked past the centerpiece at the front of the hedge garden—a limestone statue of a man who Arabella said was her late grandfather, Malcolm Burk.

Edward wasn't paying attention to her words, as she sounded distracted while speaking. She was wearing a beautiful light pink morning dress that complemented her slightly tanned skin. He tried not to lower his gaze but could not help it. His eyes flicked to her folded hands.

"I believe I saw it with my own eyes," he finally said, shifting his gaze back to her face.

"We need to face the possibility that word will spread beyond the estate."

It was Edward's turn to sigh. He didn't want to finally admit it, but now he was forced to.

"You are right. I remember you saying that you were going to find a way to fix this. I cannot think of one that may benefit us both."

"Me neither, but I am still thinking. Have you given it some thought?" she asked. Edward noted she didn't address him by his title.

"I must admit I have been stumped. I realized too late that this may cause a problem," he begrudgingly confessed. "Perhaps we should take this walk to come up with a plan?"

"I did tell you last night, Your Grace," Arabella said, huffing at the end. "But no matter, you now know."

They had made their way through most of the garden when she suddenly piped up, "What if we?—"

She could not even finish her statement before Herbert hurried over to them. He was slightly wheezing by the time he reached them.

"Herbert, are you all right?" Arabella asked, putting her hand on his thick bicep.

"I apologize for interrupting your promenade, Your Grace, My Lady," Herbert started. "Lord Thorne has requested to speak to you."

Arabella let out a small, annoyed huff through her nose. "I am sorry, Your Grace. Perhaps Herbert can finish the tour with you."

"Apologies, My Lady," Herbert cut in. "I was referring to the both of you."

Edward's heart stopped for a moment. Lord Thorne was out there with them when they began their walk. He also knew that Herbert spoke with Jasmine this morning—presumably about what she had walked in on.

Did Herbert tell him?

Arabella shot Edward a worried glance. "He was just out here. Is he feeling all right?"

Herbert nodded. "He is all right, My Lady. He… he had to go back, as he forgot a prior commitment. He requires your presence for a brief moment."

"We will join him then," Arabella said.

Edward could hear the nervousness in her voice.

The three of them walked back to the estate in utter silence, Herbert staying several feet behind them. They made their way up the stairs.

"What was your plan, Lady Arabella?" Edward asked quietly.

"It was desperate, Your Grace."

"Tell me," he urged, his hand coming up to lightly grip her elbow.

This surprised both of them. They had not touched since the previous night, and doing so was not appropriate.

She glanced around, her expression shifting. Though she looked worried, she also came off as sweet. Her small nose reddened. Edward noticed this a few times when she had appeared worried before.

"I had hoped we could just pretend to court," she whispered.

"Pretend?" Edward echoed.

"I thought that if the ton were to find out, then it might have worked, but…" she trailed off.

"Lady Arabella, this could end in marriage if we're not careful," Edward warned, his crushing anxiety making his voice shaky.

"That's why I said it was rather desperate. If it comes down to marriage, perhaps we would just enjoy the freedoms that come with it. We don't need to act in love."

"Lady Arabella, surely you do not think I was jesting when I said I didn't want to marry."

"I did not think you were jesting. I just?—"

"Then please do not put those cards on the table."

"I'm only saying so because I'm trying to help you adjust to the fact that it is a possibility." She glared at him.

He looked at her thoughtfully, wondering how many times she had never been taken seriously.

They were standing before the door to Lord Thorne's study now, both of them itching to walk away and pretend they never got the message to see him. Arabella was the first to act. She rapped at the heavy wooden door so softly that Edward barely heard it.

"Come in," the Earl's stern voice called out from behind the door.

They both pushed open the door, only to be greeted by a clearly agitated Lord Thorne.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. Both of you." He pointed to two chairs in from of his grand red mahogany desk.

"Brother—"

"Ara, please keep quiet and let me speak," Lord Thorne ordered through heavy, harsh breaths.

Arabella immediately closed her mouth.

Lord Thorne slowly rounded his desk and stopped before them, leaning against the edge of the desk.

"I have heard a rather unsettling rumor this morning," he began slowly, shooting Edward a rather cold glare.

It was Edward's mistake anyway, so he had accepted he'd get the brunt of the Earl's ire.

"Brother, please?—"

"Arabella Burk, I have already told you to please be quiet. Unfortunately, this is a matter between men," Lord Thorne interjected, causing his sister to tense up.

Her fists clenched into a ball.

"Oh, yes, because I am too stupid to understand what has happened. Brother, please continue so I can learn the secret intelligence only men possess."

Both Edward and Lord Thorne were taken aback by her brash words. She only looked back at her brother with a cocked eyebrow and a scowl on her face.

Lord Thorne just sighed and hung his head. "Since you have already determined what I was going to say, I supposed these rumors may be true. A housemaid walked in on you two in a less-than-flattering position."

Neither Edward nor Arabella said anything. Edward's palms were clammy, and he flexed his fingers—a nervous habit of his. He looked between the Earl and his sister.

"Would either one of you care to explain why?" Lord Thorne asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

In a sheer attempt to save face and alleviate some of the burden from Arabella, Edward made a very quick, not well-thought-out decision.

"Lord Thorne, we were caught in that position because, quite frankly, it is very hard for both of us to keep our hands off each other."

Arabella looked at him with confusion. "Your Grace?"

"When Lady Arabella and I met last night, I knew it was love at first sight. No matter how cliché that may sound… it is the truth."

Arabella looked at him with wide eyes, stunned into silence. Even Edward was surprised he actually went ahead and said that.

"That is why I have decided that I want to marry her."