Chapter 34

The following

day , Edward took Alessandra

to the Pump Room at her request, to support her wish to watch all

the people there. It wasn't an amusement he gained joy from, but he

was very content watching her watch everyone else.

Once settled in a comfortable

spot, Edward left her to go and get her a refreshment. Almost

immediately after he'd walked off in one direction, Alessandra

found herself approached by Tom.

"Alessandra," he said

quietly.

As she turned, she was

surprised to see Tom Missinger looking around guiltily.

"Tom, you seem to be

appearing everywhere," she said to him, not unkindly but certainly

not in a friendly manner. Upon seeing him, she realised that every

tiny bit of feeling she'd ever had for him had

disintegrated.

"Alessandra, I cannot

stop thinking about you," he said, blushing furiously. His words

surprised Alessandra, as he'd always seemed to be the confident one

of the two of them. "I wish…"

He stopped talking

mid-sentence, but in her curiosity, Alessandra didn't let it end

there.

"You wish … what? That you and

I were married?" she asked.

"Yes … no … oh, I do not know

what I want. All I know is that you are on my mind all the time.

Please…"

"Please, what?"

Alessandra asked him, wondering why he was showering all this

attention on her now, when so much time had passed.

"Please … I would like to spend

some time with you," he blurted out, not even knowing himself what

he meant by such a declaration.

Alessandra looked at him

closely. He was a handsome man, and yet when she looked at him now,

she did not see attractiveness. She knew that she was now

incredibly happy that he'd taken himself off when he did to get

married. Edward was ten times the man that Tom was.

"Tom, you are married,

and I am married. Not only am I happy in my marriage, but I am also

expecting a child. I am living a life that I love. Please do not

talk to me anymore. It makes me uncomfortable, given what my

feelings for you were before, and I am doing what I can to remain

calm, for the sake of my baby," she said as plainly as she could,

all the while seeing him look at her belly.

"You are with child?" he asked,

with an incredulous tone in his voice. He could not believe that so

much that he wanted in a wife appeared to be standing right in

front of him.

Behind Tom, Alessandra saw

Katherine approaching so nodded in response to his question and

informed him quietly.

"Your wife approaches,"

she said. She saw recognition in his eyes before he turned and

started walking away, meeting his wife in the process, and avoiding

her coming face to face with Alessandra again.

Just as Tom walked away, Edward

came up behind Alessandra, startling her.

"Are you alright?" he asked,

not giving any indication if he had seen Tom or not.

Alessandra smiled at

him, appreciating yet again what a good, loving man he

was.

"Yes," she said. "Tom

just approached me again, but I have told him not to do so

anymore."

Edward had no response except

to hand her the refreshment she had wanted. Both of them then

determined to put Tom Missinger out of their minds for good.