Chapter Twenty-Three

Edith pushed herself up in bed and reached for the tea tray. "I thank you," she tried to say, wincing with embarrassment at the hoarse croak that was her voice.

"Please, do not try to speak!" Her mother hurried around the bed towards her, her face still pale and drawn. "Goodness, Edith, did you not hear what the doctor told you? You are still to rest for another sennight!"

"I am resting," Edith answered, her voice as a whisper. "But that does not mean that I must remain silent, Mama." Catching her mother's hand, she pressed it gently. "I am recovering well, I promise you."

Her mother nodded, tears springing to her eyes as she squeezed Edith's hand back in return. Smiling up at her for a moment, Edith then turned her attention back to the tea tray, finding herself rather thirsty.

"The Duke does want to come and see you again," her mother reminded her. "The maid will do your hair and once you have taken your fill, I will call for him to come in."

Edith shook her head. "My hair is perfectly fine, Mama," she whispered back. "It does not need perfection." She smiled at the thought of seeing the Duke again, though her smile quickly faded as she recalled how seriously he had looked at her the last time he had come to see her. His relief and his joy that she had recovered was obvious but there was clearly something else on his mind which, for whatever reason, he had not yet spoken to Edith about.

"The vicar came to tell us all what the Duke did in saving you," her mother continued, her voice softening. "He tore through that house looking for you and then threw himself through the window in order to take you from it."

Edith's heart squeezed gently. When she had first opened her eyes, she had seen his face looking down at her and all that she had felt for him was a swell of love. Quite how she had been saved from the orphanage, she had not known, but there was a certainty within her that he had been the one to do it.

"You were foolish in going to save that child," her mother finished, as Edith sipped at her tea, finding it a gentle warmth to her raw throat. "Though, to be truthful, I am very proud of your kind heart." She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. "You remind me of my sister. She always thinks of others. I suppose that is why she is so happy with the orphanage in London – and why you always were delighted to join her there." She smiled, though a single tear dropped to her cheek. "I could not have borne it, had we lost you."

"But you did not," Edith answered, smiling back at her mother. "The Duke saved my life and returned me to his house."

Her mother nodded slowly. "You care for him."

Without a single flicker of hesitation, Edith nodded. "Yes, Mama, I do. And I believe he cares for me too." Recalling that serious glint in his eye as he had come to speak with her the previous day, Edith's heart lurched but she quickly shook her head to herself, refusing to let those thoughts take hold. Instead, she turned her thoughts back to the kiss they had shared, to the tenderness she had seen in his expression and to the sweet words he had spoken to her. She could not believe that he was about to turn from her now.

"Well," her mother sniffed, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing at her eyes, "I will go and call him now, shall I?"

Edith nodded and sipped again at her tea, choosing to dismiss the maid rather than keep her present. It was a little improper, of course, but given that she was recovering in bed, Edith did not think that anyone would complain. She pushed herself up again carefully, making sure that the long plait of her hair came over one of her shoulders, before looking to the door expectantly.

The moment the Duke stepped in, Edith's heart leapt with the sheer joy of seeing him. He came over to her at once, reaching for her hand, bending his head over it, his lips brushing against her skin.

"You look well today, my dear," he said softly, lowering her hand but keeping a hold of it regardless. "How do you feel?"

"A good deal more strengthened," she answered, seeing him wince. "Though my throat aches a little still. The tea is helping."

He nodded, his eyes serious as they held hers. "I am glad to hear it."

"Your sister in law came to speak with me yesterday," Edith continued, quietly, recalling that, as yet, she had still not kept her promise to the lady, though that could not have been helped. "I do hope you do not mind that connection?"

The Duke shook his head. "No. In fact, there is something about my brother and his wife that I think I should share with you."

A little surprised, Edith nodded slowly. "I have something that I should like to share with you in that regard also. I – I meant to do it previously, before I went to the orphanage but you came into the room and I found myself… a little distracted." Heat rose in her cheeks but the Duke only smiled, his thumb now running back and forth over the back of her hand. They looked at each other for a long few moments, until finally, after a long breath, Edith continued.

"Lady Frankton begged to speak with me," she began, a little afraid that the Duke might yank his hand away in shock. "She had something she wished to share with me, though she told me immediately that she understood if I did not immediately believe her." She took in another long breath, her voice still a whisper, but much to her surprise, before she could continue, the Duke held up one hand to her, his palm flat.

"Wait, Edith, please."

"I think that I should tell you this," Edith begged, her voice now croaking as she put as much strength into speaking as she could. "I swore to Lady Frankton that I would try and though it will pain me a great deal to say what she told me, I think I must."

"You do not need to." The Duke shook his head, running one hand over his forehead before his gaze fixed to hers again. "Edith, I already know."

Edith did not know what to say, staring back at the Duke with wide eyes as his other hand settled on their joined ones. He gazed back at her steadily, his eyes filled with a calmness that she had never expected to see.

"My brother and I spoke very recently," he told her, after a few moments of quiet. "I should have let him tell me the truth a long time ago, I should have let one of his letters through and read it without anger and upset and then I would have known the truth long before now." Taking in a deep breath, he shook his head, his brows knotting together. "You would not have been hurt, had I not decided to take my anger and bury it deep within me."

Edith stared at him, her breath suddenly stitching tight in her chest. "I would not have been hurt?" she whispered, as the Duke nodded slowly. "What do you mean?"

"I do not know for certain and I certainly do not want to injure you with this, but… " Taking a moment, the Duke looked away from her, clearly considering what it was that he wanted to say before he said it. "I believe – though I cannot prove it as yet – that my mother was responsible for the fire at the orphanage."

The whole room began to spin and Edith rested her head back against the pillows, her breathing suddenly ragged as she fought for control.

"I do not think that she intended to kill you, though," the Duke continued, a little more urgently. "That is not what I mean. I believe that there was a thought that a small fire which damaged the orphanage could be blamed on you and thus, your reputation for kindness would be ruined. The villagers would not think well of you, the orphanage would have been damaged to the point where I would have to pay for the repairs, you yourself might end up feeling dreadfully guilty – even though you would not have done anything – and the engagement would, most likely, come to an end."

"Goodness." Feeling rather wane, Edith closed her eyes and let out a slow breath, trying to control the frantic beating of her heart. "I did not think for a moment that such a thing would ever be."

"As I have said, I have not yet had a conversation with my mother about the situation but I do intend to find out. My brother and I will speak to her together and that way, she will not be able to escape from our questions." He pressed her hand again. "Are you all right? I know this must come as something of a shock but I did want to tell you about it before I spoke to her."

Edith pushed herself up again, looking back into his face and seeing the concern burning in his eyes. "I am recovering," she admitted, aware that the shock had caused her a great deal of fright, more than she had expected. "Are you certain that… that it is as you think?"

It took the Duke a moment but, eventually, he nodded gravely. "I do think it is."

"Then I do not think we can wed."

The alarm which tore through the Duke's face was instantaneous. "What do you mean?"

"I cannot marry you if your mother disapproves of me so much, my very life would be in danger!" Edith exclaimed, her heart beginning to beat with a furious rhythm. "And even if she is contented enough to state that I shall be even a little suitable as your bride, there will always be the tension between us, the obvious disinclination towards me. I do not think that I can do such a thing. It would not be fair to you, your life would be nothing but misery."

"No, it would not be, for I would have you."

Edith's chest tightened as a sob escaped her. "You would be torn between your mother and myself, pulled between loyalties. I could not ask you to do that."

"But you have already promised me your hand," he said, a good deal more softly than before. "Do you not see, Edith? In promising to marry me, you have already given me your oath that you will become my bride." He smiled gently and laced his fingers through hers. "I will not hold you to it should your desires have truly changed but if it comes from a place of fear or concern, then let me reassure you." Leaning closer, the Duke brushed his lips gently across hers and Edith's whole body softened, suddenly free of the tension which had bound it. "There now," the Duke murmured, his face still close to hers. "I can tell that your feelings have not changed, my dear Edith." He chuckled softly as fire infused Edith's cheeks. "I swear to you that there will be no strain between us, no difficulties that will tear me from you and put me towards my mother." Seeing her slightly pursed lips, the frown which Edith now wore, the Duke only smiled. "Do you not remember that she has a Dower house?"

Edith blinked.

"And that I will insist that she remove there the day of our wedding?" the Duke continued, his voice filled with tenderness. "My dear Edith, I want to do whatever I can to make you happy. You are my priority, you are the only one I think of. I can promise you that, no matter what happens, I shall always and forever only think of you."

When he leaned in to kiss her again, Edith was ready for him. Her hands cupped his face, her fingers brushing against the slight roughness there. When she slipped one hand around to the back of his neck, her fingers brushing through his hair, she heard the swift intake of breath from him as he pulled back from their kiss. Her eyes melded to his, seeing them a little surprised – perhaps a little unprepared for the sheer amount of feeling that her touch had brought.

"Then you will still marry me?" he asked, his voice just as much of a whisper as hers.

She nodded. "Yes, Henry. Yes, of course I shall."