Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Edwina sifted through the gowns in her wardrobe, her fingers lingering on the soft silk and intricate lace. She needed a gown for a specific purpose- sneaking into her uncle's study. She was wearing a lavender gown, but she wasn't sure if it would attract any unwanted attention. Did any of her gowns cause unwanted attention, she wondered.

This was ridiculous.

With a sigh, she chided herself on overthinking this and just walked out to meet Miles in the entry hall. But even as she made her way down the corridor, her heart raced with nervous anticipation. It wasn't like her to partake in such underhanded actions, but she couldn't bring herself to ask her uncle for answers. If he was indeed lying to her, she would confront him about it. Until then, she would unravel the truth on her own terms.

As she descended the grand staircase, her eyes settled upon Miles. He looked dashing in his fitted blue jacket and buff trousers. Where had that thought even come from, she wondered. She needed to stay focused on the important matter at hand instead of getting lost in thoughts about his handsomeness .

Miles smiled as she approached. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice low.

Edwina hesitated before answering. "Yes… no," she admitted, fidgeting with the folds of her lavender gown. "Am I dressed appropriately?"

"Yes, you are."

"But what if my gown attracts too much attention?" Edwina asked. "Or is it sneaky enough?"

"Lavender is indeed a very sneaky color," Miles teased, his smile widening.

Edwina lowered her hands to her sides. "Perhaps I should have worn my dark green gown instead. No one would have suspected me then."

Miles cocked his head. "I do not think it would have made a difference."

"But it does," Edwina insisted. "Everyone knows that yellow is the sneakiest of all colors. It is too bright, too suspicious. What could that color be hiding?"

"I do not think yellow is hiding anything," Miles responded.

Edwina arched an eyebrow. "What color do you think would be best for espionage?"

"Black," came his simple reply.

With a bob of her head, Edwina said, "You are right. Can I change my answer?"

Miles glanced over his shoulder before lowering his voice. "You are overthinking this," he assured her. "You are just going to step into your uncle's office for a book and no one will be the wiser."

"What if someone asks me which book I am looking for?" Edwina asked.

"No one will," Miles said.

"But what if they do?" Her brow furrowed in worry and she nervously wrung her hands together.

Miles placed a hand on her sleeve, his touch warm and comforting. "All right. What is your favorite book? "

Edwina pressed her lips together as she debated over his question. "I suppose at this time my favorite book is Sense and Sensibility ."

"That is the book written by A Lady, is it not?"

"It is," Edwina replied. "Have you read it?"

He shook his head. "I have not."

"Is it because it is written by A Lady?" she asked, almost accusatorily.

Miles' face grew solemn. "No, it was Arabella's favorite book as well. She devoured it the moment she acquired it."

"Oh, I am sorry," Edwina acknowledged. "I shouldn't have assumed you were opposed to a woman writer."

"Some of the greatest books are written by women."

Edwina lowered her voice. "Do not let my uncle hear you say that," she warned jokingly. "He might even engage in fisticuffs over that remark."

Miles tipped his head. "I shall make note of that." He gave her an expectant look. "You can do this."

Her heart started racing at the mere thought of the task ahead. Could she really accomplish such a thing? "Can I?" she asked, trying to mask her nervousness.

"You can," Miles replied. "Besides, I will stand guard while you search through the files in your uncle's desk, looking for anything that might arouse your suspicion."

"And if I find nothing?"

Miles shrugged. "Then there is your answer."

Determined not to let her doubts consume her, Edwina squared her shoulders and forced herself to exude confidence. "I can do this," she murmured under her breath.

"We just get in and get out. It is that simple," Miles said.

Edwina eyed him curiously. "How is it that you are so comfortable with espionage?" she asked.

Miles smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "This is not espionage," he replied. "You are simply searching for your father's will among your uncle's files. "

"That doesn't answer my question."

"You never did ask what I did during the war," Miles said. "I may have dabbled in espionage a time or two."

"You may have?"

A cocky grin spread across his face, causing her to question what secrets he was keeping from her. "The less you know, the better," he remarked.

Edwina couldn't resist pressing for more information. "Is that all you intend to tell me?"

"For now," Miles replied. "I do not want you to be distracted."

"What if someone catches us?" Edwina asked, returning to the matter at hand.

Miles looked amused. "That is why you are searching your uncle's desk and not me. You are not the least bit suspicious."

She frowned. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"I would take it more as a fact," Miles replied. "You being in your uncle's study is perfectly acceptable."

"You are right."

Miles offered his arm. "Shall I escort you to the study, my lady?"

Edwina placed her hand on his sleeve. "Thank you, kind sir."

As they made their way to her uncle's study, Edwina gathered her strength. Miles was right. There was no reason why anyone would suspect what she was truly doing. She had visited the study on numerous occasions before without any suspicion being raised.

They stopped outside the open door and Miles dropped his arm. "Remember, I will keep watch and alert you if anyone approaches."

"Will you signal me with a bird call?"

Miles looked baffled. "A bird call? Whatever for?"

"If someone is approaching, just mimic a nightingale's song and I will know to stop," Edwina explained .

He looked at her like she was mad. "How in the blazes am I supposed to mimic a nightingale?"

"It is not too difficult," she replied. "But if you prefer, just mimic a robin's song. Surely, you can do that."

Miles opened his mouth and closed it before saying, "Can you make those bird calls yourself?"

Edwina brought her hand up to her mouth, creating a seal with her fingers to avoid any air escaping, and let out a clear whistle that echoed down the corridor, a perfect mimicry of a robin's song.

While she dropped her hands, Miles said, "I still can't do that. What if I tell you if someone is approaching in words? Not bird calls?"

"Very well, but that isn't very spy-like," Edwina remarked.

"Trust me, neither is a bird call," Miles said. "Now go inside before our conversation attracts any unwanted attention."

Edwina took a quick glance at the study and noted the large wooden desk positioned by the long windows, filled with papers and books. "Can you come with me?"

"Then who would stand watch?" he asked. "Besides, it wouldn't be wise for us to be caught in the same room together."

Edwina reluctantly admitted that he had a point and began to step towards the study when her aunt suddenly appeared around the corner, spotting them immediately. "Whatever are you two doing?" she inquired.

Panicked, Edwina stumbled over her own words. "Nothing… why would we be doing anything?" she asked, turning her gaze towards Miles. "We are just standing here, minding our own business." Drats. Why couldn't she stop rambling?

Her aunt came to a stop in front of them. "Are you all right, Edwina?" she asked with concern in her voice.

Trying to cover up her discomfort, Edwina forced a bright smile to her face. "I am more than all right! I am so happy, in fact, that I feel like changing into my yellow gown." She resisted the urge to groan at her clumsy attempt at a diversion.

Her aunt perused the length of her. "What is wrong with the one you are wearing now?" she questioned.

"Nothing is wrong with this gown. Nothing at all," Edwina replied.

Miles cleared his throat. "Lady Edwina was hoping to collect a book from Lord Dallington's library. She is rather eager for me to read it."

"Oh, which book?" her aunt asked.

" Sense and Sensibility ," Miles replied. "My late wife, Arabella, loved that book but I lost my copy when I left the Continent."

Sympathy filled her aunt's eyes as she offered words of comfort. "Reading can be a wonderful way to occupy one's mind during difficult times."

"Yes, it is," Miles agreed.

With questions in her eyes, her aunt turned towards Edwina. "Shall I retrieve the book for Lord Hilgrove, then?"

Edwina shook her head. "No, there is no need for you to go through any trouble," she replied. "I thought you had plans to have tea with Mrs. Walker."

"I was just about to depart when I saw the two of you loitering outside of Lionel's study," her aunt said.

Edwina let out a nervous chuckle. "We were not loitering. We have a purpose for being here."

"Perhaps you should rest after retrieving the book," her aunt suggested. "You seem rather out of sorts."

"That is an excellent idea. I will do just that," Edwina stated.

Her aunt paused for a moment before continuing down the corridor. "If you need me, send one of the servants to collect me," she said over her shoulder.

"I will, Aunt Catherine. And thank you," Edwina assured her .

As her aunt disappeared around the corner, Edwina let out a sigh of relief, grateful that was over and done with.

The corners of Miles' lips twitched as he joked, "I must say, that was quite an impressive performance. Have you ever considered a career in the theater?"

"I tend to get a little flustered when I'm caught doing something I'm not supposed to do," Edwina admitted.

"I can see that," Miles said with amusement in his voice. "It was almost painful to witness."

With a roll of her eyes, Edwina couldn't help but smile at his teasing. "Well, thank you for your honest critique," she remarked.

Miles gestured towards the study door. "The sooner you get in there, the sooner it will be over."

"That is some good advice."

"Stop stalling Edwina," Miles encouraged. "You are more than capable of engaging in subterfuge. In fact, I might even put in a good word to Wellington for you. He is always looking for a few good spies."

Edwina couldn't help but laugh at his absurd remark. "Please don't," she said. "Wish me luck."

Miles leaned closer, his warm breath tickling her ear. "You don't need luck," he whispered reassuringly. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

And she believed him.

Miles stood guard outside of Lord Dallington's study as Edwina searched for her father's will. Though he appeared calm and collected, he was anything but. If anyone caught Edwina rifling through her uncle's desk, there would be consequences. But he wasn't about to let anything bad happen to her .

He would protect her, at all costs. It didn't quite make sense why he felt so protective of her, but he did. It may have had something to do with the feelings that he had developed for her. But those feelings were in no way reciprocated. Which was good. Edwina was a friend and he didn't want to hurt her.

He glanced in the study and saw Edwina searching her uncle's desk. She was moving fast, and he hoped she was giving the attention that was required. He didn't want her to miss anything.

A smile came to his lips as he thought about how Edwina wanted him to do a bird call as a warning sign of someone approaching. She was something special. That was for sure. She could make him smile even when he was determined to wallow in his own misery.

A gasp came from within the study. He watched as she read a paper on her uncle's desk, her expression changing from shock to anger. Without a word, she met his gaze, and he knew that she had found the will. Her uncle had indeed deceived her.

In a hushed voice, Miles instructed, "Keep the will but put everything back just the way you found it."

He could see the panic in her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and did as he had instructed. Once she stepped away from the desk, she hurried over to him and opened her mouth.

Miles held up a hand to stop her words. "Not here," he whispered. "Let's take a tour of the gardens."

Edwina nodded her understanding and followed him towards the rear of the manor. A footman opened the door and they stepped outside into the warm sunshine.

The gardens were alive with vibrant colors and sweet scents. Once they were walking down a path, Miles asked, "How much did your father leave you?"

Edwina looked surprised by his question. "Ten thousand pounds," she replied. "How did you know? "

Miles grinned. "You are truly terrible at hiding your emotions."

A soft blush spread across Edwina's cheeks and she murmured, "Oh, I hadn't realized."

"To be honest, I find it rather refreshing," Miles said. "Although, you must learn to place a mask on when dealing with the ton . One mustn't give too much away when you enter high Society."

Edwina grew quiet as she looked into his eyes, searching for answers that he knew he couldn't provide. "What am I to do?" she asked.

Miles held his hand out. "May I see the will?"

She extended it towards him and he made quick work of reading it. Edwina had been right. The late Lord Dallington had left her ten thousand pounds, in addition to her dowry. So why had her uncle kept this from her?

As he tried to make sense of the situation, he asked, "Did you ever meet with your father's solicitor after he passed away?"

"No, I did not. I didn't think there was a need," Edwina said, her voice laced with regret. "My uncle told me that he would take care of everything and I believed him." Her gaze drew downcast. "But now I see how wrong I was."

Miles could hear the sadness in her voice and it tugged at his heart. "You did nothing wrong, Edwina."

"Didn't I?" she asked, meeting his gaze once more. "I trusted my uncle and he deceived me. What else has he been lying to me about?"

Coming to a stop on the path, Miles turned to face her. "I think we should tell Bennett about this," he suggested.

Edwina shook her head firmly. "No, not yet."

"He can help us when we confront your uncle," Miles pressed.

"Before we bring Bennett into our confidence, I need to know if my uncle is lying about anything else," Edwina declared with determination in her voice.

Miles gave her a pointed look as he inquired, "Did you find anything else in your uncle's desk that aroused suspicion?"

"No, but if my uncle is lying about my inheritance, he must be lying about other things, too," Edwina asserted.

"That is not always the case, and Bennett is in the perfect position to help you," Miles said.

Edwina's eyes grew guarded. "What if Bennett knew about my inheritance, and kept it quiet for his father's sake?"

Miles knew his friend well, and he was confident that was not the case. "No, Bennett is a good man and he loves you. He would never have kept something like this from you."

"You are right. I guess I am just afraid of not knowing who to trust."

Miles held her gaze as he said, "You can trust me."

A small smile came to Edwina's lips. "I do," she said.

Pride swelled within Miles' chest as he heard those words. He had worked hard to earn her trust and he would never betray it. He would die first.

In a hushed, almost conspiratorial tone, Edwina asked, "Where do we go from here?"

"Well, if you don't want to tell Bennett, I suggest speaking to your father's solicitor," Miles proposed.

"That won't be easy. He is now my uncle's solicitor since he inherited my father's title," Edwina said.

"Ah, that does complicate matters some," Miles remarked.

Edwina's eyes lit up. "What if we follow my uncle into the village and see how he spends his time?" she suggested.

Miles raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And what would that prove?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. But it is a start."

Miles couldn't bring himself to dampen her enthusiasm, even though he knew it was likely a futile endeavor since Lord Dallington was probably in meetings all day. "Well, then, let's take a trip to the village and see what secrets it holds."

In response, a bright, infectious smile lit up Edwina's face and Miles couldn't help but grin in return, despite his best efforts not to. How was it that her smile seemed to penetrate the barriers around his heart? It was rather troublesome.

Bennett's voice came from down the path, his boots grinding on the gravel as he approached. "What, pray tell, are you two discussing?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

Miles exchanged a quick glance with Edwina before responding, "Nothing of importance."

But Bennett wasn't easily fooled. His piercing blue eyes narrowed as he observed them both. "Then why were you both smiling at one another?"

"Were we?" Miles asked, feigning innocence.

Edwina spoke up. "We were talking about the plants that needed to be tended to before we depart for London."

Bennett had seen through their charade. Not that it was overly difficult to do so. "Plants? You expect me to believe that?"

Edwina bobbed her head. "Yes, I do."

With a resigned sigh, Bennett relented. "Fine, do not tell me. But I will be keeping an eye on you two."

Miles interjected, "I thought you were angling with your friends."

"I am," Bennett replied. "I was making my way down to the stream when I saw you two taking a stroll in the gardens."

"We are about to take a trip into the village," Edwina revealed.

Bennett gave her a curious look. "For what purpose?"

"I wanted to show Lord Hilgrove around the village," Edwina replied.

"The village isn't that big, or interesting, for that matter," Bennett remarked with suspicion in his eyes.

Edwina's eyes darted towards Miles and he could see the hesitancy in them. He decided it was best if he spoke up. "I was hoping to buy a gift for my sister and Lady Edwina graciously offered to help me."

Bennett glanced between them before giving a curt nod. "Well, then, carry on," he said before he continued down the path towards the stream.

As they watched Bennett's retreating figure, Edwina turned to face him with relief on her face. "That was rather difficult," she expressed. "I didn't think he was ever going to leave."

Miles couldn't agree more but they had a bigger problem. "Bennett is many things, but he isn't a fool. We will have to be more careful if we wish to keep this from him."

"You make a good point," Edwina said. "Shall we depart for the village?"

"Let us," he replied, offering his arm.

Edwina placed her hand on his sleeve. "I can't quite believe my father left me ten thousand pounds and a generous dowry."

"You are truly an heiress now," Miles remarked.

"I am," she agreed. "Which poses a new conundrum."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Edwina pressed her lips together before asking, "How do I know if a suitor is genuinely interested in me, or simply my wealth?"

"It is certainly a challenge, but do not fear. I will be there to help you navigate through your hordes of potential suitors," Miles reassured her.

"You will?" Edwina asked.

Miles' lips quirked as he asked, "Did you think you could get rid of me so easily?" His tone carried a flirtatious edge.

Edwina ducked her head but not before he noticed the adorable blush on her cheeks. "You are too kind but let us not be hasty. I do not think I will have hordes of suitors vying for my hand."

Miles couldn't help but shake his head in disagreement. "I do think you vastly underestimate yourself," he argued.

"Or perhaps you are over estimating me," Edwina countered. "Although, I will admit that I am relieved you shall be there for my first Season."

Miles was curious about one thing. "How is it that you haven't had your first Season yet?"

"My father grew sick and tarried for quite some time," Edwina replied solemnly. "I could not fathom leaving his side for a frivolous Season among high Society."

"And rightfully so," Miles agreed.

Edwina offered him a grateful smile before she continued. "You are kind to say so, but now I am debuting with my two cousins. I daresay it will be a competition to see which one of them will be the diamond of the first water."

"They don't strike me as the type of young women to care about such things," Miles stated.

"Indeed, they are not," Edwina replied. "Elodie and Melody would be content living as spinsters in a quaint cottage by a stream."

Miles chuckled at that thought. "I would love to overhear some of their conversations."

"It would certainly be entertaining," Edwina said. "They have a unique perspective as twins, but they don't realize how much attention they garner from their looks. Or they simply don't care."

Edwina glanced up at the sky and continued. "I will need to retrieve my bonnet for the ride to the village, and I might change into another gown."

He perused the length of her. "What is wrong with what you are wearing?"

"Do you think it is too lively?"

Miles furrowed his brow. "I do not think I would consider lavender to be a lively color."

Turning her attention away from him, she confessed, "It will be the first time in months that I have visited the village without wearing my mourning gowns."

Now he understood. "And you are worried about what people might think," he stated.

She winced. "I just don't want them to think I have forgotten about my father."

"Trust me, no one will think that," Miles reassured her. "But you can't live your life wondering what other people will think of you."

"I try not to, but doubt always seems to creep in," Edwina shared.

As they entered through the back door of the manor, Miles asked, "Do you think of your father every moment of every day?"

"I do."

"Then what else matters?" Miles asked as they walked down the corridor.

Edwina considered his words for a moment before she inquired, "When did you stop wearing your black armband?"

"I took it off before I departed to come here," he admitted.

Her surprise was evident in her slightly parted lips. "You wore it for a long time."

"I did, and I do not regret doing so."

Edwina came to a stop by the grand staircase and dropped her arm from his sleeve. "I think it is admirable."

"My sister thought I was foolish," Miles shared. "She wondered how I would ever get married again if I continued wearing it."

"I am sure your sister was just worried about you."

Miles let out a huff of air. "You could say that. You could also use the words overbearing and stubborn."

The corners of Edwina's mouth turned upwards in amusement. "Isn't that what sisters are for?" she teased.

"I suppose so," he replied. "She writes me all the time and I have yet to write her back. "

Edwina tilted her head. "May I ask why?"

Miles ran a hand through his hair as he worked to keep the pained expression off his face. "She is blissfully happy with her husband and children and I am…" His words trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

"Envious?" Edwina asked, finishing his thought.

"Yes, you could say that," Miles responded. "I also didn't want her to know how much I was struggling with Arabella and John's deaths."

Edwina placed a comforting hand on his sleeve. "You do not need to explain yourself to me."

"Thank you," Miles said.

Dropping her hand, she took a step back. "I will be down shortly. Will you ask White to prepare the carriage for our journey?"

"I will."

As Edwina headed up the stairs, she paused on the top step, turning to face him. She offered him a smile, one that he would no doubt remember in his dreams.