Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Edwina sat in the drawing room, her fingers delicately pulling the needle out of the fabric as she waited for Miss Bawden to arrive. Although her mind was far from being focused on her needlework. Instead, it was consumed by thoughts of Miles. But it was pointless to even think of him. He was so deeply in love with his late wife that she doubted his heart would ever recover.

One day, she hoped to have a love such as his, one that extended far after death. Her parents had shared a love like that.

Frustrated by her wandering thoughts, Edwina lowered the fabric to her lap. Why was she even thinking about this? She may have some inconvenient feelings for Miles, but they were not reciprocated. So what was the point of even dwelling on them? She had other more pressing matters. Her uncle had a whole other family and was trying to cheat her out of her inheritance. Yes. She should focus on that.

And yet, despite all logic telling her otherwise, her heart refused to let go of the image of Miles, his warm smile and kind eyes haunting her every thought .

White stepped into the room and announced, "Miss Bawden has arrived, my lady."

Edwina perked up, grateful for a reprieve from her thoughts. "Please send her in."

With a tip of his head, White spun on his heel to do her bidding.

It was only a moment before Miss Bawden entered the room with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning," she greeted. "I trust that you slept well."

"I did," Edwina replied.

Miss Bawden came to sit across from her. "Are you ready for a rousing game of pall-mall?" she asked, excitement evident in her voice.

Edwina leaned forward and placed her needlework onto the table. "I am," she replied.

With a glance at the empty doorway, Miss Bawden lowered her voice and asked, "Where do you stand with Lord Hilgrove?"

Edwina was taken aback by the sudden change in topic. "Pardon?"

Miss Bawden's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Do we like him or should I accidently hit him with my mallet in passing?"

"You should never hit someone with a mallet," Edwina chided lightly.

"That is why it would be an ‘accident,'" Miss Bawden said with a sly grin.

A laugh escaped Edwina's lips. "You are truly awful."

Miss Bawden settled back into her seat, her expression softening. "You are one of my dearest friends, and I don't want to see you get hurt," she said. "An accidental mallet attack is the least I can do for you."

"There is no need to hit Lord Hilgrove with a mallet. We have come to an understanding," Edwina remarked.

Miss Bawden's brow flew up. "Oh?"

Edwina quickly clarified before any misunderstanding could arise. "Not that type of understanding. We are simply friends, and he is helping me with a delicate matter."

Leaning forward in her seat, Miss Bawden's voice was laced with curiosity as she asked, "Which is?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you just yet," Edwina replied. "But I promise to tell you soon enough."

Miss Bawden let out a dramatic sigh. "I am not quite sure if I should be insulted or not. You are putting your trust into a man that you hardly know instead of your favorite friend."

"Please do not take offense," Edwina said. "There are some things that are at play that will hurt my family when the truth comes out."

Miss Bawden's lips quirked. "You didn't deny that I am your favorite friend."

"That is what you took away from all of this?" Edwina asked incredulously.

"I trust that you know what you are doing, and I am glad that Lord Hilgrove is helping you," Miss Bawden said. "Besides, I saw the way you looked at him in the coach yesterday."

Edwina gave her a baffled look. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You clearly have feelings for Lord Hilgrove," Miss Bawden said matter-of-factly.

With a shake of her head, she replied, "You are mistaken. We are just friends."

A playful gleam shone in Miss Bawden's eyes. "If you say so."

"I do," Edwina insisted. "Can we drop this now?"

"As you wish," Miss Bawden conceded.

Having an immense desire to change the subject, Edwina gestured towards the teapot on the table. "Would you care for a cup of tea?"

"No, thank you," Miss Bawden replied. "The last time I indulged in tea before a game of pall-mall, I ended up losing. "

"And you believe it was because of the tea?" Edwina asked skeptically.

"I cannot take any chances," Miss Bawden replied. "After all, I am here to win."

Edwina gave her an amused look. "I daresay that you are the most competitive person I know when it comes to pall-mall."

"More so than Lord Winston?"

She hesitated. "Well… perhaps not."

As she said her words, Bennett entered the room and informed them, "Everything has been set up and it is time to play that game of pall-mall."

Miss Bawden jumped up from her seat. "I call the blue mallet."

Bennett chuckled. "I assumed as much, considering you think it holds some kind of magic power."

"All I know is that whenever I play with the blue mallet, I win," Miss Bawden said. "It is too much of a coincidence to ignore."

Miles appeared in the doorway, his gaze seeking out Edwina's. "Are we to be partners again?" he asked.

"I am not opposed to it," Edwina replied.

Miss Bawden bobbed her head in approval. "And I shall partner with Lord Dunsby."

Edwina looked at her friend knowingly. "I can tell that you are already formulating a plan in your head," she said.

"I am," Miss Bawden confirmed. "One must not go into a game of pall-mall without a victory strategy."

Miles approached Edwina and offered his arm. "Shall we come up with a strategy as I escort you to the lawn?"

"I think we have no choice in the matter," Edwina replied, her gloved hand fitting perfectly into the crook of his elbow.

As they made their way out towards the lawn, Miles asked, "Did you go riding this morning? "

"I did, but it was rather early when I left the stables," she replied. "I'm afraid I had a lot on my mind this morning."

"Is that why you missed breakfast?"

"It was," Edwina admitted. "To be honest, I couldn't bring myself to face my uncle. He is not the man that I thought he was."

Miles' eyes held compassion. "We will figure everything out together. You need not worry."

"How can I not?" Edwina asked in a hushed voice. "My aunt will be devastated when she finds out. She adores my uncle."

"Do not be so quick to jump to conclusions," Miles attempted.

Edwina frowned. "I do not understand why you are trying to defend him. That little boy from the cottage looked very much like my uncle."

Miles patted her hand. "Whatever happens, it will be all right. I promise."

"Please don't make promises that you can't keep," Edwina said.

"Who says that I can't keep that promise?"

Edwina's lips tightened in a slight grimace. "When the truth comes out, our lives are going to change and not for the better."

Miles grew silent. "You are allowed to be hurt, angry, and even resentful, but for how long? At some point, you must accept what you cannot change and move forward."

They walked the rest of the way together in silence as Edwina considered Miles' words. She was angry. She was angry on behalf of her aunt. Her cousins. And for anyone else her uncle had deceived. But Miles was right. Her anger could only take her so far. If it consumed her, she was no better than her uncle.

Miles stopped on the lawn and dropped his arm. His eyes strayed towards Miss Bawden, who was in the process of gracefully stretching with her blue mallet in hand.

"I do not understand why Miss Bawden needs to stretch before a game of pall-mall," Miles said.

"No one does, but it is a part of her process," Edwina joked.

Miles walked over and retrieved two mallets. He extended one towards Edwina. "We forgot to discuss our strategy."

"We did, but let's play to win. That could be our strategy."

Miles' eyes crinkled with amusement. "‘Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful'," he said, quoting Shakespeare.

"You have read A Midsummer Night's Dream ?"

"I do not know why you are surprised," Miles said. "I attended university, where we read most of Shakespeare's works in great detail."

Edwina practiced swinging the mallet. "You do not strike me as a man that enjoys Shakespeare."

"I never said I enjoyed Shakespeare, just that I read his works. There is a difference," he pointed out.

Turning to face him, Edwina said, "Yes, I suppose there is. What else do I not know about you?"

"That is a long and very intriguing list," Miles remarked.

Edwina smiled. "I have time, especially since Miss Bawden's stretching routine goes on for quite some time."

Miles swung the mallet over his shoulder. "You should know that pall-mall happens to be one of my talents. Arabella may have been dreadful at it, but I am quite skilled."

Bennett approached them with a confident stride. "Shall we make this game more interesting?" he asked eagerly. Almost too eagerly.

"What do you have in mind?" Miles asked.

"A wager, perhaps," Bennett suggested.

Edwina eyed him skeptically. "What kind of wager?"

"Something simple," Bennett replied. "Whoever wins this match will have the honor of dancing with Edwina first at the soiree."

"What soiree?" Edwina inquired.

With a smirk, Bennett replied, "The one that my mother has been planning for the past few days. You didn't think she would pass on the opportunity to honor our esteemed house guest, did you?"

Edwina gave her cousin a blank stare. "Why hasn't she asked me for help in planning such an event?"

"You have been rather occupied as of late," Bennett remarked.

"When is it?" Edwina asked.

"In three days' time," her cousin informed her.

Edwina turned towards Miles. "Did you know about this?"

Miles shrugged. "This is the first I am hearing about it, as well."

"So we are in agreement, then?" Bennett asked. "The winner will have the privilege of dancing with Edwina for the first set."

Edwina hesitated, unsure if she wanted to be part of this bet. "I don't know, Cousin. What about Miss Bawden? Will she not feel left out?" she asked.

Miss Bawden spoke up from where she stood, adjusting the mallet behind her neck as she continued her stretching routine. "Do not concern yourself with me. I want no part of this wager."

"I accept your wager," Miles abruptly declared.

Bennett smiled triumphantly. "Then let us play pall-mall," he exclaimed, beckoning towards the lawn with a flourish of his hand.

Miles crouched down next to his ball as he tried to decide how to play his next shot. Should he send the ball through the arch or should he hit Bennett's ball off course? He couldn't quite decide what he should do. But he wanted to win this game of pall-mall. Not just so he could claim the first dance with Edwina at the soiree, but so he could knock that smug look off Bennett's face.

At least that is what he kept telling himself.

He did want to dance with Edwina and hold her in his arms, even if it was just for a moment. He had longed to hold her again since they had embraced, an embrace that was merely an act of kindness for Edwina. But it had meant something to him. With every moment they spent together, he found himself becoming more bewitched by her beauty and her kindness.

As if sensing his inner turmoil, Edwina crouched down next to him, her delicate features illuminated by a halo of sunlight. "What is your play?" she asked softly.

Miles tore his gaze away from her and focused on the alley once more. But it was proving difficult when she was so close. "I'm not quite sure," he replied. "At this angle, I could hit my ball through the arch, or I could knock Bennett's ball out of the way, making his next shot much more difficult."

"Whatever you think is best," she encouraged.

"We are one point ahead, and I want to keep the lead," Miles said.

Edwina nodded her understanding. "I want to win, as well, but it doesn't seem like you are enjoying yourself."

Miles forced a smile onto his lips. "I am," he responded, but even he could hear the lack of genuine enthusiasm in his voice.

She didn't look convinced by his lackluster effort. "If you say so…" Her words trailed off.

"I do," he insisted.

Leaning closer, Edwina lowered her voice and said, "If this is about the dance… "

He spoke over her. "No, it is about beating Bennett," he lied. It was so much more than just beating Bennett. He wanted that first dance with her.

"Oh," Edwina responded, the hurt evident in her tone.

Miles felt like a muttonhead for treating Edwina so poorly. But he couldn't risk revealing his true feelings and potentially ruining everything between them.

"Well, I wish you luck," Edwina said before rising.

Miles rose with her. "Pall-mall is not purely a game of chance, but one of skill as well," he stated.

"It is also meant to be enjoyable," she pointed out with a teasing smile.

Bennett cleared his throat from where he stood back with Miss Bawden. "You two are doing an enormous amount of talking, but not enough playing," he called out to them.

Miles nodded in acknowledgement and adjusted his grip on the mallet as he took his position by his ball. He focused on lining up his shot, blocking out all other distractions. With a steady swing, he hit the ball and watched it knock Bennett's ball out of the way before going through the arch.

A smirk tugged at Miles' lips as he turned to face Bennett. "Good luck winning now," he declared.

As his words left his mouth, Edwina shouted, "Winston!"

Miles turned his head and saw Lord Winston approaching. His dark hair was brushed forward and there was a warm smile on his face as he held out his arms for Edwina.

Keeping hold of his mallet, Miles made his way over to Winston and greeted him. "It is good to see you. It has been far too long."

Winston's smile widened. "Yes, it has," he agreed. "Last I heard you were off saving the world on the Continent."

Miles chuckled wryly. "I didn't do much saving, but I was on the Continent," he corrected.

"Yes, but now you can enact real change in the House of Lords," Winston said. "Those stuffy lords would be fools if they didn't take advantage of your youth and unique perspective."

As soon as Bennett and Miss Bawden joined him, Winston's smile faltered. His expression turned stoic as he addressed Miss Bawden. "It is good to see you again, Miss Bawden," he said curtly.

Miss Bawden responded with a graceful curtsy, her voice matching the same tone as Winston's. "My lord," she murmured.

Edwina chimed in, drawing Winston's attention. "Did you hear your mother plans to throw a soiree?"

"I had not heard that, but Mother does love any excuse for a social event," Winston replied.

"It is to honor our esteemed guest," Bennett added.

Winston grinned. "Ah, yes. Times have certainly changed. Last time I saw Miles, he was running shirtless across the lawn at Oxford, which was quite out of character for him."

Miles let out a hearty laugh. "I may have had a bit too much to drink that night and Bennett dared me to do it."

"And naturally, you couldn't resist Bennett's dare," Winston joked.

"I am afraid not," Miles replied good-naturedly. "It was a matter of honor."

Winston let out his own laugh before saying, "Well, it is good to see that you haven't changed too much."

Miles' smile slowly faded as Winston's words reminded him of the past year's struggles. He had gone to hell and back, but with Edwina's unwavering support and friendship, he had emerged from his anger and pain. It still lingered in the corners of his mind, but it was now tolerable.

"Have you seen Mother yet?" Bennett asked.

Winston shook his head. "Not yet. I saw you were playing pall-mall on the lawn and I came out here first."

"Mother will want to see you at once," Bennett remarked. "Come, I will take you to her. "

With a glance at the pall-mall alley on the lawn, Winston asked, "What of your game of pall-mall?"

"We can continue our game later this afternoon," Bennett said.

Miles interjected, "Bennett is just trying to delay the inevitable. He knows he is going to lose the bet."

Winston raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What bet?"

"The honor of dancing the first set with Edwina at the soiree," Bennett replied.

Turning towards Edwina, Winston perused the length of her. "Last time I saw you, you were dressed in deep mourning for your father. But now you are attending soirees and dancing?"

Edwina bobbed her head. "It is more of a recent development."

"I'm glad, Cousin," Winston said, his words genuine. "Dare I ask what brought about this change?"

Edwina's green eyes flickered towards Miles, her lips curving into a small smile. "Lord Hilgrove helped me to look past my grief, allowing me to see the good in the world again."

"Interesting," Winston muttered, shifting his gaze towards Miles. "For what it is worth, thank you for helping my cousin."

Miles inclined his head graciously. "It was my pleasure, but she has helped me far more than I have helped her," he admitted.

After he uttered his words, Winston and Bennett exchanged a knowing look that Miles couldn't quite decipher.

Bennett gestured towards the manor behind them. "Shall we go see Mother now?"

Miss Bawden took a step back. "I should be going," she said. "But I shall return for the rest of our game."

"We shall send word," Edwina informed her.

"Thank you," Miss Bawden responded. "Although, I fear that my lucky blue mallet will not help us win this game."

Winston gave Miss Bawden a disbelieving look. "You are resorting to a lucky mallet to win pall-mall now?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

"I've had quite the winning streak," Miss Bawden defended.

"Yes, well, that is because you have not played with me lately," Winston boasted with a smug smile. "I have beaten you more times than you have won."

"Many of those wins are contested," Miss Bawden remarked.

Miles lifted his brow. "Contested wins?" he asked.

"You shouldn't have asked," Winston muttered.

Miss Bawden tilted her chin. "Lord Winston has been known to move his ball to line up a better shot."

Winston scoffed. "That was one time, and it was just a practice game," he defended with a slight rise in his voice.

"So you say, but no one else moved their balls. Just you," Miss Bawden remarked.

Looking heavenward, Winston insisted, "It was a practice game."

Miss Bawden shrugged. "I suppose everyone else wanted a challenge by keeping their balls where they landed."

Winston narrowed his eyes at Miss Bawden, but before he could respond, Bennett interrupted, "As fun as this conversation is, we should probably go find Mother now."

"Yes, let's," Edwina said in agreement, no doubt sensing the tension between Winston and Miss Bawden.

Miss Bawden offered a polite smile to the rest of the group. "I look forward to finishing the game." Her smile disappeared when it landed on Winston. "Lord Winston, as always, a pleasure." Her words lacked any sincerity.

As Miss Bawden walked towards her coach, Winston placed his hand on Edwina's shoulder and said, "I don't know why you insist on spending your time with Miss Bawden."

Edwina laughed. "You are the only one that seems to have an issue with her. Everyone else seems to adore Miss Bawden. "

"I find that hard to believe," Winston said.

Bennett chimed in "It is true. I find Miss Bawden to be quite delightful."

Winston dropped his hand from Edwina's shoulder and turned to Miles. "What say you?" he asked. "Is Miss Bawden diabolical or a delight?"

Miles put his hand up. "I take no issue with Miss Bawden since she has been nothing but kind to me."

"Traitors," Winston muttered.

Edwina linked her arm with Winston and led him towards the manor. "Your mother will be thrilled to see you since we don't see very much of you now that you are a barrister."

As the group made their way inside, Miles trailed behind and saw how Edwina's face lit up as she talked to her cousins. Did she smile that way when she was with him? He hoped so. Her happiness was starting to become very important to him.

Winston glanced back at Miles and asked, "How long do you intend on staying here?"

"About another week or so. I need to return to my estate to ensure everything is in order before I travel to London for the Season," Miles replied.

"Well, it seems that wonders never cease," Winston remarked. "I didn't think we would see you participate in the Season."

"It is time I take up my seat in the House of Lords," Miles explained.

Winston arched an eyebrow. "And you will be attending all the social events that come with it?"

"I intend to," Miles responded.

Edwina came to a stop in the entry hall and dropped her arm. "Lord Hilgrove has even offered to help ease me into Society."

"Did he now?" Winston's critical gaze swept over Miles, his lips pursed in disapproval. "How thoughtful of him."

"Isn't it, though?" Edwina responded .

Winston directed his attention towards Miles, his jaw set and his words taking on a sharp tone. "It would appear that you have been rather attentive to my cousin."

"No more than any friend would," Miles said, attempting to ward off Winston's anger.

"Winston!" Lady Dallington exclaimed as she appeared in the doorway of the drawing room. "You have finally arrived."

Leaning towards Miles, Winston spoke in a hushed voice, "We will continue this conversation later." With that, he rushed over to his mother's awaiting arms. "Mother!"

Lady Dallington embraced her son warmly. "How I have missed you! Your visits are far too infrequent."

"I'm afraid I have responsibilities in London that I must see to," Winston shared.

Taking a step back, Lady Dallington said, "You work too hard. You must learn to have fun. Perhaps even take a wife."

Winston let out an exasperated huff. "Bennett first."

"I fear that Bennett is a lost cause, at least in the marriage department," Lady Dallington sighed.

Bennett frowned. "You do realize I can hear you, Mother."

Lady Dallington's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Of course, Dear. I made sure to say it loud enough for you to hear," she said before turning her attention back to Winston. "Are you hungry? Tired?"

Winston brought a hand to his stomach. "Actually, now that you mention it, I am rather famished. The food at the boarding house was rather lacking this morning."

"Then let us go to the kitchen and have the cook prepare your favorites," Lady Dallington suggested.

"Before we go, is Father in his study?" Winston asked. "I should greet him."

Lady Dallington's smile faltered. "I'm afraid not. He had some business to attend to in the village, but he should be returning shortly. "

Miles noticed Edwina's back had grown rigid at the mention of her uncle's absence. Seeking out her gaze, he saw a profound sadness in her eyes that made his heart ache for her. If only he could make everything better for Edwina, but he knew he was fighting an uphill battle.

Still, he was determined to try… for her sake.