Chapter Twenty-Two

Afirm knock sounded upon the door.

Georgie didn't move.

"Georgie, open the door now," Mama said firmly.

Reluctantly, she pushed off the bed and went to the door, turning the lock. Immediately, the door opened. Her mother hurried inside and closed the door, concern written on her face. Though Georgie had thought she had shed every tear within her, she broke out in new sobs, falling into her mother's arms.

"There, dear, it is all right," Mama said, her tone soothing as she stroked her daughter's hair. "Weep if you wish."

She did. Hard, heaving sobs erupted as her mother guided her to the window seat. Mama sat, pulling Georgie's head into her lap. She cried for some minutes, Mama smoothing her hair, allowing her to cry.

Finally, the tears subsided. She sat up.

"Does it hurt?" Mama asked gently.

"Terribly," she admitted. "I have never been in love, Mama. And now Edgethorne has stomped upon my heart. I am so terribly sad, but I am also angry at him."

"You should be. He trifled with you, dearest. What I do not understand is why. It seems so out of character for him."

Georgie bit her lip. "I think so, too. Oh, Mama, we have spent so many hours in conversation. I thought we knew everything about one another. He has even talked to me about the war and how his injuries came to be."

Mama squeezed Georgie's hand. "Then he trusted you quite a bit in order to share that horror with you."

Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears. "My heart aches. Truly aches, Mama. Can a person die from a broken heart?"

"No. You only wish you could."

She recalled what her mother had shared with her and Pippa before her twin wed. How Mama had once loved a boy before her marriage, a lowly baron's son. Her parents had grand ambitions for their daughter, though, and had forced Mama to wed the Duke of Seaton.

"How did you survive after your parents made you wed Papa?" she asked.

Her mother shook her head. "At first, I thought I would not be able to go on. All I yearned for were those magical kisses with the young man I had grown to love. I had no desire to become a duchess. I was expected to obey my parents, however, and so I did as they demanded. I went to my wedding with a heavy heart, knowing I loved another. As a dutiful wife, I had to allow Seaton to touch me."

Mama's eyes filled with tears. "I did not think I would survive, so heavy was my heart, Georgina dearest. Then I discovered I was with child. Something primal in me awoke, knowing I was responsible for the life inside me. I could not mope about. I had something—someone—to live for. Slowly, my heart healed. I put aside all notions about my first and only love. Then I had you and Pippa to love. That changed everything."

"But I have no one else I wish to wed, Mama, much less have a baby with," Georgie said. "All I can think about is Edgethorne and his kisses."

She saw determination in her mother's eyes. "You must make a choice. Live in the past—or look to the future. It is one I made. I know you wished for a love match. That still could come to pass, Georgina. Finish this Season. If no other gentleman catches your eye, there is always next year. But it is up to you now. How you will handle your situation. You can go to your ball tonight and laugh and dance and enjoy the company who has come to celebrate you.

"Or you can pine for a man who is not worthy of you."

She swallowed. "I do not think I can stop loving Edgethorne, Mama. At least not right away. But I know how hard you have worked to put together tonight's ball. And I want to go and dance the night away."

Mama kissed Georgie's cheeks. "A wise decision, dearest. Put aside your hurt for a few hours and enjoy tonight. You may be sad tomorrow. The day after. Even a month or six months after. But the sadness will lessen with time. That, I can promise you."

She hugged Mama fiercely. "I will wait for love, Mama. Even if I must wait a lifetime."

Her mother framed her face with her hands. "I do hope you will find it, Georgina." Mama kissed her brow.

"I hope you will find it, too."

"I had hot water sent up to my chambers for your bath."

Georgie smiled through her tears. "You mean, because I would not open the door to any of the maids?"

"Yes, there was that," Mama said, smiling. "But I thought we might get ready together."

She took her mother's hand, and they went to prepare for the ball. Georgie allowed herself to be bathed and dressed and fussed over. Her hair was simply dressed. She wore the locket Mama had given her about her neck.

Then James and Sophie arrived, and her brother presented her with a pair of sapphire earrings.

"We thought you needed something special to wear to tonight's ball," he told her.

"They're lovely," Georgie said, donning them and admiring her image in the mirror. She sprang to her feet and embraced them both. "Thank you so much. I am sorry for storming out from tea this afternoon."

Sophie touched her cheek gently. "It is quite all right, Georgie. You had every right to be hurt. I only hope you will put aside that hurt and enjoy tonight's affair."

Smiling for the first time in hours, she said, "I plan to."

"We should head downstairs," Mama said. "It is almost time for our guests to arrive. I want to look everything over one last time."

She accompanied her mother, first to the kitchens, then the supper room, and finally the ballroom itself.

"Oh, Mama! You have outdone yourself," Georgie exclaimed, turning in circles as she inspected the decorations. "It looks like a garden party, only brought indoors. And it smells heavenly."

Mama slipped an arm about Georgie's waist. "I am glad you approve. Shall we go join James and Sophie?"

They did so, and soon the receiving line was out the door of the townhouse. Georgie stood between Sophie and Mama, smiling brightly, welcoming their guests. Yes, her heart was heavy, and there were a few times she wanted to scream, but she kept her poise and nodded graciously, thanking all their guests for coming this evening.

"That's the last of them," James said, relief obvious in his voice. He looked to his wife. "Do you think we could simply steal away to our bedchamber now? The musicians could play. The people could dance and eat and drink."

"Without their hosts?" Sophie said, grinning at him. Slipping her hand through his arm, she added, "You are the Duke of Seaton, Your Grace. This is our last ball to attend before I give up social affairs for the rest of this Season." She rubbed her belly for emphasis. "And the next time we host a ball, we will go and kiss this little one goodnight before attending to our guests."

Georgie swallowed hard, seeing the tender look pass between the couple. She had wanted this for her and Edgethorne. The closeness. The love. The intimacy. She still could not fathom why he had dropped her so abruptly. Perhaps she might never know. But Mama was right. She had a choice to make. To wallow in misery or choose to move forward. She had her family. Her music.

And somewhere out there, she might find true love.

Her gaze met Mama's, and Georgie raised her chin a notch. "Shall we go inside?"

Mama took Georgie's hands in hers. "I am so very proud of you, Georgina. I hope you realize that."

"I do, Mama. I am proud of you, too."

"Let us go open this ball," James said gruffly. "I shall dance with my duchess, then Georgie, then Mama. That will be all the dancing for me."

The four approached the ballroom doors. Georgie could hear the buzz of conversation. She paused, gathering her courage, and then stepped inside. Within moments, she was surrounded, gentlemen demanding she allow them to sign her programme.

"No, I will not worry about gentlemen signing my dance card this evening," she told those gathered about her. "But I do plan to dance often." She scanned those in front of her. "I believe I will dance with Lord Bottlesworth first."

The earl smoothly stepped forward and took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. "I will be happy to open the ball with you, Lady Georgina."

"Lead the way, my lord," she called gaily, thinking if she sounded happy and acted so, she might actually convince herself that she was.

They joined James and Sophie, and then Mama and one of her frequent suitors met them in the center of the room. Her brother nodded to the musicians, who had been tuning their instruments.

"Let the music begin," James called out.

Soon, Georgie was swept away in the music. She danced each number, from country dances to cotillions. Music had always been a large part of her life, and dancing was an extension of that. Despite the hurt she carried within, she put on a brave face and finally began enjoying herself.

Until she caught sight of Lord Edgethorne.

*

August had remainedlocked in his study after sending the note and books to Seaton. He had told Redding he would not be dining tonight and had refused the tray Cook had sent to him. He sat in the dark now, peering out the open window, hearing the activity of carriages dropping off guests for the ball.

The ball where he was to have asked for Lady Georgina's hand in marriage.

He cursed under his breath for the tenth time. Or twentieth. By now, he had lost count. All he knew was that the ache inside him was so great that he wished it would swallow him whole. He had not felt so wretched nor been so despondent since he'd been injured on the battlefield. When he had lost his eye and fingers, along with his commission, August had thought life was over for him. Then he'd suffered the blow of losing Peter and had the title thrust upon him. His gloom and melancholy had deepened.

Yet meeting Lady Georgina Strong had changed all that. From the beginning, she had responded to August, the man—not August, the monster. She had seen past his wretched appearance, drawing him in with her goodness and smiles, slowly making him a part of her family. She had given him the courage to begin to speak to others. She had also given him her time and friendship, as well as beautiful, shared kisses.

"Bloody hell," he said to himself, a revelation striking him hard as lightning. "She truly wants to be with me."

Saying the words aloud convinced him of the fact. Lady Georgina Strong might be gentle and good, but she would not have spent the time with him that she had simply because she was nice. No, she had wanted to be in his company. She was a soft-spoken woman with a large heart, but she hadn't been nice to him simply to be nice. She cared about him.

And he had treated her like rubbish.

Oh, he was a fool indeed.

The small stirrings of hope began again inside him, like embers begging to be turned into a flame. If Lady Georgina hadn't cared for him, she would have politely let him know. Instead, she had met him daily. Kissed him. Talked about everything under the sun with him. And August had taken away her choice. If anything, it should be up to the lady to choose or reject him.

He bounded to his feet, racing from the room. "Pole! Pole! I must dress at once."

Servants appeared from all corners, his valet among them. "Of course, my lord. I set out your evening clothes in case you changed your mind."

"Then get me into them right away! I've a ball to attend. A very important ball."

August ran up the stairs, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He slowed his pace, walking to his ducal rooms, allowing Pole to undress and then redress him. He combed his hair and took a final look at himself in the mirror. The battle scars had faded, as Dr. Morrow said they would. They still were prominent, marring his once handsome appearance, but he found he could look past them.

Just as Lady Georgina had.

"I hope it is not too late," he said quietly to himself, bidding his valet a good evening and returning downstairs.

To save time, he crossed to the garden square and entered the gate, cutting through the small park and exiting on the other side. The receiving line would have ended long ago, and Lady Georgina's dance card would have filled by now. He only hoped he might speak to her for a few moments.

Knocking upon the door, a footman opened it, recognizing him.

"Good evening, Lord Edgethorne. The guests have all arrived and are upstairs in the ballroom."

"Thank you."

With a pounding heart and full of trepidation, August mounted the stairs, the music growing louder as he approached. He entered the ballroom, his eyes immediately sweeping across it, searching for Lady Georgina.

For the woman he loved.

He spotted her and watched for a moment. Her color was high as she danced to a lively tune. For a moment, he almost turned and left because she looked so happy. Apparently, she hadn't missed him at all.

Then she spied him, their gazes locking. She stopped dancing and stood still, looking upon him. Her partner tried to get her into step with him, but she turned, saying something to him and exiting the dance floor.

She came toward him, and August saw she trembled. He met her and caught her hands in his, holding them tightly.

"You... came. I thought I would never see you again."

"I am a bloody fool," he admitted, drawing her away from the others and toward a large potted fern, stepping beside it, hoping it might give them a bit of privacy, shielded by the large plant.

He still held her hands as she said, "You most certainly are, my lord. Why, I thought you were going to offer for me tonight. I was going to tell you that I loved you."

"You do?" he asked, his heart skipping a beat.

She frowned. "I should not have said that to such a coward."

He winced. "You are right. I was a coward. I should have looked you in the eyes and told you I could never wed you."

She bit her lip. "I suppose you found your courage and came to do so now."

"No, my lady. I came to tell you how much I love you." He raised her hands and kissed her fingers. "How I cannot live without you." He kissed them again. "How I was a dolt to think I could go on without you."

Color flooded her cheeks. "What?"

He shook his head. "I overheard two gossips going on about us in the bookshop today. I was going to offer for you tonight, but I let their vile words inside my head. I was afraid if we wed, you would grow miserable, being stuck with a man such as myself."

"Stuck with you? Stuck with you?" she repeated. "I want to be with you, Edgethorne. More than anything else. I love you—and have for ever so long."

August smiled at her. "And I love you, Georgina Strong. More than I could ever put into words."

She frowned at him. "You should have not listened to those gossips. They prattle on about James and Sophie, but you do not see it affecting them."

He continued to smile at her. "I know that now. But I wanted to give you the choice. To make a life with me or not."

She cocked her head and studied him. "You do recall I do not wish for a marriage of convenience, my lord."

"I seem to remember that," he said lightly. "I believe I was wrong about wanting one for myself. Instead, I want a woman who is my other half. My soulmate. My closest friend. My lover. My be-all and end-all." He paused. "No, not any woman. One woman alone. I want you as my wife, Georgina Strong. No other will ever do."

Tears misted her eyes. "Do you truly mean that, August? You want love? You want me?"

"It has always been you, Georgina. Always. You pulled me from the depths of despair. You made me want to live again. Not just exist, but live. With you in my life and by my side. You saw past all the ugliness and have brought light into my life."

August dropped to one knee, her hands still in his. "Will you have me, Georgina? Be my marchioness? The mother of my children?"

The smile that lit her beautiful face made his heart sing. "Yes, August. Yes. A thousand and one times, my answer is yes!"

He leapt to his feet and did something out of character. Or perhaps it was out of character before he had fallen in love. Somehow, August believed he would be demonstrating his love for this woman in countless ways, both public and private, over the next several decades.

Taking her into his arms, he kissed her. Soundly. His kiss promised her all the things he had yet to say to her, but he knew she understood, all the same. They were meant to be together. Meant to love and laugh and create a family.

He finally broke the kiss, smiling down at her.

"I love you, Georgina Strong. And now that I have properly ruined you, you'll simply have to wed me."

She laughed merrily. "I hope you will purchase a special license, August. Because I do not think I can stop at mere kisses from now on."

He kissed her again, hard and swift. "I will see to it in the morning, my love. How soon would you like to wed?'

"We better give Mama at least tomorrow to plan the wedding breakfast. How about the day after, Lord Edgethorne? Are you free to wed that morning?"

"I will be happy to be groom to your bride," he said, his heart lighter than it had ever been.

She looked around. "Oh, dear. I believe we have quite an audience watching our every move."

August glanced about, seeing the crowd watching them. "Then we should give them something to talk about."

And he kissed her again.