Chapter 18

eighteen

N EVILLE’S WORDS HAUNTED Edith the day after the ball as she volunteered at the hospital early in the morning. More than Neville’s words, his tone bothered her. He’d been completely serious when he’d talked about her overdue payment, even straight up telling he was ready to force her if he needed to.

“You seem upset,” Mrs. Richards said with hesitant words.

“Only a bit worried. Silly personal problems I won’t trouble you with.” She pulled her chair closer to Mrs. Richards’s bed and raised a hand. “Squeeze my hand.”

Edith was helping Mrs. Richards practise the same exercises Perry had done to improve mobility. As a seamstress, Mrs. Richards needed to regain the use of her hands. The woman frowned, closing her fingers around Edith’s. Her cheeks reddened, but the pressure applied by her hand was rather light. A sign she needed to exercise more.

“Well done.” Edith held the woman’s hand. “You’re making progress.”

Mrs. Richards sagged on the pillow. “I’m tired.”

“We’ll continue another day.”

She shook her head. “They asked me to leave. They need the bed.”

Edith paused while standing up. “But you haven’t recovered yet.”

She shrugged. “My husband will take me home this evening.”

Staying at home with her family had its benefits, but Mrs. Richards’s condition required care. Her husband needed to work to support his family, and Mrs. Richards wouldn’t have anyone to watch over her, help her exercise, or stimulate her speech.

Edith hugged her, careful not to hurt her. Every word of comfort coming up in her mind sounded like a lie, so she simply hugged the woman.

There had to be something she could do.

“Thank you,” Mrs. Richards said.

But Edith hadn’t done anything.

Later, after she left the hospital, she took her time to walk to Perry’s house. The day was particularly bright, and the sunlight warmed her cheeks. It was the first time she’d enjoyed the sunlight in years, as strange as it sounded. Intense nightlife and walks in the sunlight weren’t good companions.

On top of everything else, she couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. The beautiful, sweet, wonderful kiss. It’d been a chaste kiss compared to other kisses she’d shared. She’d experienced more savage kisses that had led to messy tumbles and awkward moments, but Perry’s kiss had left a shock of sensations through her body like the aftermath of an earthquake. The ripples still tickled her.

She entered his study, inhaling the scent of freshly brewed tea and scones. “Good afternoon,” she said.

He stood up, hands clasped behind his back, handsome in a dark suit. The sunlight agreed with him. It made his inky hair glossy and his eyes a deeper blue.

“In time for tea.” A fleeting smile graced his lips—lips that she knew were soft and demanding—and was gone in a blink, which made her realise how rarely he smiled. “I trust you’re well.”

“Yes. Last night was unexpectedly pleasant, especially when I was in the conservatory.”

He gave her a mischievous grin. “I agree. The conservatory was one of the best moments of the past years. Unforgettable. I’ll always cherish it.”

She sat on the chair next to him. He sat down as well. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. They stared at each other, smiling and letting the happiness of being together speak for them.

“What are we going to do today?” she asked.

“Reading shouldn’t be a problem for me, but I need to go through these documents.” He deposited a thick folder on the desk. “We’ll share it.”

“Great.”

“But I must warn you. They’re rather uninteresting. Agricultural reports from my estates. Please take note whenever barley is mentioned.”

Uninteresting was an understatement.

After a couple of hours of reading boring reports on the fluctuation of the price of barley, potatoes, and cabbage, Edith was about to either fall asleep on the desk or scream out of boredom. Whenever she blinked, visions of vegetables floated through her mind.

The worst thing was that the day had remained perfect. Not a cloud marred the absolute blue sky. A light breeze cleaned the coal dust from the air and carried a hearty scent of wet soil. Days like that were a rarity, and she longed for a walk in the park, some sunshine, or listening to the birds’ song.

“Right-o.” Perry set aside the documents they’d finished and selected a new folder. “We can start with the reports on…” He opened the folder and read. “Changes of the values in extraction coal production.”

Oh, goodness. “Can we take a walk?” She propped her elbow on the desk and rested her chin on her palm. “Please?”

He scrunched up his face as if she’d spoken in a foreign language. “A walk?”

She gestured at the window. “Look at the sunshine. The sky is a solid blue. The temperature is delightful. The breeze is perfect. We’ve been sitting here for hours.”

He furrowed his brow. “Yes, that’s called working.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure even workers are entitled to a break. It’s good for one’s health.”

“You may go if you want. I don’t take walks in the park.”

“Yes, I gathered that much.” She rose, and he stood up as well. “But I’d like to go with you. Just an hour. We might buy something to eat from a street vendor and enjoy it on a bench in the park, watching the birds flying around.”

His eyes flared wide. “I don’t eat street food.”

“Baked potatoes are delicious, or we can have a slice of pork pie or a Cornish pasty. Come on, Perry. Take a walk with me. It’ll be fun.”

There was a quick knock on the door, and Dr. York entered the study. “Perry, I brought you a few bottles of camphor oil. Great for muscle pain.” He came to a stop upon seeing her. His face blanched. “Miss Winkworth.” He bowed.

“Dr. York.” She nodded. “I trust you recovered well from the incident with the artichoke pastry.”

He scrubbed the back of his neck. “I did, thank you. I can’t complain. I tried, but no one ever listens, especially Perry.” He let out a nervous chuckle.

Edith laughed as well while Perry shot his gaze skywards.

“I was trying to convince the earl to take a walk,” she said. “Surely, Dr. York agrees with me about the benefits of exercising.”

“I do. Absolutely.” Dr. York gazed everywhere but in her direction. “Miss Winkworth is right. Perry needs to take a walk. Well, it’s always a pleasure to chat with you, Miss Winkworth.” He put a basket of bottles filled with an amber liquid on a table and left in a hurry.

Perry exhaled as if answering made him tired. “All right. It sounds like madness, but fine. Let’s take a walk.”

“There was a time when you wouldn’t have hesitated to agree to a walk in the park.”

“That time is long gone.” He held the door open for her.

After a footman helped a muttering and scoffing Perry slide into his coat, they headed out. The ride in the hansom cab would be a short one, but she had every intention of enjoying it.

She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the warm sunlight from the window caress her cheeks. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her.

“Isn’t it lovely?” she asked.

He averted his gaze. “It is.”

She touched his hand. “You’ll see, it’ll be great. And as a general rule, ladies are always right, and gentlemen are always wrong.”

“So if I say, ‘by Jove, Edith, you’re right!’, does it make you wrong? We have a paradox.”

She narrowed her gaze. “You truly are a scoundrel.”

He laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh she loved; it calmed the restless feeling always bothering her.

When he helped her out of the cab, deep lines marred his brow again. Children ran along the pavement and the gravel paths of the park. Pretty parasols twirled in the sunlight. Everyone chatted and laughed. The happiness was contagious, at least for her.

Instead, Perry walked with his tall hat down over his face, shoulders hunched, and a scowl that would terrify the most hardened highwayman.

“Perry.” She touched his arm.

He stiffened. “What?” He cleared his throat. “I don’t feel comfortable. Too many people.”

“Do you want to return home? I’m sorry I insisted on taking a walk.” She turned around, ready to leave the park, but he took her arm.

“No, I don’t want to leave. You and Oliver are right. I need to go out more. My only concern is my condition.” He glanced around. “I don’t want any witnesses.”

“We’ll find a nice path that’s not too crowded.” She hooked her arm through his although he remained stiff and tense.

“Thank you.”

His muscles loosened a little when she took one of the less crowded paths. The tree branches were mostly bare, but the warm breeze held the promise of a lovely spring. The scent of wet soil and pine resin was a feast for the senses.

“Do you feel less tense?” she asked.

“I do.” He sounded anything but.

But it was her turn to tense when she spotted the Serpentine. Every time she saw it, no matter how far away, her knees weakened with fear of the water. The sunlight glinted off its smooth surface, glittering with gold. A pretty sight, but fear never failed to chill her.

She hitched a breath as the memory of the rotten smell of the Thames’s water choked her. Swimming through the murky water of the river had been like shoving boulders. Her arms and legs had grown tired quickly because the water was heavy, and the currents had been strong. The smell had almost caused her to faint. To this day, it made her gag. Perhaps coming here had been a mistake.

“Edith.” Perry’s concerned face filled her field of vision. “You’re safe.”

“What?”

“You were shivering.” He caressed her shoulder.

“You know, rabid dogs suffer from hydrophobia, fear of the water.” She focused on the limpid blue of his irises. “I hate the water now. I’m scared of even taking a bath. I’ve been taking only showers for these past years. It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

He gave her a rueful smile. “You’re talking with a man who doesn’t want to see people.”

“But you have a good reason.”

“So have you. I’m not fond of rivers myself.”

Edith focused on a pretty sparrow singing from a tree branch, not to be troubled by the Serpentine. “Marianne had the same problem. She too couldn’t stand the sight of a lake, sea, river, or swimming pool. But she practised every day. She started with small bowls of water where she would sink her foot. Then she used larger containers. It took her a year to take a bath. She has almost overcome her fear of the water altogether.”

“Why didn’t you try it as well?”

She shook her head, remembering those days when Marianne had wanted to convince her to try. “I was tired of feeling pain or being scared. I didn’t care about torturing myself with gruesome exercises. Sometimes, Marianne would cry and shiver when she forced herself to sink into the water. Mother held her hand, crying too and encouraging her. Marianne would become ill, so difficult the contact with the water was for her. Once, she fainted. Another time, she didn’t sleep for days or eat anything. It was awful to watch. I didn’t want to go through that. I’m not as brave as she is.”

Compassion glowed in his eyes. He caressed her cheek. “I have only sympathy for you. I also trust your strength.”

“Your opinion means a lot to me.”

“You can be everything you want,” he insisted. “Even a doctor.” He froze, catching a breath.

“Perry.” She straightened. “Is it a seizure?”

He shook his head slightly. “Blimey, Edith. A snake has just slid under your skirts.” He barely moved his lips when he spoke.

“Honestly?” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “This stupid trick will never work with me.”

He held her shoulders with a firm grip. “I swear it’s not a trick, and don’t make hasty moves.”

“I wouldn’t have fallen for your silly technique to convince a woman to show you her undergarments years ago. I won’t fall for it now. Besides, you have my very revealing painting at your disposal. You have already seen my legs. Let’s find some baked potatoes. I’m famished.” She started to walk, but he stopped her.

“Don’t move!” He licked his bottom lip, remaining really still. “I swear on my honour. It’s not a trick. I’m going to lift your skirt very slowly and remove the snake if I can.”

“You’re hopeless, but a good actor.” She burst out laughing. “I won’t?—”

Something quite muscular and narrow coiled around her calf, slithering up her leg. It couldn’t be a snake. Snakes were supposed to rest under the ground at that time of the year, weren’t they? Although the day was indeed unseasonably warm, and quite honestly, she knew nothing about snakes’ routine.

“Good Lord,” she said.

“Stay still.” He inched her skirt and petticoats up.

“I feel it.” A hysterical note crept into her voice, and tremors crawled down her back. “It’s going up.”

“Stay still and be quiet. Control your breathing.” He pulled up her skirts.

Cool air hit her legs through her stockings as the fabric of her skirts went up. The snake coiled around her knee; she could tell by the pressure around her kneecap.

“Is it a Vipera berus ?” she asked without looking down.

“What the hell is that?”

“An adder.”

“Then say adder, for crying out loud! No, it’s not an adder. It’s an ‘I have no bloody idea.’”

“Perry!”

“It’s a snake. We don’t need to know more. Hold up the skirts and don’t move.” He stepped towards the bushes, and a wave of panic hit her.

She shivered, holding her skirts up while the snake tightened its grip around her leg. “Don’t leave me.”

“I’m not leaving you. I’m searching for a stick. There.” He walked to her slowly. “Stay calm.” He dipped his head, holding a broken tree branch.

She winced as whatever Perry was doing disturbed the snake that reacted by squeezing her leg more tightly. “Hurry.”

The snake hissed.

“Please.” And she thought the water was terrifying?

“Come here,” he said in the gentle tone she would use for cute puppies. As if the snake would behave. “Almost there.”

The tip of the stick scratched her skin through her stockings, but then the pressure of the snake vanished after Perry made a wave gesture with his arm.

He tossed the stick behind her. “Done. It’s gone.”

Edith released her skirts and turned around in time to see a green and brown snake slithering towards the bushes. She shivered from head to toe, her hands cold.

“Heavens.”

“It was shocked, the poor thing.” Perry wiped his hands with his handkerchief.

His comment pulled her out of her shocked stillness.

“The poor thing? What about me? I could have died. Adders are venomous.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so. Adders are rarely lethal. Even I know that.”

“I had a snake around my leg.”

“But nothing happened. You and the snake ruined each other’s day. You’re even.” He hugged her and rubbed her back. “You’ve been very brave.”

“No, I was terrified. I’m shaking.” She rested her head on his chest, snuggling closer to him.

“Let’s go home and have a nice cup of tea.”

The drive home was a blur because Perry was worried Edith might faint, so pale she was. She stared out of the window without saying a word and gripped his hand with surprising strength, almost crushing his fingers.

He sighed when she sat in his study with a hot cup of tea in her hands, in front of the warm hearth.

“Better?” he asked, peering at her from his armchair.

She shivered. “Yes, thank you. I think I’ll follow your example and avoid going to the park from now on. Too dangerous.”

“I doubt an incident like that will repeat itself.”

She blew on her cup, disturbing the steam. “Were you scared?”

He added a sugar cube to his tea. “To be honest, not really. The snake moved sluggishly; it was cold, I guess, and even if it bit you, I doubt it would be lethal. And Oliver or your father would intervene promptly.”

“I didn’t share your optimism. I’m not sure what scares me the most now. The water or the snakes.”

“So I saw.” He twirled the teaspoon in the cup, pondering for the umpteenth time if he should bring up the conversation between Edith and Uncle Neville.

“What troubles you?” She snuggled in the armchair. “Something has been bothering you from the moment I came here. What is it?”

He worked his jaw. “My uncle is causing you trouble, isn’t he?”

“Oh, that.” She rubbed her forehead. “Did you hear my conversation with him?”

“Oliver was a few yards away.”

“Neville…” She cleared her throat. “Apparently, while I was in the Scarlet Room and in my cups, I lost a silly bet against him, and he now demands I stick to my part of the deal.”

“How much do you owe him?” He dipped his head to catch her gaze. “Tell me the sum, and I’ll pay him today. He won’t bother you again.”

Her cheeks turned crimson. She stared at her tea for a long moment. “I don’t owe him money. The stake wasn’t money.” She shifted on the armchair.

A hot flare bothered him. “Hell. It’s you he wants.”

“It was a stupid wager done in the Scarlet Room. I shouldn’t have agreed, but between the champagne and the excitement of the night, I said yes, or so Daphne and Valentine said. Although I do remember something about a bet with Neville.”

A bitter taste soured his mouth. “When he said he could force you, he meant that.”

“I don’t think he did. He was bluffing.” She gave him a fleeting smile before returning her attention to her cup.

“I beg to differ. My uncle is usually very determined.”

She nodded. “He’s always tried to grope me, but?—”

“Excuse me?” He leant forwards. “How dare he!”

“Nothing has ever happened aside from a few brushes and unwanted touches. He teases but never pushes too hard, and I’ve always managed to keep him at bay.”

“That’s hardly better.” He clenched his cup. “Edith, you’ll forgive me if I don’t think that his despicable behaviour means nothing. You made me change my mind about him.”

And about renouncing the title. Albert would be furious to know a man like Uncle Neville was the next earl. Had his parents been alive, they would have been horrified at the thought. Hell, Perry was horrified.

“His actions are troubling, but I can deal with him,” she said.

“He’s my uncle.” He sipped his tea to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth. “I feel responsible for the way he behaved towards you and not at all proud. I could have been like him had the incident with his fiancée never happened.”

“I don’t think so.”

“I firmly believe that responsibilities make us stronger. That’s why I proposed that you work for me.” He paused to finish his tea and control his irritation. “Will you write a letter for me? I have a bad headache.”

She gave him a sceptical look. “Is it for Neville?”

“I mean to tell him that I don’t wish to renounce the title. What you just told me changes everything. Also, I really want to take my responsibility as the new earl. It scares me, but I want my brother to be proud of me.”

She closed her hand around his. “You’ll be a great Earl of Ravenscroft.”

He grinned. “But not a gentleman.”