Chapter 43

CHAPTER 43

H anna lay in bed, her body racked with pain but her heart hurting far more. Her ankle throbbed, and the cuts on her legs and arms from when she’d fallen from the horse directly into a rose bush smarted. But it was nothing compared to the ache that gripped her chest—cold and insistent.

Edwin didn’t believe her; he’d accused her of treachery, deception, and of being no better than her father. And, she admitted to herself, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

She drew the pillow close and buried her face in it, feeling the hot sting of tears that wouldn’t be held back. How could she ever blame him? How could she ask him for forgiveness when she’d done the very things he accused her of?

She had lied, misled, and hidden things from him. But even though she wanted to direct her anger toward him—toward their marriage of convenience, toward his ulterior motives—she couldn’t. Edwin had married her to uncover the truth, to avenge his brother, and to redeem his family name.

It was a pursuit she understood all too well. For how could he have imagined that the father of his bride, a young woman he barely knew, could have committed such horrors?

Tears rolled down her cheeks, pooling on the pillow. She was his wife, yet she was also the daughter of the man who had ordered his brother’s murder, the woman who had unknowingly aided a murderer.

The shame was unbearable. Would Edwin ever forgive her? Could he?

Just then, the door flew open, and she jolted, sitting up as quickly as her injuries would allow. It was Edwin. The look in his eyes was wild, and before she could say a word, he darted across the room to her bed. He sat next to her and reached for her hand. She winced, as the movement jostled her leg, and his face softened with concern.

“Hanna,” he murmured, his voice laced with worry. “Are you all right? I heard what happened… I had to come.”

She nodded weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I… I fell from my horse. There are scratches and bruises on my arms and legs,” she admitted as her ankle began throbbing anew. “And my ankle…” Her voice trembled.

Gently, Edwin inspected her swollen, discolored ankle, his touch both tentative and comforting. “I’ll call for the physician at once,” he said, but his eyes never left hers. “But tell me, Hanna, why did you run?”

She looked down, her voice thick with unshed tears. “I had to get away—I had to. I could not stand to be here any longer, knowing what you thought of me and what you and my father were about to get into. Pray, why are you here, Edwin?” she whispered.

His expression softened as he gazed at her. “Because I care,” he replied simply, his fingers gently stroking hers. “Your father confessed to everything. He told me everything he did and admitted that he did indeed blackmail you. I didn’t believe you. I am sorry. I simply was so overcome by the letters that Jenkins found in your chamber that I thought I had been betrayed and I let this cloud my judgment. I… I… Hanna, I felt betrayed and broken because the truth is that I love you.”

“You do?” she asked, shaken by his confession.

“Yes, but I was afraid to tell you because I worried what you would say when you found out that I married you purely to gain access to your father. It is true that I felt that way in the beginning, but I grew to care for you, and then… and then I grew to love you. I still do. I know I should have told you everything long before now, but I was afraid—afraid I’d lose you forever.”

Hanna’s breath hitched, and she looked up at him, blinking back tears. “Even after everything?” Her voice broke, and a fresh tear rolled down her cheek. “You still care for me?”

Remorse flashed across Edwin’s face. He shook his head and squeezed her hand gently. “I can, Hanna. And I do. I spoke with your father. As I said, he admitted everything. He is a horrid, dangerous man, and I put you in danger by asking for your help. And yet… all I can ask now is for your forgiveness.” His voice, rough with emotion, wrapped around her like a balm. “You don’t have to forgive me. I don’t deserve it. But Hanna, please know that I would do anything— anything —to make it right.”

Her heart, still fragile and raw, began to beat a little stronger as his words registered. She looked up, her voice shaking with the weight of her confession. “I didn’t think you would forgive me, Edwin. I thought I’d lost you forever because I didn’t tell you what I knew either. But I swear, everything I did—however wrong—I did because I wanted to protect you. My father threatened Emma… and he threatened you. I couldn’t bear it if he hurt either of you.”

She took a deep breath. “But then, in his study, I found that letter—the one where he’d tried to stop the man he hired from murdering Benjamin. That’s when I knew he’d lied to me… that he’d lied to everyone. I wanted to tell you the truth then, and…” Her words faltered, her face pale as she looked down.

Edwin lifted her chin, his eyes bright with understanding. “I believe you, Hanna. I believe you, and I am so sorry for not trusting you from the start.”

Hanna held her breath, hardly daring to let herself hope.

Unable to hold back any longer, Edwin pulled her into his arms, cradling her as though she were something precious. The love she had only dreamed of now shone in his eyes, fierce and unwavering.

“When I realized how wrong I was, I thought it was all over. That we’d never be able to get back to each other,” he whispered hoarsely, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And I couldn’t bear it. I love you, Hanna.”

Her heart flipped, and she lifted her face to his. “Say it again,” she pleaded softly, her heart trembling with hope.

He smiled, tracing his thumb along her cheek. “I love you, Hanna. I love you with everything in me. Please forgive me and give me another chance.”

Tears filled her eyes anew, but this time they were tears of relief. “I forgive you. Of course, I do. Hearing what my father has done—I can’t blame you for trying to prove your brother’s innocence. But you? Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, I do. Let us start over without deceit and lies. Without your father’s shadow or ugly rumors.”

“Yes, I want that too. And I am sorry…”

“Shh, my love. No more apologies.” He silenced her with a gentle kiss, one filled with the tenderness of all that had been unsaid.

In that kiss, they each found forgiveness, a promise to leave the shadows behind and walk into a future bright with love.

They pulled apart, and Hanna’s hand found his, her fingers tracing his knuckles. She felt, for the first time in a long while, that they were at peace. That together, they could face whatever lay ahead.