She was prepared for a long walk through the twisting paths of the hedge maze, and she counted on having that time to process her feelings and calm herself down. But instead, she found the exit almost at once, following the very first path she tried. She hadn’t been as deep in the maze as she had believed herself to be. It was galling to think that she could have left at any moment—although she knew that she didn’t entirely regret what had happened. Even though she knew sheshouldregret it, she couldn’t bring herself to feel that way. She was glad he had kissed her, though she knew that the kiss would haunt her for a very long time—perhaps forever.
“Lady Edwina!” Molly came hurrying over to her, looking positively distraught. “What happened? Where did you go? I was looking all over for you, and I couldn’t find you. I didn’t know what to think!”
“It’s all right, Molly,” Edwina said quietly. “We were in the maze.”
“Are you all right?”
“I’m all right, yes. We got lost inside the maze, that’s all. I found my way out. Everything’s all right.”
“But what’s happened to the Duke?”
“We’ve decided to end our outing,” Edwina said. “We’re going home, Molly. Come with me.”
“But isn’t the Duke going to walk back with us?” Molly asked. “I would have thought he would.”
“No, I’ve asked him not to,” Edwina said.
“I don’t understand. Did the two of you have an argument?”
Edwina didn’t want to explain what had happened. She certainly wasn’t going to tell her maid about that kiss. “Everything is fine,” she assured Molly. “But we need to be heading back now.”
“Very well,” Molly said. “If that’s what you wish, Lady Edwina.”
Edwina was in a hurry to get moving, wanting to leave the gardens before the Duke emerged from the maze. It would be uncomfortable if they had to see one another again after the way their last conversation had ended. She didn’t want to have to cope with that.
Even so, the idea of not seeing him again—never seeing him again—was a painful one. It was hard to process. And even worse was the knowledge that she almost certainlywouldsee him, at balls and parties, and yet there would be even less between them than there was now. She would see him with other ladies. Perhaps one day soon, he would find his duchess, and she would be forced to see the two of them together.
And though she had never wanted him for her own, she felt a powerful sense of sadness and loss at the realization that he would now belong to someone else instead and that there was nothing she could do about it. She would simply have to accept it.
She very much did not want to cry in front of Molly, so she held her breath and choked back her tears as the two of them made their way home. As soon as they had reached the house, before any members of her family could stop her, she excused herself and hurried up to her bedroom.
Matthew would be upset with her for leaving Lord Kentrow behind and going out with the Duke instead. And Lavinia, when she heard this news, would be horribly disappointed that Edwina had ended her dates with the Duke early.
There was no hope of making anyone in her family happy. Edwina saw that now. All she could hope to do was to reach a solution that didn’t mean misery for herself.
But right now, that didn’t feel possible either.
CHAPTER 20
“Allan, I’ve arranged for us to have guests for the next three days, and they’ll be arriving shortly, so I would appreciate it if you’d take the time to make yourself presentable.”
Allan stared at his grandmother. “What on Earth are you talking about?” he demanded. “I didn’t give permission for you to invite anyone to Harbeck Estate.”
“Yes, there’s a reason I did it without seeking your permission,” she informed him. “You wouldn’t have given your blessing if I had asked, would you?”
“No, I wouldn’t. Who exactly are these people?”
“The Baroness of Manning and her daughter, Miss Catherine.”
“I’ve never even heard of them,” Allan said. “They aren’t friends of yours, are they?”
“We met recently.”
“And you saw fit to invite them to the house without discussing it with me?” Allan sighed. “You’re very lucky that I can’t tell them to get right back in their carriage and return home—I’d do just that if it didn’t constitute such rude behavior. What on Earth possessed you?”
“The young lady is a debutante this season, and her mother is determined to see her married.”
“What of that? Every debutante’s mother dreams of a match in her first season. I fail to see what it has to do with us.”
