“I would send someone to undertake them, but I fear any delay will cause her to decline further.”
Her eyes met his. “You intend to go yourself, then?”
“Yes.”
Her mouth pulled to the side for a moment before softening. She nodded. “That is the best course of action. How long is the journey?”
“It is a three days’ ride. I hope to be gone no more than a fortnight. Hopefully less.” He paused, waiting until she looked into his face again. “Amelia, you must know I would not go were this not dire. Barton is—well, he is a long-standing friend of mine. I cannot abandon him. I am aware it will interfere with our plans, and I am terribly sorry for that. If there were any way around it, I would not go.”
“No.” She laid a hand on his wrist. “No, you must go, of course. There is nothing else to be done. Do not worry over me. I shall maintain our farce well enough on my own.” Her smile was insistent, if a little sad.
He both mourned and rejoiced in that smile.
“I will miss you, you know,” he teased lightly, flipping his hand over so that it captured hers within it.
“I do not doubt that.”
He laughed. “I should have known you would not offer the same sentiments in return.”
“I cannot. I fear for your confidence, as well you know.”
He laughed again, and her lips lifted in response. Without thinking, he reached out, brushing the pad of his thumb against her cheek, tracing the indentation left by her smile. She stilled but did not pull away. “Have I mentioned how well you look this evening?”
“I believe so,” she breathed, her eyes searching his.
He drew closer, her lavender scent encasing him. The pull she had on him was nearly more than he could bear.
“Amelia,” he murmured.
Her eyes fluttered closed. He lowered his head to hers.
“Dinner is served, my lord, my lady.”
“Go away, Coombs,” Edward growled.
A curse slipped through his lips as Amelia pulled back, blinking. Devil take his butler. Far from this drawing room, preferably.
Amelia was standing now—when had she risen?—and studiously ignoring his gaze with flushed cheeks. Edward wished Coombs to the devil again.
But the man went nowhere, and Edward appeared the idiot for remaining seated while his wife stood.
Accepting defeat, though not happily, he came to his feet. He took Amelia’s arm, and together they walked toward the door where Coombs was barely concealing his entertainment.
“Pensioned off, Coombs,” he muttered as they passed him. “Don’t think I don’t mean it.”
“I would never presume to know what you are thinking, my lord.” Coombs bowed as they passed.
Edward glowered at him.
Coombs leveled a perfectly serene look back.
“Odious man.”
He thought he heard Amelia stifle a laugh beside him. He looked sidelong at her. “Don’t encourage him.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amelia skipped breakfast the nextday. Edward had planned his departure that morning and had likely already left, and she was not particularly hungry, so instead she made for the music room. The quiet stillness of the room, combined with the early morning sunlight glinting off the polished instruments, washed peace over her.
