She is stunning, he thought as his eyes travelled down her body. I already knew that, but now I can really see it.
His eyes fell on the pale blue dress that cinched in at the waist tightly. Edmund did not know too much about the female form, but he was aware that a shape like that could only be created with a very tight fitting corset. As a fashion, he felt it was barbaric, but it was the trend to have that real hour-glass figure.
Edmund felt certain that Mary would look lovely even without the corset under her dress. She had a true, natural beauty that was incredibly rare. The last time he was at her house, he hardly bothered to notice her. Now, he could hardly notice anything else.
Compared to the Victoria’s of the world, Mary is truly incredible. She is so different. I have to admit, I like that about her.
She extended her hand, and he took it. As he leaned forward to press his lips against it, and he kissed her skin, there was no denying the flurry of excitement that flowed through his stomach. This time, he had come into Mary’s home with a much more open mind and heart, and that way was paying off.
Mary might have looked more natural to the outside world, but her mask was tied to her face just as tightly. She knew that she had to keep on smiling, that she needed to continue being charming, that she had to actually give this man a chance this time. She wanted to be smarter this time, to be more considerate. Everything that Daisy had told her flowed through her mind.
I am doing this for you, Daisy, she thought. I am giving Duke Smith another chance because of everything that you have said to me. And also because I do not want to lose your home and job.
As his lips connected with the sensitive skin on the back of her hand, her pulse raced faster. She felt her stomach turn over completely in an unexpected way, then butterflies started flapping their wings inside there. It was such a shock that she almost snatched her hand away; it took all of her restraint to keep it there.
Edmund’s eyes glanced up to meet hers, and a smile inadvertently spread across her lips. She had not noticed it before, but there was kindness behind that green; a true, sweet friendliness. When his lips turned up into a smile, dimples popped in his cheeks which made him seem even kinder.
Maybe you were right, Daisy, she decided as her eyes almost popped out of her head. Maybe there is more to the Duke than meets the eye.
“It is truly lovely to see you too,” he murmured, almost under his breath. “I am grateful that you allowed me to come again.”
She extended an arm, indicating towards the seats for him to sit. Before Edmund could take a step forward, Walter pushed past him to sit down first, wanting to remind the pair that he was the chaperone of the meeting. For a moment then, he felt pushed out which would not do. He had put a lot of time and energy into upholding this clause in William Roberts’ will. He needed the credit he deserved for that.
“Now, Your Grace, please tell me more about what is happening with your business.”
Edmund gave Walter some information about his international shipping company, but he did not go into full detail this time. There was something halting him from showing off, and he had a feeling it came from the blonde-haired, blue-eyed distraction in front of him. She sat with her hands in her lap, a smile playing on her lips and sweetness to her gaze. Edmund was not even sure that she was listening to him again, but it hardly mattered.
Maybe the eye roll that came last time was my fault. Maybe I brought it upon myself by being so boring.
“So, Mary,” he finally stopped himself from droning on before he caused yet another look of disdain. “Have you travelled much? I know a lot about the world from my work, but I am sad to say that I have not actually been to many places.”
Mary grinned at his self-deprecating comment. It was much nicer to hear about the things that he wanted to do and had not yet done, than all the things he was amazing at. “I am afraid to say that my eighteen years of life have only been spent in London.”
“Would you like to go to other places?”
Mary pondered this for a moment. She had not ever thought about travelling far; it was not anything that had ever occurred to her. Travel was not common, even among the wealthiest of people, but now that Edmund had mentioned it, she figured it would be nice to see more of the world ... or even the country. London was such a small place in the grand scale of things.
“Maybe I would,” she finally answered cheerfully. “Maybe there are other places I would like to see.”
Walter flicked his eyes between the pair, wondering what was happening. This was so different from the last time he had sat in a room with Lady Mary Roberts and Duke Edmund Smith. The frostiness had gone, so had the tension. It felt so much easier. He did not quite know what to make of it; he was not sure that this was going as he planned.
“I have not been anywhere either,” he interjected unnecessarily as if all he wanted was the attention on him. “Except to the countryside, of course. I have been there a lot. On business mostly, so I guess I have not seen too much of it, but that hardly matters, does it? It is all about going to these places ...”
But Mary and Edmund were barely listening to the gentleman. They were staring intently at one another, trying to make out their own feelings. Neither of them was sure what had changed and why. They had gone from utter disdain to something completely different, something that they could not even define just yet. They needed time to figure out what that meant for the both of them ...
***
Edmund was like a whole new man when he returned to the room where his mother had sat, waiting anxiously for him. He had been gone much longer than expected, which Iris knew was either a really good thing or an utterly terrible one. Judging by the overly happy expression on his face, it was the former.
Thank goodness, she thought as relief flooded her. Iris was not sure why, but she had a gut instinct that this was the right thing to do, that Mary would turn out to be the one for her son. She felt glad to learn that her gut might be right.
“How did it go?” she asked innocently enough as she took a sip of her tea. It was hard for her to contain her excitement, but Iris just about managed it.“Different to last time?”
“Oh yes, very different,” Edmund gushed, unable to contain himself in the way that his mother was. “You were right to send me again; that was a good decision. I do believe nerves hindered us the first time around, and now I have been given the opportunity to get to see a different side to Mary.”