Edmund bit down on his bottom lip as he tried to decide whether or not it was the right moment to say it. He did not want to put the pressure on Mary, but he also needed her to hold it. “I do not mind what I do,” he told her seriously. “As long as I can be with you, Mary. I love you. I want to be your husband. That is not the only reason that I am doing this. I wish to help Charlotte as well, but I am prepared to sacrifice anything for you.”
Mary’s eyes welled up, but for the first time in a very long while, she was not crying with sadness. The romance of Edmund’s words hit her hard, and they made her realise that he truly did love her. She loved him too, so this was perfect. It was not something that she had intended; she assumed that all the complications were about to get in the way forever, but it was there right in front of her.
All she needed to do was be brave enough to take it.
She moved closer to Edmund and wrapped her arms around him for a brief second, forgetting all about the rules. If they were going to leave London, it hardly mattered anyway. It did not matter if the people around them judged and whispered about them if they were not going to be around to hear it. They were being talked about enough anyway; it was hardly the biggest shock ever.
“I will need to persuade Charlotte,” she whispered into his ear. “I do not know if she will go for it. I know that she wants to leave and escape, but I think that she is afraid.”
Edmund held Mary close, loving the feel of her soft body against his. This is how it could be for all time if she would only let him look after her. He knew that this was not an easy choice to make, but if Mary and Charlotte worked up the bravery to take this step, then he knew that they would look back on it forever as the best decision that they had ever made.
“I have faith in you,” he said back just as quietly. “I am sure that you will help her to escape her horrible situation. She really needs it.”
“I do not want to see her hurt again,” she breathed deeply, almost not quite forming the words at all. “I thought that she was going to die. It was the scariest moment of my life.”
Edmund squeezed her, hating that she was in such a terrible situation. He would have done anything to take her away from it even before he knew that it had gotten so bad, and now he felt even more desperate to make this work.
“If you come with me, I will make sure that nothing bad happens again; I promise you that much. I know that it is scary, and I am aware how much I am asking of you, but I want you to know that it will be worth it. I can promise you that.”
“I know.” Mary nodded against his chest. She knew that Edmund would be true to his word. The more that she talked to him, the more that she realised that she could definitely trust him. She just hoped that Charlotte felt the same way. “Thank you, Edmund; I appreciate everything that you have done for me. I know that you are risking a lot too. I appreciate it a lot.”
“I would do anything for you,” he murmured, filling Mary’s heart with warmth. Never had a man said anything so romantic to her, and it felt wonderful. She knew that she wanted to do this, however terrifying it was, because it would give them a chance. After the kisses that they’d shared and the hardships that they’d faced together, she knew that given the opportunity, they could definitely make it work. “I hope you know that.”
I just hope that I can do this for you, Mary thought, too emotional to say that aloud. I really hope that I can make this work.
Chapter 29
Charlotte’s head throbbed every time that she tried to move it. The large cut that she had across the back of it was awful, utter agony, but she did not care too much about that. She could survive with being injured herself as long as her baby was alright. When she woke up with the doctor in front of her, and she heard mention of the word ‘blood’, she feared the worst; unbridled panic raced through her system, but as it turned out, the blood was from her. It was from the cut, and her little baby had survived.
Her child was already her little hero, and she wanted to do whatever she could to protect him or her. The fact that she had not seen her husband since the attack was a good thing. In all honesty, she did not ever want to see him again. The idea of looking at his face made her feel sick. She could not even begin to comprehend the idea that she would have to spend actual time with him or act like she adored him out in public. The concept was utterly unthinkable.
“Do you need anything?” Mary asked as she returned to the room to see Charlotte trying to move into a sitting position. “Are you alright? Would you like a drink or anything?”
Mary had been by her side the entire time. She had taken over caring for her, refusing to let even the house staff help. Charlotte knew that she should tell Mary to continue living her own life rather than worrying about her, but she did not. She loved having the familiar face by her side, and in all honesty, Mary was the only person that she felt safe with.
“I am ...” she croaked before coughing a couple of times. “I do need a drink, thank you.”
Mary handed her a lukewarm glass of water which Charlotte sucked back rapidly. The liquid slid rapidly down the back of her throat and filled up her chest with something that almost felt like a normal sensation. All she really wanted to do was stand up again so that she could start reverting back to how she was supposed to feel, but the doctor had told her that bed rest was essential, and Mary was forcing her to stick to that.
As Charlotte finished drinking, and she glanced up to where Mary loomed over her, she could see that there was a definite strain in her sister’s eyes, and it was a new one. One that did not seem to relate to her condition at all.
“How are you doing?” Charlotte asked carefully. She blinked a few times as another burst of headache raced through her temples, but she forced herself to keep focused. “You look very pale. Are you sick yourself?”
“I am alright.” Mary gripped tightly onto Charlotte’s hand and leaned down so that she could whisper directly to her. “I have just been speaking to Duke Smith, that is all. He came to visit me.”
“Again?” Charlotte was excited and nervous all at once. It was blindly obvious to her that Mary and Edmund were meant for one another. “What did he have to say?”
“He has a plan,” Mary answered in a breath. “One to get us out of here. You and I, both of us. He has a place to take us where your husband will never be able to find us. He will keep us safe.”
Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. It all sounded far too good to be true. That was exactly what she needed, a way out from this mess, one with no consequences, but actually acting on that fantasy was far too terrifying to consider. Charlotte had heard of divorce before, but she did not know a single person who had been through it. It would not be something that she could instigate anyway; it would have to be her husband, and she could not see Lord Jones putting himself into the spotlight of gossip to free her from him.
It would be better off if she were dead. That was the only way that she could see an escape becoming a realistic possibility. If only she did not have her child to consider, then maybe that would be a solution.