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“Jasmine,” she stammered, straightening her dress where his fingers wrinkled it. “What are you doing in this part of the hall?”

“I’m sorry, My Lady,” the maid said frantically, her eyes darting rapidly between them. “Lord Thorne requested I change His Grace’s sheets.”

Arabella took another deep breath and put on a fake smile. “Well, thank you, Jasmine. I was just showing His Grace around. Would you like me to help gather the sheets?”

Why would she help the help? No one would believe that she was showing me around. She does not have a chaperone.

“Oh, My Lady, that is very kind of you, but I thought you would rather rejoin the festivities,” Jasmine said, keeping her head lowered.

“Jasmine, what?—”

“I must strip his bed first, My Lady!” Jasmine blurted out, clearly distressed at witnessing something no one should have seen.

The maid walked away before Arabella could say another word to her. She turned to look at Edward, her eyes wild and her breathing heavy again.

“Oh God!” she exclaimed, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “What do we do?”

Edward wasn’t quite sure what to do, as he had surprisingly never found himself in a situation like this. He knew that this could have been bad if it were someone of higher standing who walked in on them, but it was just a housemaid.

He sat on the bed, leaning back to watch her pace the room, anxiety coming off her in waves. She walked in a smart pace, unlike the sedate pace she used in the ball which accentuated the curves of her legs. She really cut a lovely figure in her dress, and he’d been so close to ripping it off her had that cursed maid not found them.

He understood her fear, but he thought it needless and told her as much.

“Breathe, My Lady. She is but a maid,” he tried to soothe her.

“Yes, she is, but she is also a renowned gossip in the estate, Your Grace,” Arabella retorted, her voice jaded and shaky. “Wordwillget around.”

“Lady Arabella, surely no one of the ton would take the word of a housemaid that seriously,” Edward reassured, trying to get her to relax.

It wasn’t working. She was still pacing frantically.

“Please stop pacing and come sit.”

A near-hysterical laugh escaped her lips. “You do not understand, Your Grace. Jasmine has a strong reputation among the staff and our family. She has been able to prove that some of her gossip is true. Her word is regarded as reliable.”

She continued pacing, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, not knowing what to do with her hands.

“Your Grace, my family is holding on to their reputation by a mere thread. AndIwas the cause of it. Will I be the cause of their ruin? If I’m the reason no one in the ton takes us seriously, what will become of us?” she spat. “What if we’re forced to get married?”

The end of her rambling made Edward tense up. Marriage? That was the last thing he wanted. He had just met Arabella, and he did not want to hurt her in any way, but marriage was a step too far.

“Lady Arabella, I do not believe that anyone could force me into anything,” he stated before she could spiral further. “Plus, I have no intentions of getting married.”

She paused and cast her gaze downwards, staring at the floor beneath her feet.

“I do not either,” she mumbled, taking him by surprise.

“You do not wish to wed?” he asked, his tone betraying his surprise.

“Yes,” Arabella said, looking up and staring him straight in the eye. “Believe it or not, that is not every woman’s dream.”

Edward stared at her as if she’d grown another head. What woman did not wish to wed?

“It is an odd thing that you do not want to wed,” he commented. “May I ask why?”

“I would rather not be trapped in a golden cage for the rest of my life,” she answered plainly.

He nodded.