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“That I may have taken a mistress?” he ventured.

“Not quite. I suppose if taking a mistress makes you happy, then I simply cannot stop you.”

He could tell that she was lying.

“Ava, you must know that I would never take a mistress,” he said earnestly, holding her gaze.

She nodded, her face blank. But then a reluctant smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

He continued to stare at her, watched as her blue eyes swam with emotions and?—

Someone cleared their throat nearby. It was the butler.

“You have a letter, Your Grace,” he announced, handing Ava the letter.

“Who would send a letter at this hour?” Ava muttered as she opened the envelope. “Ah, it is from Lily!” She beamed.

Lily?

The wheels in Edwin’s brain began to turn. He knew that Ava and Lily often had tea together in London. Therefore, it would not be a surprise if the letter was an invitation to tea.

Ava cannot leave the house. Not until Wilbury is put behind bars.

“What does the letter say?” he asked lazily as he bit into the cake.

He was careful to sound as uninterested as possible, or else his wife might start asking questions he was not ready to answer.

“She wants me to promenade with her in the Park the day after tomorrow,” she replied.

Edwin’s heart sank.

Promenade?

Promenading in the Park was easily one of the most popular activities among the ton, as it presented an opportunity to see and be seen. Ava would certainly be exposed to danger if she were to go out, especially since it could get very crowded. And since there were usually so many people, it would be easy for anyone with nefarious intentions to attack her from the shrubs or even when she stepped out of the carriage.

“Do you want to go?” he asked.

“Of course.” Ava nodded enthusiastically. “I have not seen Lily in a while.”

“Hmm.”

“Is there a problem?” Ava asked.

Edwin fumbled for the right words for a moment, before giving up and simply saying the first thing that came to mind.

“I suppose I was expecting that we would spend the day after tomorrow together.”

Ava brightened up. “You want us to spend the day together?”

She looked happy beyond words, and Edwin could not help but feel a pang of guilt for lying to her.

“Indeed. Perhaps, you could write back to Lady Lily that you are too busy to go on a promenade.”

She nodded. “Certainly, I shall do that.”

He knew how much Ava loved being around her friend, and seeing her so easily give that up just to spend the day with him did not make him feel any better.

As they continued to eat, Edwin could not help but steal glances at her. Her eyes twinkled, and a smile tugged at her lips between bites. He knew the reason, of course—because he had promised they would spend a day together.