Page 69

With that, the couple resumed their promenade.

There was a spring in Eveline’s steps.

“It is rather lovely to see Lily again. It has been far too long,” she mused.

At that moment, William realized just how hard it must have been for his wife to leave the home she knew, along with her sisters and friend, to be with him.

“We must invite Lady Lily for dinner one of these days,” he suggested.

Eveline’s eyes widened with excitement. “Yes, we must! We could also invite your friends as well. Would it not be lovely?”

She was now beaming with joy.

“And if you want, we can invite your sisters as well,” he added.

“Oh, you are the best husband in the world!” she exclaimed, hugging him.

The action drew a few eyes, but Eveline did not seem to mind.

“Now, we must write the invitations the moment we get home. It shall be such a splendid affair—only with our friends and family, of course.”

A group of young ladies passed by, and William noticed them do a double take and quickly avert their gazes.

“Did you see those ladies?” Eveline asked in a rather bitter tone.

“Let it go,” he admonished. “It does not bother me.”

That was partly true and partly a lie. It bothered him that upon catching sight of him, people would either flee, scream in shock, or avert their gazes. However, he had been used to these reactions so much that he was no longer as bothered as he used to be.

“Well, it certainly bothers me that they treat you so,” Eveline huffed.

“I have chosen not to let it bother me.” He shrugged.

Another group passed by, and again, they stared at him and then averted their gazes just as quickly.

“Oh, this is simply ridiculous!” Eveline complained as she took his hands. “If they wish to stare, then I shall give them something to stare at.”

With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips.

William gasped, shocked.

Eveline nipped his lips, and for a moment, he chose to forget the fact that they were right in the middle of the park. He kissed her right back with equal fervor.

At that moment, he forgot about everything else—the pitiful eyes and the scared eyes that followed him at all times. At that moment, all that mattered was his beautiful wife, who was not afraid to kiss him in the full sight of everyone at Kensington Gardens.

The kiss only lasted a moment, but when Eveline finally let go of his neck, they had garnered a small audience.

Eveline gasped as she caught her breath, smiling. “Since all of you have decided to gape at my husband’s scar, I decided to give you something to stare at,” she drawled.

William could see the shame in their eyes as they began to disperse.

“That is beyond insane,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Then you must be ready for more insane antics, since we are stuck together for the rest of our lives,” Eveline quipped.

William shook his head in disbelief.

His wife constantly kept him on his feet, and he enjoyed it more than anything.