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She said something to her Mother, who immediately turned to look at me with the expression of a woman evaluating a potential threat to her daughter's wellbeing.
"She's seen us," I said unnecessarily.
"And she hasn't run away screaming," Daphne pointed out. "That's something."
"Yet."
I found myself walking toward the main stage before I'd consciously decided to move, my body apparently making decisions my mind wasn't ready for. The crowd seemed to part around me—or perhaps I was simply too focused on reaching Lili to notice the curious stares and whispered conversations that followed in my wake.
By the time I reached the stage area, a small crowd had gathered, drawn by the novelty of whatever was about to unfold.
"Ladies and gentlemen," I called out, my voice carrying the projection I'd learned from years of courtroom presentations. The crowd noise gradually died as people turned to see who was speaking. "If I could have your attention for just a moment."
Lili's eyes went wide with something approaching panic. "Edward, what are you—"
"My name is Edward Grosvenor," I continued, addressing the growing crowd while never taking my eyes off her face. "I'm from London, England, and I've come here today because I owe this community—and especially one of your own—an apology that's overdue."
The murmur of conversation died completely. Even the children seemed to sense the gravity of the moment, their games forgotten as adults shushed them into silence.
I was aware of Daphne positioning herself where she could see me and Lili's reaction, Rose Anderton's protective stance beside her daughter, and dozens of strangers who had no reason to care about my personal drama but who were giving me their complete attention anyway.
" A few weeks ago, my family became involved in a situation that caused serious harm to Lili Anderton's business and reputation." I let that sink in for a moment, watching faces in the crowd shift from curiosity to concern. "Business relationships that should have remained separate from personal matters became entangled. Private moments were made public without consent. A woman who had done nothing wrong found herself the target of circumstances that were entirely beyond her control."
The murmur that ran through the crowd was sympathetic but wary.
I could see parents exchanging glances, trying to understand what exactly I was admitting to without saying directly.
"This happened because certain members of my family believed that Lili—a woman who built a successful business through hard work and authenticity—represented a threat to long-standing traditions. Because they were afraid that I might choose love over legacy."
I could see the impact of my words rippling through the crowd. An elderly man in overalls who'd probably known Lilisince she was small enough to sit on his shoulders shook his head in disgust. A woman in a church dress—likely one of Rose's friends—made a sound of pure outrage. Younger men who'd probably gone to school with Lili looked like they were considering whether violence against visiting British aristocrats was legally actionable in Texas.
"That girl never hurt a soul," someone called out from the back. "Worked three jobs to put herself through college."
"Helped my Mama when she was sick," added another voice. "Brought groceries every week without being asked."
These weren't just polite listeners—these were Lili's people, and they were making it clear that any harm done to her was harm done to all of them.
"The worst part," I continued, my voice breaking slightly, "is that my Mother used me to do it. She used my feelings for Lili, my love for her, as a weapon. I was so focused on protecting what we had together that I never questioned why my Mother was being unusually accommodating about Lili's visit to England. I never wondered why she seemed interested in Lili's business. I trusted my Mother to act with basic decency, and that trust made me an unwitting accomplice in hurting the woman I love."
"Edward—" Lili started, and my name sounded different in her voice—smaller, more fragile, like something that might break if handled too roughly.
"Please. Let me finish. I may never get another chance to say this." I took a shaky breath, aware that my hands were trembling and that my carefully controlled composure was cracking in front of strangers who had every right to judge me. "When the scandal broke, when Lili learned what my family had done, she didn't just leave London—she fled from me." My voice cracked audibly on the last word, and I didn't try to hide it. "She came home to you, to the people who love her unconditionally, who value her for who she is rather than what she represents. And Ilet her go because I was too ashamed to fight for what we had, too convinced that I was poison to everything I touched."
I had to pause, swallow hard, force myself to continue. "I let her believe she was alone. I let her think that our entire relationship had been part of my family's manipulation. I let the woman I love believe that she meant less to me than my Mother's approval."
The silence was deafening. I could hear the distant sound of carnival music from the midway, the occasional call of vendors, but the immediate crowd was hanging on every word.
Rose Anderton moved closer to her daughter, one protective hand on Lili's shoulder, her eyes never leaving my face. The message was clear: hurt her again, and you'll answer to Texas.
"I'm not here to make excuses," I said, my voice steadier now that I'd found my rhythm. "I'm here to take responsibility for my family's actions and my own failures. My Mother's behavior was inexcusable, and my response to it was cowardly. When Lili needed me to fight for her, for us, I let fear and guilt paralyze me. I let her believe that she was alone in dealing with the consequences of loving someone from my world."
I turned slightly, addressing the crowd but keeping Lili in my peripheral vision. "Your community raised an extraordinary woman. Someone with enough courage to build a business from nothing, enough integrity to stay true to herself even when powerful people tried to change her, and enough grace to handle public humiliation without losing her essential kindness. She represents everything that's best about this place, about the values you've instilled in her."
Rose's expression had shifted from protective suspicion to something approaching approval, though she maintained her position beside her daughter like a sentinel.
"My family tried to destroy her because they were afraid she would change me. They were right to be afraid." I finally allowedmyself to look directly at Lili again, and the hope in her eyes nearly undid me completely. "She did change me. She made me want to be better than what I was raised to be. She made me question everything I thought I knew about duty and tradition and what really matters in life."
The crowd stirred restlessly, and I realized I was in danger of losing them to sentiment. These were practical people who would judge me by actions rather than words.