Page 20

CHAPTER 20

“ O h, I am so happy!” Stella squealed for what might as well be the umpteenth time.

Ava smiled as she watched her sister lean back in her seat, her eyes closed and a pleasant smile on her face.

Stella suddenly opened her eyes and turned to face her. “I cannot wait to be Thomas’s wife!”

Ava placed her hand on her sister’s. “I know. But now, we must ensure that you look like a dream when you walk down the aisle towards your husband.”

Stella sat up and nodded. “You are right. I must make sure I am the most beautiful, most radiant bride there ever was.”

The carriage finally lurched to a stop in front of the biggest bridal shop in all of London. Stella hopped out and made a beeline for the shop while Ava tried to keep up with her.

The scent of lavender and vanilla enveloped her as soon as she entered. It did not take long for her sister to browse through the different dresses that were available.

“I want this!” Stella crooned. Then, she turned and gasped at yet another dress. “No, this is far more bridal.”

An assistant approached Stella with another dress in her favorite color, lilac. Predictably, it made her swoon.

“Oh, Ava!” she cried. “Now, I am confused.”

Ava placed her hand on her sister’s shoulder as she switched into elder-sister mode.

“We will find the perfect dress for you, Stella,” she reassured her. “Now, what do you love about this?” She pointed at the first dress.

“It is simply exquisite. I cannot resist?—”

“Stella!” Ava snapped. “What do you love about the dress?”

That finally seemed to calm Stella down.

She took a deep breath. “I love the skirt and how it flares at the hips,” she said.

“Good!” Ava pointed at the second dress. “Now, what do you love about this one?”

“I love the crystals on the bodice.”

“And this one?” Ava pointed at the dress in the assistant’s arms.

“It is simply the color. And I love how the fabric flows so effortlessly, like water.”

“Now…” Ava turned to the assistant. “She wants a dress made of this lilac fabric, with a skirt just like this one”—she pointed at the first dress—“And a bodice adorned with crystals. Can this be made by your modiste?”

The assistant nodded eagerly. “Certainly, Your Grace. Our in-house modiste specializes in all things bridal.”

“Now, we need to look for jewelry and other accessories.”

“I must have a little tiara on my veil,” Stella said.

“You heard the bride,” Ava said to the assistant.

Soon enough, they were standing in another part of the shop where there were all kinds of veils.

Stella snatched up one from the rack. “This is what I want.”

Next, she picked a rather expensive-looking necklace.

Soon enough, they stepped out of the bridal shop, having spent what seemed like a fortune.

“Papa will faint from shock when he receives the bill,” Ava said.

Stella shrugged. “He owes me a beautiful wedding dress.”

“And a beautiful wedding dress you shall have,” Ava reassured her.

Stella suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes narrowed as though deep in thought. “He cannot possibly cancel the order, can he?”

Ava shrugged noncommittally. She was not certain Stella would want to hear the truth.

“He certainly can, but I am sure he would not want to annoy you,” she offered.

It would not do to have her sister break down in tears in the middle of the street.

“You are right!” Stella clapped her hands together, her earlier doubt long forgotten. “Now, where shall we go next? Tea or… Is that your husband, Ava?” She pointed at the figure that had just stepped out of a carriage on the other side of the street.

Ava craned her neck and squinted her eyes.

Stella was right. It was her husband, and he was now straightening his coat.

What is he doing here?

Granted, Edwin had informed her that he was visiting Magnus before he left home. She was almost certain that was not the Duke of Blackmore’s residence. Therefore…

“Does he have business here?” Stella asked, giving her an almost pitiful look.

“Perhaps,” Ava murmured as she continued watching him.

He walked down the street. Without even thinking about it, she followed him down her side of the street, keeping her eyes on him.

“Ava, wait for me,” Stella called, struggling to keep up.

“Shhhh!” Ava motioned for her sister to keep quiet as she ducked behind a lamppost.

She did not quite want her husband to spot her yet.

He finally stopped at a house at the end of the street and climbed up the stairs that led to the front door.

Ava’s heart thudded in her chest.

That… bastard!

“I simply cannot believe it,” she seethed.

“What is it?” Stella asked, confused.

“I have been an idiot for far too long,” Ava muttered.

“What is the matter, Ava?”

“Can you not see?” She pointed at her husband, who was now stepping into the house.

“He is entering a house, yes.”

“He is seeing a mistress!” Ava hissed.

Stella gasped, then shook her head. “You do not know that.”

“It is quite obvious,” Ava insisted, anger bubbling up inside her. “You know I told him I would not share his bed. What I did not mention is that I gave him leave to take a mistress to satisfy his needs.”

“Ava!” Her sister looked scandalized. “How could you tell your husband such a thing?”

Ava shrugged. “It does not matter. I suppose I thought that was best at the time.”

“I am afraid if you told him to take a mistress, then he is not in the wrong.”

Ava whirled around to face her sister, her eyes blazing. “Is that so?”

Stella shrank back immediately. “Uh… he is certainly wrong. He should have known that you were simply joking when you told him to take a mistress. How could he not know that you have feelings for him?”

Feelings?

“I certainly do not have feelings for him,” Ava scoffed.

She knew she was lying as soon as the words escaped her mouth. Of course , she had feelings for him. If she did not, she would not be standing in the middle of the street, her heart aching, all because her husband chose to take her advice.

Stella rolled her eyes and shot her a look that said, I have eyes, Ava!

Ava sighed. “Fine, maybe I care about him just a little.”

Or perhaps a lot.

“But I certainly do not want my husband having an affair in broad daylight where everyone can see him.”

“Is that truly the reason you are so annoyed with him?”

“I am not annoyed!” Ava insisted.

She was not annoyed. Rather, she was heartbroken. All the moments they had shared… it was all a lie.

“Then perhaps you are jealous?” Stella prodded.

Ava opened her mouth to retort but then closed it immediately. Of course, she was jealous. She had just spotted her husband visiting his mistress.

“No,” she lied, “I simply feel disrespected that he did not see fit to at least warn me that he… that he has taken a mistress.”

She glanced at her sister, but Stella did not seem quite impressed by her excuse. She groaned.

Stella could see through her like a veil, and she did not quite like what her sister could see now. What example was she setting for her?

“You are right. I shall approach Edwin and express my grievance,” Ava suddenly declared.

“Ava, please don’t!” Stella sputtered.

Ava shook her head vehemently before crossing the street. “I must do the honorable thing and let him know, instead of sneaking after him like some thug looking for the perfect opportunity to rob him.”

Fueled by her newfound courage, Ava hurried up the stairs. She was determined not to look back partly because she knew that one glimpse of her sister’s horrified face would force her to reconsider her decision.

She took a deep breath when she finally stopped in front of the front door.

I must do this!

She raised her knuckles, but then she hesitated. She could not help but wonder if she truly wanted to do this. What would she do if she saw his mistress? Would she ever be able to get the image out of her head?

She slowly lowered her hand as she felt the fight seep out of her.

All she had to do was return home and pretend that she had not just seen her husband enter his mistress’s house. However, deep down, Ava knew she would never be at peace.

Turning back now would mean that she would forever be curious to know what lay beyond that door. And as much as she tried to lie to herself, she also wanted to see what her husband’s mistress looked like.

Steeling herself, she raised her knuckles and knocked, assured and deliberate. And she waited.

Her heart thudded in her chest, and she could not help the tremors wracking her body, scared of what she was about to find out.

The seconds ticked by painfully slow as she waited. She was about to knock again when the door opened wide and a harried-looking butler stepped out.

Whack!

The slap rent the air. Her eyes immediately darted from the butler to the scene unfolding behind him.

Edwin stood in the middle of the foyer, his back turned to her, and standing right in front of him was a far older woman with her hand raised. The woman was wearing a fine maroon dress, and Ava could tell she was of high rank.

She is certainly not his mistress.

The older woman’s raised hand started shaking with fury.

There was no mistaking what had happened. She had just slapped Edwin.

The gasp had escaped Ava’s lips before she even realized it. She scrambled to cover her mouth, but it was far too late.

The older woman’s eyes darted to her, and Edwin’s head whipped around.

I have been caught.

Ava had half a mind to run away, out of embarrassment, but it would only worsen the matter.

There was no escaping it. She must face her husband and explain why she had followed him into a random house on the streets of London.

The next thing she knew, her husband was advancing towards her, his eyes flashing with fury. Or perhaps it was the aftermath of the slap he had received from the older woman.

Ava shrank back, expecting an angry barrage of questions. She had never seen Edwin so angry. The sight of him scared her.

However, he did not stop in front of her. Instead, he walked past her, grabbing her hand and dragging her after him.

“Edwin…” she trailed off, unsure how to proceed.

He did not seem to have even heard her, his eyes trained ahead.

Ava heard a flurry of footsteps following them as he all but dragged her down the stairs. She cast a glance over her shoulder to see the older woman standing by the door, staring menacingly down at them.

If she could strike us dead in this moment, she certainly would.

“I have not spoken to the man who harmed me in years!” the woman yelled, unperturbed by the passersby.

Ava could have sworn that Edwin had not heard her, seeing as he did not for once break his stride or even stop.

“I wish I could say the same for you!” she concluded in a rather scathing, bitter tone.

What could Edwin have done to this terrifying woman?

Edwin yanked the carriage door open with one hand and gently pushed Ava inside with the other, before he hopped in after her.

From the window, Ava watched as the older woman’s gaze followed the carriage. She looked furious .

When the carriage rounded a corner and the older woman disappeared from view, Ava finally turned around and straightened.

The carriage was dead quiet, save for the clattering of the wheels. The silence was uncomfortable, and it made her squirm and shift in her seat.

She stole a glance at her husband, but he simply stared ahead. She might as well not be in the carriage at all, as he did not pay her any mind.

I suppose I deserve that for spying on him.

Ava sighed and lowered her eyes to the floor of the carriage. However, she quickly grew bored with it.

She stole another glance at her husband to find his cheek flaming red.

That certainly hurts.

For a moment, she could not help but feel for him, even though she did not know what had transpired between him and the elderly woman.

She was even amused by the absurdity of it all.

One moment she had been certain that her husband was having an affair, the next she watched him get slapped by an older woman she had never seen before.

The silence stretched on further, and it made her even more uncomfortable.

Ava could handle silence when everything was fine. However, silence when her husband had just caught her spying on him was simply unbearable.

“Edwin,” she whispered, eyeing him.

He turned his head to acknowledge her but said nothing.

Ava did not give up.

“You must?—”

He raised his hand, effectively silencing her.

How rude!

But Ava knew better than to voice her grievances.

“We shall talk at home,” Edwin grunted.

Ava nodded. All she had to do was endure the uncomfortable silence until they arrived home.

She was relieved when, after what felt like hours upon hours, the carriage finally pulled to a stop before the front steps.

She all but ran out, relieved to finally escape her husband’s black mood and the uncomfortable silence of the carriage.

She hurried into the house. However, she was aware of Edwin following her. She cast a glance over her shoulder to find his eyes narrowed and his lips pressed tightly together.

Oh, he is furious.

Ava did not need anyone to tell her that she was the object of his annoyance.

His anger rolled off him in waves, and she bounded up the stairs in a bid to escape it. But, of course, he did not let up. He was hot on her heels.

She had just gotten to the door to her chamber—and had half a mind to lock herself inside—when he appeared.

“We will talk in your chamber,” he bit out.

With shaky hands, Ava opened the door and stepped inside.

He followed her into the room and whirled around to face her the moment the door closed behind them.

“How could you follow me?” he thundered.

Ava jumped. His eyes were blazing, and his nostrils flared.

Because I assumed you were having an affair.

“I… I was curious,” she stammered instead.

“It is simply unacceptable, having my wife follow me when…” he trailed off.

Ava watched him, waiting for him to say something else. But then she came to a realization—she had done nothing wrong.

Granted, what she had done was slightly wrong, but it was certainly not terrible.

He is only angry with me because he cannot express his anger at the person who truly deserves it—the woman who slapped him.

“Edwin,” she said calmly.

Her tone seemed to have taken him by surprise, for he staggered backward.

“I understand you’re angry with me,” she started. “But all I did was follow my curiosity. You’re reacting as though I have murdered your best friend.”

Edwin’s mouth dropped open in surprise.