Page 14 of The Beast of Barendale Manor

Edmund stood at his study window, his hands clasped behind his back., his mind in a turmoil of grief and rage.

After Colin’s arrest, the house had fallen into an atmosphere of fear and disquiet.

Edmund was still reeling from the truth. He had yet to decide what to do with Timmons. Edmund found it hard to blame a man for succumbing to Colin’s manipulations—he was guilty of that himself.

He felt like a fool. The depth of his cousin’s betrayal bit down to the bone.

It had all been so clear in hindsight. Colin’s strange moods in recent months, particularly after Evangeline had arrived at Barendale, now spoke of an underlying unease in the man. His cousin’s happiness and cheerful mood had diminished considerably after the wedding, and a darker side of him had been revealed. Now Edmund knew why.

He could not reconcile the cousin he had known since infancy with the man who had set his house alight. Colin had killed Adelaide. The idea was hideous to contemplate. He pushed it away, unable to give space to it in his mind.

There was a gentle knock at the door.

“Enter,” he called, expecting his mother. But when Evangeline came into the room, his heart began pounding in his chest.

If seeing Colin’s wrath toward her had taught him anything, it was that he had to tell her the truth, for better or worse, or their marriage would be a failure before it began.

Evangeline’s beautiful face was filled with concern. She walked into the room, watching him warily, and Edmund was reminded again of how brave she had been. Without her, Colin might have succeeded in his bid for the title. The idea did not bear thinking about.

“I came to see how you are faring,” she said in her gentle voice. He remembered how Colin had thrown her across the room as though she was worthless, and his fists clenched behind his back.

“Are you injured?” he asked.

“No,” she said simply. “A little bruised, perhaps, but nothing that a little rest won’t fix. I am so sorry that this has happened, Edmund. I cannot imagine what you must be feeling.”

“I am a fool,” he replied.

“No. You could not have known what Colin was—”

“Not about Colin,” he said firmly, coming around his desk and standing before her. “I have been a fool for far more reasons than I can count, and today’s events have made it all the more clear to me.” He sighed, turning away and walking to the fireplace, beginning to pace before it, finally releasing the banked-up emotions that he had held back for so long.

“I have blamed myself for Adelaide’s death for three long years. I never fully forgave myself for not being able to save her. It was the smoke that killed her, not the fire. She had inhaled too much and never regained consciousness. I always felt that if I had been a better husband to her or been stronger, I would have been able to save her.”

He rubbed a hand over his face. Evangeline was very still, letting him speak, patient and calm.

“After I was injured, I did not believe that any woman would ever want me again. It seemed absurd that anyone could. The brief time I spent in society after I had been scarred was appalling. I had been a handsome man in my youth, and you know how vicious the gossips can be in that world. Many were sympathetic, but it felt as though many more were reveling in my disgrace. I do not know who began the rumours about Adelaide’s death, but it broke me.

“I did not understand how people I had known for so long could all turn against me in so short a time. It was a bitter lesson, and instead of facing them and learning who my true friends were, I turned my back on them all. At least then, I would not have to deal with the pain of their derision.”

Running a hand through his hair, he glanced at Evangeline. Her beautiful blue eyes were following him back and forth across the room, and the sight of her beauty only strengthened his resolve.

“I believed being alone was easier than allowing anyone to get close to me. You have changed all that. I did not expect it. When I first met your father, I am ashamed to say I only thought of the benefits to my estate. My tenants are important to me, and heaven knows I would not have survived the last few years without my staff. I wanted to be the earl they deserved, and I did not think much about who I would be marrying. Then I saw you for the first time, and I felt deep shame for tying you to a broken wreck for the remainder of your life.

Evangeline stepped forward, stopping him as she reached a hand to his face and laid her fingers against the scars. Her eyes were brimming with tears, and as she looked up at him, he recognized the care and affection he had come to know from her.

“You are not a wreck. You are a man like any other. Your scars are proof of how much you were loved, nothing more. When we married, I believed you were disinterested in me, that you wished above all else that I could be your Adelaide.”

Edmund opened his mouth to make a violent protest, but she stayed him gently.

“I know that she will always be a part of your life, but I hope we can forge our own together. I do not care that you are scarred; you are still a handsome man to me and always will be. I have seen the love you possess for those you care for, and I am just so sorry you have had your trust betrayed so terribly by your cousin. He is not the measure of this world, Edmund. Those who truly love you are.”

“I want to forge a life with you, too,” Edmund said desperately. “Adelaide is my past, and I have laid her to rest. You are my future. I believe that knowing you has begun to heal the wounds I have carried for many years. Even having your presence in this house has changed me beyond all recognition. I love you, Evangeline, and I know that it will only grow as we come to know one another. I want you to shape our lives and shape this house in your image. I wish for you to be my partner and for us to share everything together.”

“If my dowry can restore your estate and this beautiful home to its former glory, then I would welcome it. We are a partnership, Edmund, and I will be beside you in all things.”

Edmund’s heart was overflowing with love and happiness as she took his hands in hers, and he finally bent his head to hers. This kiss was different from the first. He felt no guilt and knew no shame; it was simply a loving bond that transcended all the pain and unhappiness he had suffered.

Evangeline’s lips were soft and gentle, and he wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her to him. They kissed for what felt like an eternity in the quiet of their home, the fire crackling behind them.

Edmund felt like he had been reborn, and when Evangeline pulled back with a happy smile, he knew she felt the same.

“I will never let fear and doubt stand between us again. From now on, we are together, as we should have been from the start.”

“I love you,” Evangeline said with a dazzling smile as he leaned down to kiss her again.