Edith looked at Bertie's mother. Patricia Pelham was smiling at her. Edith knew that Bertie loved his mother, she didn't want the two of them to break up. Edith knew this was the only close relative Bertie had left.

But Edith was still determined to tell Bertie's mother about Marigold, even though Bertie had explicitly told her not to. She was tired of living in a lie, and she was sure that Patricia would understand soon enough anyhow, once Edith and Marigold had moved in. And then what?

So she decided to just do it.

"I have to tell you something that you won't like." Edith started.

...

"All right!" the older woman said. She was still smiling.

"It is about Marigold, my ward, who will move with me here. The truth is she isn't really my ward. She is my daughter."

"Oh, I see." Patricia was still smiling. "Bertie never told me you have been married before."

"Well, the thing is, I haven't."

That was the moment Edith saw the smile disappear from Patricia's face.

"Oh! I see. I was really looking forward to having the little girl here..." she looked at Edith again, obviously not able to understand all the implications at once.

They were both quiet for a while.

"What about the father?" Patricia asked then. "Won't he be claiming the child."

"He is dead. He never even got to know that Marigold existed. He was married, trying to get a divorce. The only parent named on the birth certificate is me."

"And Bertie knows all this and doesn't care about it?" Patricia was looking more and more shocked. Edith almost regretted telling her.

"Your son is not a judgemental man", Edith said quietly. "That is one of the many things I love him for."

None of them said anything more for a long time.

"I know you love Bertie", Patricia said then. "I know you don't want to make life hard for him. Things like these are bound to come out. Do you really want to burden him with all that?"

Edith didn't know how to answer that. Of course she didn't want to be a burden to Bertie.

"I must say I'm rather disappointed. I like you very much, and I have always thought you are good for Bertie. But this... it is a little too much...Do you really think you are worthy of marrying him?"

"No!" Edith said with emphasise. "I have never thought that. Not before, when he was a land agent, even less now. It is the wonder of my life that he wants me."

"Well, let's just say I don't announce the engagement tonight", Patricia said. "That will give you time to think things over. It is too late to cancel the dinner, so we will just make it an occasion to thank people for supporting Bertie. That's what the guests have been told after all. And you and your parents are still very welcome, of course."

"Thank you! And yes, I think I will need to think." Edith mumbled.

"And I do appreciate your honesty", Bertie's mother said as she went back to her writing desk. Edith understood that the conversation was over.

...

After Edith had left Bertie's mother, she decided that she didn't need to think at all. She just couldn't marry Bertie. So she went looking for him and finally found him up on the castle wall, looking for her.

"I wondered where you were", he said, but not before kissing her. But he stopped sooner than he had wanted to, sensing her reluctance.

"I told your mother about Marigold. She won't announce the engagement during dinner. She thinks I would be a burden to you, and I think she is right. So it is over. I ought to go and tell my parents that we will leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Edith had expected Bertie to be annoyed about her decision, but she hadn't expected the absolute terror in his face.

"Edith, don't do this to me!" he gasped. "Please!"

...

They were both quiet, looking at each other while Edith's eyes started to fill with tears.

"Do you still love me?" Bertie asked with trembling voice.

"Of course I do!"

"That is the only thing that matters then! And I'll announce our engagement myself if my mother won't."

"But can't you see... It is because I love you that I don't want to burden you with me."

"You will never be a burden to me. Never, never, never. Ever, ever, ever. You are what holds me up. I love you and I need you. Life was terrible without you, and I won't let that happen again. Not if I can do anything at all to stop it."

Edith was stunned. She only nodded.

"My mother doesn't decide whom I am to marry", Bertie said. "I do. The only other person who has any say is you. I wish you hadn't told her, but nothing has changed between the two of us. We are still getting married and little Marigold is still going to grow up here at Brancaster."

Mrs Pelham was a strong woman, but Edith started to realise that she had an even stronger son.


AN: Thank you for reading! And thank you for the kind reviews to last chapter! Please leave a comment!