I haven't had a chance to read the review for yesterday's chapter, but I thought I'd post this first in case anyone is waiting to read it.
xx Elise
~I~
Chapter 37 - Meddling
Disappointed not to have received the King's unequivocal blessing, Bella was impatient to return to the throne room and discover the outcome of Edward's meeting with her father. She didn't think it would be as grim as the King had intimated, but the thought was unsettling. Unfortunately, the Sovereign was in no hurry, saying he wanted to make up for his regrettable familial neglect.
"I'm particularly interested to hear about the extraordinary excitement and adventures you have experienced these past months," he said.
It was not the way Bella would have described the trauma of seeing her father shot and her life upended, but she did her best to regale the curious sovereign. He seemed intent on painting her as a heroine for surviving the "unspeakable horror of a member of the aristocracy finding oneself in the role of a servant."
Considering he had spent so many years in the navy, she was a little surprised by the King's view. Although she imagined the same reaction would be forthcoming from any member of the upper class faced with having to perform menial tasks in return for their supper. She had certainly found the role of a servant tiring, but it hadn't been all bad. Being able to take credit for her endeavours and not having to hide her passion for baking was something Bella would miss. But she didn't imagine a marchioness could get away with spending her afternoons creating culinary delights with her kitchen staff.
The thought saddened her a little, but she shook it off. Edward had been willing to give up everything for them to be together. The loss of freedom she would experience as his wife—if they were granted permission to marry—was a minor sacrifice in comparison.
When the King and Bella finally made the return journey to the throne room, she had to remind herself not to rush ahead. Repeating her earlier performance and throwing herself into Edward's arms was not an option, no matter how sorely she might be tempted. Passing through the large double doors into the throne room, her face fell when she did not see him or her father waiting.
"They'll be along shortly, my dear."
The King led Bella across the throne room to a doorway hidden behind a wide pillar. It opened into a surprisingly cosy salon with velvet-padded chairs arranged before a fireplace. Gold brocade curtains were drawn back from the windows that revealed a sunlit courtyard teeming with greenery and spring blossoms.
The setting was pleasant, but Bella was too anxious to appreciate it or savour the tea and delicacies hovering servants delivered as soon as they were seated. With her gaze trained on the doorway, she stifled a cry the moment Edward came into view.
A lifetime without him would be unendurable.
He smiled at her, and she placed the cup she had been nursing on an intricately carved side-table but resisted the urge to rise to her feet. Her father entered next, and she was relieved to see his colour was improved.
"Your Majesty." Edward bowed low before coming to stand before Bella. "My Lady."
His eyes sparkled as he took her hand in his.
"Lord Masen," she said softly.
"A slightly more socially acceptable greeting than the one we witnessed earlier, I see," the King said. "But nowhere near as entertaining to watch."
"Depends on the relationship of the observer, I believe, Your Majesty."
Bella's cheeks bloomed at her father's wry comment, yet she could not bring herself to regret having kissed Edward earlier. If the King refused to give his assent for them to marry . . .
Unwilling to finish the thought, her breath caught.
"Are you all right?" Edward queried softly, and she nodded.
"Do sit down." The King waved a hand. "One gets a stiff neck having to stare up at people, which is why thrones are always placed on a dais. But this is a far more comfortable setting for what is, essentially, a family gathering, don't you think?"
Her father took a seat across from Bella, while Edward sat by her side. He was still holding her hand and appeared to have no intention of letting it go. Neither the King nor her father commented, so she gratefully linked their fingers.
"I must say, Sir Charles, I'm quite disillusioned. You have failed to live up to your military reputation. Lord Masen looks to be in remarkably pristine condition considering I left the two of you alone for the better part of an hour. I was expecting, at least, a blackened eye or bloodied nose."
"I have found the threat of violence, if it is extreme enough, is usually sufficient, Your Majesty."
The King harrumphed, seeming genuinely disappointed Bella's father had not beaten Edward around the head with his cane. He moved restlessly at her side, and she wondered what her father had said to him.
"I'm sure you would agree that utter scoundrel, Hunter, deserves more than mere threats," the King continued. "A pity the man's as slippery as an eel, or I would let you at him and thoroughly enjoy the spectacle."
"As would I, Your Majesty," her father said with relish.
"Lord Hunter is not in prison?" Bella sat forward in alarm.
"It's all right." Edward squeezed her hand, and she edged closer to his side. "I shall keep you safe."
Feeling foolish for her reaction, she nevertheless remained where she was.
"We shall all keep you safe." The King's word took the tone of a vow. "I've got half the guard out searching for the villain and some nasty surprises in store for him once he's caught. But enough of such distressing conversation. Lady Isabella and I have discussed her options, and she has made her wishes known. Although I must admit to being a tad disappointed by her recalcitrance. Despite my offering her the very real possibility of marriage to a crown prince, my lovely young cousin has her heart set on a future as the Marchioness of Masen."
Edward released a breath. "That's very good news, indeed."
"Yes, well. Don't go getting ahead of yourself Lord Masen. As the daughter of a foreign princess, Lady Isabella does not require my approval to marry, but you certainly do. I'm hoping Sir Charles will make my life easier by withholding his blessing contingent on his daughter making a better match than a mere marquis. Now that your father is no longer hounding me to see you wed to the Earl of Denali's daughter, I may be able to strengthen an alliance by seeing you wed to a lesser foreign princess or duchess, but Isabella could be queen of her own country one day."
Bella whimpered, and her father sent her a reassuring glance before addressing the King.
"I believe my daughter has been through enough these past few months, Your Majesty, and I am hoping you will show her clemency by honouring her wishes. If she wants to marry Lord Masen, then she has my blessing, dependent on certain conditions being met, of course."
Her father speared Edward with a pointed look, leading Bella to believe they must have come to an agreement amidst the threats of violence.
"But before any decision is made, I believe the young couple require a few moments in private," he added.
"Are you sure that's wise?"
Bella's shoulders hunched at the King's inference she and Edward would behave inappropriately at the slightest opportunity.
"There are matters Lord Masen and I must discuss before we can make any decisions regarding the future, Your Majesty," she said.
"Really?" The King's expression lightened. "Your affections are not quite so fixed as you led me to believe? Ah . . . the fickleness of youth. Very well then." He gestured to the French doors that opened onto the courtyard. "Sir Charles, if you approve, I think the garden would be a suitable location for the young couple to conduct their discussion while we sit and enjoy our tea, observing from a discreet distance, of course."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Her father granted his permission with a nod, and Bella and Edward stood. With her hand resting on his arm, they walked through the doors to the flower-strewn courtyard.
"Shall we take a seat?" He gestured to a carved garden bench once they had put enough distance between them and their audience to be able to speak privately.
Nodding, Bella sat, the air between them filling with tension.
"I thought I would never see you again," she whispered. Tears welled in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away.
"Don't cry." Edward caressed her cheek, and she allowed herself the indulgence of briefly leaning into his hand. "We're together now, and nothing will ever separate us again, I promise. That's if you do want to marry me?"
"Of course, I do. But there are things we need to talk about."
"Agreed. Beginning with my apologising profusely, repeatedly, and from the bottom of my heart for the way I treated you. You must think me a worse scoundrel than Hunter, not to mention an utter fool for ignoring the obvious fact you were not and never could be a commoner."
"Why couldn't I be?"
Edward's brow furrowed with confusion.
"Why couldn't I be a commoner, just one who had received an uncommon education?" Bella repeated, surprising herself with the direction of her thoughts. She had not intended to raise this topic, but Edward's words triggered an outpouring of the indignation that had been brewing within her for some time.
"Is the blood that flows through my veins really so superior to that of Angela's, with her kind heart, or Mrs Cope's, with her organisational skills and vast knowledge of housekeeping? What about Henson's leadership ability or Chef Peters' creative talent? They're but a few of the commoners we both know, fine intelligent people whose only difference to us are the opportunities and education we've received, and they have not. Are we, of the ruling class, with our superficiality and disdain for hard work really so superior to those who must rely on their wits and abilities to survive?"
Edward bowed his head in her direction.
"I stand, or rather sit, corrected by a valid opinion from one of the few members of our society to have experienced life on either side of the divide. But while I see your point, you might not want to make it too loudly considering your current location." He glanced towards their audience. "The King is not exactly open to reform, and he might think you are in league with those advocating for revolution here in Britain."
Bella smiled sheepishly. "I didn't mean to get carried away. It is just my experiences have caused me to question the status quo. While I would never dismiss the dangers or hardships, there were aspects to living as a commoner I found almost appealing. I can't tell you how many times I wished you were of a lower station, so we could have married and made a life together away from the strictures of society."
"You almost received your wish. Losing you . . ." He closed his eyes, and it took a moment before he could continue speaking. "Losing you, merely confirmed how much you mean to me. I was serious in my intention to give it all away if that's what it took for us to be together. Although I wasn't sure how I would go about winning you back if I was stripped of everything and on the run. Which could still happen," he added grimly.
Bella gave a feeble laugh. "I have always wanted to travel, though living abroad permanently wasn't quite what I had in mind. I suppose my father could visit us . . ." Her words trailed away, before she shook her head. "What am I saying? Edward, you can't defy the King. There is too much at stake."
"Hopefully it won't come to that." He squeezed her hand. "His Majesty may yet grant his approval, though I need your assent first. You rejected my earlier proposal, not that I blame you."
"Under the circumstances, I thought it best. I was trying not to be selfish, though it broke my heart to leave you on a lie."
Edward stroked her cheek in that way of his that warmed her to her very soul.
"My brave, beautiful, self-sacrificing girl," he murmured. "Although I think there may have been more to your refusal, and I believe those same concerns are at the heart of your current reservations."
Bella's hopes rose that Edward was about to lay to rest her fears, that he wanted her exactly as she was and didn't expect her to alter her behaviour towards him one whit.
"You think I would be unfaithful," he continued, and she blinked.
That was another fear, though not as potent.
"I couldn't bear the thought of our being married and you spending time with another woman," she admitted.
"Oh, Bella. I deserve the horse-whipping your father threatened for the dreadful picture I painted of marriage."
"You merely enlightened me to the way things are done amongst those of our class, well, amongst the nobility and aristocracy, at any rate," she said. "My father told me he never kept a mistress, and you have mentioned your father intends remaining faithful to Esme, so I gather it's possible."
"Of course, it's possible, just not normally expected," Edward said wryly. "But I can assure you, I fully intend to remain faithful. I would give you my word as a gentleman, but after the way I have behaved, I doubt that would stand for very much. What I can do is promise you, from this day forth, earning your trust is my highest priority."
"You will honour your wedding vows?" Bella asked, determined there should be no ambiguity between them.
"Until death do us part. You are the only woman for me, Bella, only you . . . ever."
"What about your expectations of how I should behave when we are alone together as man and wife?"
Her heart pounded against the wall of her chest as she awaited his answer.
"Oh, Bella." He hung his head. "When I think of the things I said, the things I did, and what I expected of you."
He shuddered, and her heart fell.
"I am not cold and unfeeling, Edward."
"No, but you are a lady not a . . . a . . ." He spread his hands helplessly.
"You think only whores and mistresses should behave as I did."
"It's not your fault, Bella. I gave you no choice." He took both her hands in his. "I am so very sorry for the way I treated you, the things I made you do. I took you on my desk in broad daylight, for God's sake, where anyone could—and did—come barging in. You think I would treat my wife that way?"
Bella winced at the memory of his cousin and friends coming upon them and the frightening things they had said. A locked door would have been preferable, but that did not mean she'd disliked what Edward had done before they were interrupted.
"It wasn't all terrible." She stared at their joined hands.
For a long moment there was silence. Her lower lip trembled, and he caressed her chin with his forefinger, slowly raising it so she could not hide from his gaze.
"Sweetheart, I love you, and I am very much looking forward to our being wed. But as your husband, you can rest assured I would never treat you with such disrespect. You are a lady, my darling Bella, or would you prefer I call you Isabella?"
Isabella was a more fitting name for one of her station, but she was hesitant to give up the name by which he knew her.
"I prefer Bella," she whispered.
"Bella it is."
Edward smiled, but she couldn't quite muster one in response.
"You told me ladies were incapable of passion, but we both know that's not true of me. Do you expect me to deny mine?"
"No!" Edward sat back. "I merely meant that as my wife, I would treat you with more respect than I did when I thought of you as my mistress. I made demands upon you, offended your tender sensibilities repeatedly, expected things of you no gentleman should expect of his wife—"
"I understand." Bella interjected, coming to a decision.
Of course, it must be difficult for Edward to adjust to the notion the woman he had considered perfect mistress material, one who had indulged his every passionate whim, was also suitable to be his wife. Despite her previous convictions, a life spent without Edward was not an option she was willing to contemplate, especially when it would most likely involve marriage to some foreign prince or other.
Compromise was in order.
Edward loved her, and he was looking forward to making love to her. As long as he didn't expect her to be completely unfeeling and find no pleasure in the process, she would do her best to fulfil whatever expectations he might have of her as his wife.
"I shall try not to disappoint you," she said.
"You have absolutely nothing to fear in that regard." He raised her hand to his mouth. "And I promise you will find me an exemplary husband."
"Will you still want to kiss me?"
"Of course! That's if you still desire it. After the way I treated you, I would understand if you had reservations—"
"No, I look forward to you kissing me again . . . when it's appropriate for you to do so, of course."
"So do I, my love. So do I."
Sighing with relief at the husky timbre of Edward's words, Bella regretted her lack of a fan. The thought of kissing him had caused her blood to heat. She swayed towards him, and he steadied her with his free hand.
"Later, sweetheart," he whispered, his eyes dark and filled with promise.
Bella couldn't keep the smile from her face. It would be all right. Things would be different between them now that he knew her true identity, but it was clear to her Edward was sincere in his affections. Although he did seem a little misguided regarding what she would and would not find offensive.
He moved to kneel before her, and her smile faded. Edward wanted her for his wife, not because marriage to her was the most advantageous political alliance he could form, but because he loved her, maybe not exactly as she was, but close enough.
"Lady Isabella Swan," he said, his voice infused with love. "While I know I don't deserve the opportunity, I promise to spend my life proving myself worthy of you. Will you consent to marry me, thereby making me the happiest man alive?"
"Yes, I will."
Edward's eyes sparkled as he lifted her hand to his lips, kissing the back of her gloved fingers tenderly.
"I want nothing more than to take you in my arms and kiss you properly," he whispered. "But I dare not."
Another wave of relief washed over Bella. If he was willing to kiss her properly, she had nothing to fear. If there was one thing she recalled about their time together at Worthington, it was that kisses could very easily lead to other, less proper, things.
"A kiss would be very nice, though I understand this is not the time or place. As long as you promise to rectify the situation at the first available opportunity, you are forgiven."
"I promise." Edward smiled.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth about who I was from the beginning," she added, and his smile faded.
"I wish you had, but I understand why you felt you couldn't."
"Do you think you would have still been interested in me if you'd known I was a member of the gentry? Or would you have thought me beneath you, a country girl from a supposedly inconsequential family?"
Edward laughed out loud. "Oh, Bella, wild horses couldn't have dragged me away."
He glanced to the side, and she looked over to see the King and father watching them.
"Although our meddling Sovereign just might. He seems to have plans for you that don't include me."
"What do you suggest we do?" she asked, as Edward stood and assisted her to her feet.
"Be very firm in our determination to negotiate the shortest betrothal possible," he said sotto voce as they approached their audience. "I believe the King would rather avoid a scandal, but I fear he will insist on a protracted engagement to attempt to sway you to his will."
"But I thought once a betrothal was announced, it couldn't be broken?" she said with alarm.
"Try telling our sovereign ruler that."
As overjoyed as she was by their reunion, and at least somewhat reassured about the nature of their future together, the path before them appeared littered with obstacles.
The King's blessing, which had yet to be given, could just as easily be withdrawn. Her father's and her fiancé's relationship was on shaky ground. Lord Hunter remained at large, a thought that filled her with apprehension despite the assurances she had received that the rogue could do her no further harm. And she was yet to face the scrutiny and probable censure of a society she feared would not be quite as forgiving of her adventures as her loving father and surprisingly indulgent royal cousin.
Looking up at Edward, the man she loved almost beyond reason, Bella came to a decision. Two could play at this meddling game, and after everything she had endured, she felt no qualms whatsoever about manipulating things in her favour.
"Don't worry, sweetheart." She smiled her assurance. "I believe I have the perfect solution."
Bella had been a victim of ignorance and circumstances for long enough. It was time to take charge of her destiny and secure for Edward and herself their very own happily ever after.
~I~
The End
Just kidding! This is the last chapter of the first book (the story being split in two when it was originally published), but I'll be posting the next book straight on from here with no break. You'll be pleased to know that Edward's POV is included in the second book/half of the story. Yay! I can't recall why, but the editors insisted I tell the first half of the story in the heroine's POV only. I still have all the chapters from the original story which share many scenes from Edward's POV for events to date (his fight with Edgeley, confrontation with Tanya, scenes with the King, and chat with Bella's father). If you're interested, I could clean them up and post them as an outtake later on.
Until tomorrow,
xx Elise