Page 32 of Adoringly, Edward
As tears trailed down her face and froze to her cheeks, she took the oars from him and began rowing them back toward shore. She never knew love could hurt so much. A part of her wished she’d never had the chance to find out.
They reached shore far too fast but not quickly enough. And when she stepped out of the boat, she didn’t look back, not a single time, as she quickened her pace toward the estate.
She’d taken a chance. She’d given her all. But it wasn’t enough.
Edward Beaumont did not love her.
And now her heart was broken beyond repair.
PACKING WAS a dismal activity.
The maids insisted on helping, but Vivienne refused, needing something to occupy her hands, her attention, other than her broken heart.
She’d been reckless, and now she was paying the price. She would have a dreary husband twice her age, spending every waking moment as his wife while she loved another. It wasn’t fair to the duke. It wasn’t fair to herself.
But no other choice remained.
She carefully placed her blue gown into the portmanteau, thinking about how not even that could draw the viscount’s attention. And with shaking hands, she untied the pinecone necklace from around her neck and set it on top.
It was time to say goodbye to her hopes and dreams and fancies. To the love in her heart. The duke would rule herwith an iron thumb, restricting her adventures and curbing her playfulness.
Her chest ached as she recalled reading with Edward beneath the sheets in playful voices. Racing through the forest hand in hand. Laughing together until the break of dawn. She’d loved every moment spent with him, because their souls were one of the same. Meant for each other.
If only he could feel it, too.
A knock sounded on the door. She jumped and swiped a hand across her cheeks before composing herself and opening the door.
A maid curtsied on the opposite side, handing her a package wrapped in brown paper tied with a cream-colored ribbon. “For her ladyship.”
Before Vivienne found the mind to inquire further, the maid disappeared and left her by her lonesome.
Closing the door behind her, she took a seat on the window bench, the chill from the glass seeping inside the room. She found nothing on the outside of the package to indicate its sender, and for one disappointing moment, she thought it might be another gift from the duke.
But as she pinched the ribbon and pulled, the paper fell away to reveal a large volume. Not just any book, but the very one Edward had read to her beneath the flickering lantern light days ago.
Her heart caught in her throat as she reverently stroked the weathered leather spine and ran a finger along the worn edges. Carefully, she opened the book to where the ribbon bookmark had been placed, giving a start when an envelope fell out of its pages.
A shudder of anticipation worked its way through her limbs as she broke the wax seal on the brown envelope, and then she slipped out a long page filled with messy script.
Dearest Vivienne,
All the glittering jewels could never surpass your beauty…
Ha! I’m jesting, though you are certainly a beautiful woman. I know I should not make such jests, but I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
She laughed, tears trailing from her eyes as she read Edward’s words. He had always been able to coax a laugh out of her no matter the circumstance. Even during one of her darkest moments, he was still there, making her smile.
All jesting aside, I’m gifting you my most prized possession because now it’s your turn to enjoy what stories are written within the pages. I’ve hoarded it for far too long now. Perhaps you will love it as much as I have. I should be most disappointed if every single page isn’t hanging by a thread years from now.
Vivi, you must know that these past few months have been the best of my life. Thank you for making me feel alive, for giving me so much joy. I will treasure the days spent with you for the rest of my life.
Your Greatest Admirer,
Adoringly, Edward
Vivienne hugged the book to her chest, feeling each and every one of his words like a warm embrace. Perhaps not all was lost after all.
But even as hope blossomed within her, she quickly squashed it as she recalled last night and the way he had rejected her love. There was no hope for them.
