Page 14 of Emma & Edmund

Emma held her tongue, knowing he likely well knew that yes, it had been the subject of rumor. Still was, even before the invitations arrived, if there was little else to talk about.

"It was due to a piece of...news, I suppose, is the only way to put it. My mother had only just found out she was expecting a child, expecting me, and Father had only just escorted the doctor out when a stranger came to their door. This ragged woman seemed like any common pauper, seeking out food or coin. But when offered, she refused, saying she only had a gift she needed to present to the mistress of the house. My mother was in no way for company, and so my father refused. The woman insisted, saying she must leave the gift at any cost. Yet, my father still closed the door and never saw the woman again.

The very next morning, my parents were awoken by a shrieking maid. Sitting right at the door, she discovered a basket full of toads. Decapitated, every one of them."

"How awful!" Emma found herself captivated, his words tantalizingly pulling her along. "And they were so frightened by it, they moved?"

"Oh, they were disturbed, no doubt, but they remained in the home without further incident. The maid did quit, however. And for nine months, my family lived in peace. The odd woman fell from their thoughts. Until the night I was born."

He paused for a moment, and then another. With his eyes downcast, the strange earl's face was left in shadow, but his deep, even breathing could be heard over the crackle of the fire, over thetingof fat raindrops on the roof. When the silence continued to stretch, Emma fought valiantly to hold her words, ultimately losing the battle.

"So, you were born...as you are?"

"I often wondered if I looked just like those headless toads to them. If I was just as frightening, just as unwanted. As surprising, I'm sure. It would have been accepted, encouraged even, to spare me the mercy of living as a creature amongst men. They could have claimed any number of things that led to my death and quietly got on with their lives. I doubt many could have blamed them.

"As easy as it would have been, they still accepted me as their son, even going as far as secluding us all as deeply as they could. I'm sure the fact of me hosting a party at the very spot they chose for my protection has them rolling in their graves."

The reverence, the honor, for which Edmund spoke of his parents made clear how beloved they are in their son's eyes, even long after they were gone. Emma found herself in agreement with him, that most people wouldn't have done what they did. That most would have located the nearest well.

"For what it's worth," Emma said after a polite cough, breaking another extended silence, "if only for my own continued survival, I am grateful for their devotion to your safety. But I must ask, after so long, why take this risk?"

The question brought Edmund's gaze back to hers, a shy hope in his eyes. "I had thought the curse would be broken by now."

Not bothering to hide her bewilderment, Emma stuttered, "What curse?"

"What other explanation could there be? A mysterious woman, a grotesque offering, and, most of all, my very existence. A curse is the only cause it could be."

"Is that the theory your parents held?"

"Bah," Edmund exclaimed with a flick of his hand, "they refused to talk about the events surrounding my birth, even upon their deathbeds, let alone any theories or thoughts behind it. I was informed by Anthony, only after spending a summer begging the poor man."

"Mr. Anthony, the butler?"

"Yes," Edmund said with a laugh. "Mybutler. The staff has been with the family for the entirety of my lifetime, if not longer. Spare those who have died, it is the same staff and their children brought from Sussex. I would trust any of them with my life."

"I suppose you do, daily." Emma couldn't stop herself, but any worry over her rudeness was dashed as her tablemate burst with a laugh. A true, genuine laugh, that, with his low tenor, rolled like thunder from his throat.

"I suppose you're right," Edmund agreed, a chuckle still rumbling through his words. "When the rumor came that a witch's coven had settled near the River Mersey, we had all thought they would be the key. Who better to cure a curse than a witch?

"We had thought they would be easy to find, but that was well over a year ago now. After using more resources than I'm inclined to say, we're left without hide or hair of them. In a wild fit of hope, I called for the party to be planned, perhaps urging fate to finally happen. The days and months went much faster than I would have liked, but I still held onto hope. I hold onto hope even now."

Sincerity clung to each syllable, it had from the very first word he spoke to her. So much so that even if it was all a lie, she believed him just as convinced of it. Despite all sensibility, she believed him, too.

"Now please," Edmund continued, a forced lightness to the words, "eat. I'm afraid I've been quite distracting."

In more ways than one, Emma barely managed to stop herself from saying, reaching for a piece of bread instead. Once the crust hit her lips, ravenousness chased away manners.

With a choked groan, Emma filled her cheeks, washed it all down with tea, and went back for more. If he was shocked by her fervor, Edmund said nothing, smiling benevolently as he refilled her cup.

Only when she was face to face with a crumb and stem filled platter did Emma realize herself. A deep blush burned across her face, mortification only slightly dulled by the fullness of her belly.

"I...I haven't eaten since breakfast and..."

"No need for explanation, Miss Emma," her host admonished, sweeping away the tray of shame and letting it clatter on the counter, returning to his seat as quickly as he left.

Glancing up from the table, she studied the hard, broad face and matching body. The unnatural skin. The terrifying thick tusks. But she also didn't miss the faint lilt of his plump lips, and the softness they cast over an otherwise harsh expression.

Even if the endless black of his eyes reminded her of water at night, there was nothing but kindness within them.

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