CHAPTER13
When the sounds of laughter rang through the house, Edward nearly dropped the paperwork he had been looking at.
“Is all well, Your Grace?” his steward asked, gesturing down to more paperwork they had yet to complete.
“Yes, I thought I heard laughter,” Edward said distractedly. It had been a long time since he had heard Esther laugh in this house. “It is nothing, perhaps it is my imagination.”
He lifted the papers in front of his eyes once again, the better to read them, yet his gaze kept slipping down to the desk. It had been two days since he and Julia had been passionate on that desk with one another, and he had barely stopped thinking about it. His blood boiled and he could feel the desire raging whenever he thought of it. He adjusted his breeches under the ruse of fidgeting in the chair, trying to focus on the papers once again.
His thoughts were disturbed by laughter. He looked up at the steward who also lowered the papers in his hand.
“That was definitely laughter.” The steward nodded.
“Could you finish this for me? I think I should go check on my sister.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” The steward kindly took the papers, allowing Edward to hurry out of the room.
He crossed the corridor and entered the parlor, just as another peel of laughter rang out. The sound stunned him so much that he came to a sudden stop in the doorway, nearly stumbling across the floorboards and gripping the doorframe to stop himself from falling.
Before him, Esther was not alone. Beside her was Julia, and the two ladies were laughing so much that the tea in their teacups came dangerously close to spilling over the edge.
“Oh, Edward, there you are,” Esther declared, turning around on the settee to face him, her body clearly uncomfortable at the movement.
Edward could summon no words yet. He was too busy looking between Esther and Julia in surprise.
“Look who came to see me,” Esther said happily, gesturing to Julia. “She is quite the joy to have in the house. I cannot wait until she is here all of the time.”
Edward felt the guilt bloom. He glanced at Julia, fairly certain she felt that same guilt, judging by the way she hid her face behind her teacup to take a hasty sip.
“Will you join us?” Esther asked, pushing to her feet. “Oh, we need another teacup. I’ll find the maid to bring us one.”
“I’ll do it, Esther,” he said, striding forward, but Esther was always walking past him, waving her hands madly in his direction.
“Nonsense, I will do it. I am not an invalid you know. I am just carrying a little more weight these days!” Her laughter rang out as she walked away through the corridors, leaving Edward to turn back to face Julia, his mouth agape.
“Have I surprised you?” Julia asked with a little mischief. “I’d wager I have, for your face is a picture indeed.”
“You made her laugh,” Edward said, crossing the room toward her.
“Yes. People do often laugh. I would have thought you could recognize a laugh by now.”
“No teasing for a minute, Julia.” He crossed to her and picked up a footstool. Placing it down in front of her, he sat and forward. “She has not laughed for months.”
“She has not?” Julia asked, slowly lowering her cup.
“No, not even at my jests.”
“Is that more a judgement on your humor than her sadness?”
“Ha! You are teasing me again,” Edward said with a laugh and leaned toward her. Nothing could take away from the happiness of the moment for him, he was too thrilled. “You have brought her back to life, Julia. Thank you.”
“You do not need to thank me.” She brushed off the gratitude. Edward felt such care for Julia in that moment that he couldn’t look away. “May I ask you a question, Edward? About your sister?”
“Of course.” He encouraged her on as she glanced at the doorway, evidently checking Esther was not returning just yet.
“Has she told you who the father of her child is?”
“No.” Edward’s voice was sharp, full of his own disappointment. “Believe me, I wish I knew. I would challenge him to a duel in a moment and see the end of this matter.”