No, he couldn't do that to her. He might despise her father for his blatant dishonesty, but he would not, could not, devastate Regina that way.
The truth would just have to go to his grave with him.
~Chapter Five~
Edward stared at the food on the sideboard and was half-tempted to ride to Eton as a concerned elder brother and come back home as a criminal on the run.
"Is that gruel?" Regina asked, her brow puckering at the sight in front of them.
"I'm afraid so." He sighed. "This is the work of Trouble."
"Pardon?"
Edward shook his head. "Around here the words John and trouble are interchangeable."
"So you've nicknamed him Trouble," Regina guessed.
Edward nodded. "Rightfully so, by the looks of things. I had to have my coat altered two days before our wedding, and I asked him to arrange a menu with Cook."
Regina sputtered with laughter. At least one of them found the humor in this. "It might not be fancy, but it is still food."
Edward picked up the serving spoon and let the thick, lumpy substance run off the side and back into the pot. "This is not food."
"Edward, every meal needn't be extravagant."
Silently vowing to get John back for this, Edward scooped a modest spoonful on each of their plates. When Regina cast him a curious look, he said, "Believe me, this will be more than enough."
She shook her head and went to the table.
Edward plunked his plate down and schooled his features to remain impassive as Regina took her first bite.
As soon as that first brown globule hit her tongue, her face grew red, eyes watered, and cheeks swelled thrice their normal size. She swallowed audibly, making the most unladylike gagging noise as that horrid substance made its way down her throat.
Edward grinned at her. "Delicious, is it not?"
Regina wiped her mouth. Twice. "Excuse me," she murmured. "I didn't mean to embarrass myself that way."
He waved her off. "I might be a baron and frequently styled as 'my lord', but I am not old and without humor. There is no need to be embarrassed." He paused. "And if you are, than you shall have to eat another bite."
"I think not. That is dreadful."
"Yes, I know." He stood and walked to the bell pull. When Johnson, the butler, arrived a moment later, he ordered some fresh fruit and biscuits sent immediately.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," Edward said.
The silence stretched as they waited for the servants to return, and Edward tried not to make eye contact with Regina. He hated lying, and was often told he was the worst liar who ever lived. He just needed to avoid her eyes if he didn't want her to learn the truth.
But it was hard to keep his eyes away from her for very long. Her appearance with sparkling, brown eyes and an upward turn of her lips kept drawing him back.
"Do you have any plans for the day?" he forced himself to ask.
Regina lowered her cup of coffee, her eyes wide. "I hadn't considered it."
"You're welcome to join me in the conservatory," he said before he could think better of it. He didn't need her in there poking around. She might unearth something other than some flowers: his secret.
"I'd love to."
He forced a smile. Wonderful. Now he'd have to be careful what he said. "You don't have to join me..."
She waved him off. "Nonsense. I've always wanted to go into a conservatory. It's an indoor garden, is it not?"
"As a matter of speaking, it is." He grinned. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad, after all. He could just show her all the flowers; then when she was done fawning over them, she could come back inside.
Edward couldn't deny the small measure of pride he had leading Regina to his conservatory where he'd nurtured dozens of different species of plants, mostly foreign. He was known throughout England for having the most extensive plant collection in a single conservatory.
He offered her his arm and guided her around, stopping at each bush, tree and plant.
"It's all so beautiful," Regina said, removing her hand from his arm so she could bend closer to his violets.
Edward shoved his hands in his pockets. "Thank you." He let her examine a few of the stems. "Are you ready to go back to the house?"
She turned those soft brown eyes on him. "No. I thought I'd stay out here with you, if that's all right."
He nodded. "Very well. There's a bench just over there." He pointed to a crude stone bench off to the side and out of the way.
"All right." She straightened and walked to the bench.
Was it just him or did her smile dim? He shrugged off the thought along with his coat. He set his coat, waistcoat and cravat on the bench next to her, rolled up his sleeves, and knelt down next to the row of tulips he needed to replant. He grabbed the nearby spade and dug it into the soil.
Behind him, Regina remained silent-except every few seconds the bottom of her slipper would make a "shhh" sound against the dirt as she mindlessly kicked her foot. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. She was staring at him. Why? Did she really want to be out here with him? Surely not. "Regina, if you'd like to go inside, you can," he offered again.
Her foot stopped mid-scrape. "Do you wish to be alone?"
Edward lowered the tulip bulb in his hand to the ground. "No. I just don't want you to be bored."
"I'm not," she said, resuming her kicking.
He shook his head. If it were him sitting on that bench watching the back of someone, he'd pull his own hair out for entertainment. He sighed. "Would you like to help?"
Her foot stopped mid-scrape again. "Will I be in the way?"
Yes. "No." He waved his hand. "Come on, then."
She was at his side faster than he could blink. She bent to kneel beside him.
"Wait." He flushed. He hadn't meant to bark at her. Dropping his spade, he stood then walked to where a dirty smock hung from a wooden peg by the door. "Wear this so you don't get your dress filthy."
Regina took it from him and turned it this way, then that.
"Here, let me help you."
Relief softened her features as she handed him the smock. "Forgive me. I've never worn one before and I don't know-"
"It's of no account," he cut in to spare her pride. He held the smock in front of her so she could slide both arms into the arm holes then helped pull it snugly against her body. "Turn." The back had two sets of ties, one by the neck and one about the waist. He tied the one around her waist first. "Your stays are so large they make it nearly impossible for both sides of the string to touch."
Regina's neck turned pink. "Oh, do I need to remove them?"
Only if you remove everything else you're wearing while you're at it. He swore under his breath. He had no business thinking such thoughts about her. She was his wife, for pity's sake. She deserved his respect, not him undressing her in his mind. "No, no. I think I have it." He finished tying a simple knot with the lower strings then picked up the two ends that would tie around her neck. Focusing his attention on the pear tree just past Regina's left shoulder, he quickly tied the second knot. "You're ready," he said, fisting his hands to resist the urge to touch her.
She peeled off her gloves and tossed them on the bench next to his discarded clothes then bent next to where he'd been. "Do you plan to join me, or now that I'm properly attired, will I be digging in the flowerbeds alone?"
"I'm coming." He resumed his earlier position at her side, noting that she was holding the spade wrong. "Here, like this," he murmured, repositioning her hands. He stilled momentarily. Her hands were so small with skin softer than anything he'd ever felt before.
"Better?"
"Yes." He coughed to cover up the roughness in his voice then scowled. This was exactly what he didn't need. Regina had this odd tendency to reduce him to a bumbling green lad. Before luncheon he was sure to devastate her with the truth of her marriage. It was nearly guaranteed.
But somehow, he didn't.
By some miracle, he'd been able to keep his mouth shut about that-but only by grunting responses to any question she asked him that wasn't about flowers or turtles.
He was such a cad.
"Let me help you get that off," he said, tossing his spade to the ground and knocking the excess dirt off his hands by brushing them across his breeches.
Regina turned her back toward him, so he could quickly undo her ties. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He pulled the smock off of her and met her eyes. "Do you have plans for after luncheon?"