Storm and Silence (Storm and Silence 1)

Bösendorfer? Who the dickens is Ignaz Bösendorfer?[49]

The name sounded like someone you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley, but from the reverent way he pronounced it, and the way Ella beamed up at him, the chap must have been royalty or maybe an ancient demigod. For some reason, I found myself grinning.

Blast! What did it matter if Edmund thought well of me? But I couldn’t wipe the silly grin off my face.

‘If only we could reveal all to her,’ he sighed.

‘I know, I know, Edmund.’ Ella mirrored his sigh. ‘I wish, too, that she knew how dear I hold you in my heart. I wish she could hear and see us right now! But it cannot be.’

Well, actually, my dear sister…

‘Nobody must ever know! If our affections ever became known…!’

She trailed off. He picked up the meaning of her words without great difficulty.

‘Your aunt didn’t seem very fond of me,’ he ventured.

‘She can be… difficult, sometimes.’

‘Do you think she might ever be prevailed upon to accept me as the man who loves you?’

‘I… don't know. Maybe.’

One thing about my little sister… she is an eternal optimist. From inside the house, there came another crash of china, followed by a screech that sounded like Sir Phillip Wilkins’ name, mixed with powerful invectives.

Ella jumped and guiltily looked back at the house.

‘Your aunt?’ Edmund asked.

She nodded. ‘She had set her heart on this match. I would be sorry for her sake that it did not come about, but…’ she smiled weakly at Edmund, ‘somehow, I cannot seem to manage to be very sorry.’

He smiled back. But then, his face became solemn again.

‘But you’re not sorry that we didn’t have to run away, either, are you?’ he asked.

Ella sucked in air, sharply. She hesitated. Then: ‘No, I’m not.’

Her voice was small. ‘I… love you with all my heart, Edmund. But in my heart I also love Aunt, Lilly, my other sisters, even Uncle Bufford, though we practically never see him. My heart would have been broken, had I been forced to leave them. And with a broken heart, I could not have loved you half as well as you deserve.’

There were a few minutes of silence. Then, Edmund spoke again, and his voice was a little unsteady.

‘Ella, I… I have to ask your forgiveness.’

‘Forgiveness, Edmund? For what?’

He swallowed.

‘For this… for my devious plans. For how I tried to lure you away from your home, your family, and trap you in a disgraceful union. Now that the weight of Wilkins is lifted off my mind, I can hardly comprehend what I was thinking, what I was doing. And I’m not just talking about my plans to run away with you. The way I’ve been acting, presuming to touch you where I shouldn’t touch you, presuming to hold you like no gentleman should… I must have been mad! I… I only ever want to behave to you as a gentleman should behave, Ella. You are the sweetest, most gentle lady that ever walked the earth. You deserve nothing less, in fact, you deserve a lot more.’ Again, he took a breath. ‘So, I wanted to apologize for all I did. I wish you to know that, had there been any other way, had I been master of myself and my heart, I would never have suggested an elopement. If you can, forgive me, and forget all about it. We will go back to the way things were. I will behave with propriety towards you, and never again step out of line.’

‘Of course I forgive you, Edmund.’ Was something wrong with my ears or did she sound a tiny bit disappointed. ‘And of course you are right. We should behave properly. We have been acting… foolishly, lately.’

He nodded.

She nodded.

Yet he didn’t loosen his grip on her, still holding her in a manner that I, at least, would not have termed proper for a gentleman.

‘Before we return to propriety and forget foolishness, though…’ he muttered, his voice rough.