His Sudden Bride (The Brides # 1) COMPLETED

Chapter Sixteen, Part One

Edward gave her a stern look. " I do not believe it. I cannot believe it."

"What if its true, what then?" Lexa inquired.

Edward shook his head. "It can't be true. because I know my mother," Edward reminded her, "she is a walking disaster."

"Now that is merely silly," Lexa countered.

Edward just looked at her as if he was say no, it's not. He pursed his lips and said, in a matter fact tone, "I do fear that we may have to counsel my father."

Lexa thought of the duke. She did hope that he wouldn't react terribly when she mentions Charlotte.  When she last mentioned Edward's mother, His Grace's disposition turned on a dime when she mentioned his former wife.

"Is that wise?" She asked, concerned, "I fear His Grace will  be displeased with us."

"He will," Edward affirmed. "If anything, my father despised my father far greater than I do."

Lexa shook her head. This animosity would get nowhere. However, it was not her place to confer criticism. She knew that she recently married into the Wellesley family and that there was a complicated history she won't completely understand. She did hope she would someday.

Looking at her husband, Lexa decided and said, "perhaps we ought to go out for bit. What do you say?"

Edward raised an eyebrow to his wife. Lexa merely waited for an answer.

"I'll stay," he decided.

"Very well," said Lexa, "I'll be going to visit Caroline."

Edward merely nodded at his wife and Lexa wearing her hat and coat departed Drumbroke Manor to visit Caroline. Miss Lyons followed at her mistress's heel.

Caroline was in a worse state due to her condition. Once Lexa had entered the drawing room of Hereford House—after announcing herself to the butler—her dear friend looked pale and resting on her hair.

"Ricks been trying to get me to eat, Lexa," Caroline said, "but I find it far too difficult."

"My poor dear," Lexa cried to her friend, "You must eat for your baby."

"I know," Caroline replied, feeling melancholy,

Seeing her dear friend in such a state, Lexa couldn't comfort her. She didn't understand Caroline's condition, but Dora did.

Dora did.

Lexa's eyes sparked with recognition. Of course Dora did. Dora had two children with Lord Arthur.

"Have you confided in Dora?" Lexa asked Caroline.

Caroline felt bitter. "Our dear friend had left for the Continent."

"Had she?" Lexa asked.

The last she had seen Dora was after the wedding, where Dora wished her the best in her marriage and departed the wedding breakfast with her husband. Lexa merely believed that Dora had returned home.

"What of Lady Hereford?" Lexa asked.

Caroline was bitter yet again, "Beatrice is visiting Annabel in Ireland."

Lexa sighed, she felt she was running out of opinions. "What of your mother?"

Caroline pursed her lips. The mention of her mother held complicated feelings. Lexa decided she would not ask. "I wouldn't want to impose my worries on my dear Mama."

"Do not worry," Lexa reassured her. "I pray that it get better."

Caroline's mood was far low and the atmosphere was gloomy. When the maid entered the drawing room with the tea, she was startled to see her mistress in such low spirits. The maid eyed Lexa suspiciously as if to accuse her for the cause.

Lexa decided to tell Caroline about Charlotte. "I've met Edward's mother, you know."

Immediately, Caroline looked up, forgetting her gloom and inquired, her green eyes sparkling, "Edwards mother?"

"I never knew of her before," Lexa confessed. "Edward even claimed her as dead, when I asked."

"And she is alive?" Caroline asked as she ate a biscuit.

"Very much so." Lexa asked, as she recalled those cold and bitter blue eyes.

"There must have been a reason for that,"
Caroline told her.

"There was," Lexa mused.

"And what was your impression with the Duchess of Wellington?"

Lexa shook her head at the error of Charlotte's. From what she obeserved, Charlotte believed she still lay claimed to the title of marchioness even those she had remarried.

"She is not a duchess," Lexa said.

Caroline looked Lexa in confusion. Lexa could understand why Caroline was confused. So Lexa elaborated, "She is now a Mrs. Abernathy."

"Mrs. Abernathy? Is she related to the Abernathys from America?"

"Do you mean Miss Phoebe Abernathy?" asked Lexa.

When Caroline nodded, Lexa shook her head. "No."

The minute she said no, something clicked in her head. Abernathy. Why was Charlotte an Abernathy? Is she somewhat related to Phoebe? This was a new question in an already messy family web. But she felt that she was getting close to the truth.

"I do fear," Lexa said to Caroline, "that I may have unwinded something."

"I believe," Caroline said in return, "that I've found a family far more complicated than mine."

Caroline took a skip of her tea. She chuckled and mused amusedly in good humour about the situation.