The Enchantment of Lady Ice

XXIX. The Most-Loved in Wickhurst

The word that the newlywed couple had finally returned to Wickhurst traveled so fast that Harold had to give immediate orders to the butler to close the doors of the manor to anyone who would call, most particularly any former member of Grey's.

"You are quite the popular kind, darling," Alice mentioned from the settee while staring at her husband who was reading the latest Herald with a big frown on his face.

"Thank you," he murmured without tearing his eyes off the paper. "How is Mother fairing in her new estate?"

"She loves it. It is close enough to Langworthy, close to Lady Edwina and her old friends."

"We should visit her soon, else she would think I placed her far to spare her of being a witness."

"Witness to what?"

"Breaking your heart," he said with a sigh, flipping another page where his frown merely worsened and his face contorted with disbelief.

Ignoring his answer, Alice sighed and looked over to the window. "I would rather you do not read the gossips, Harry. It is quite a fine day today."

He folded the paper at her statement and looked at her. His face lit up as he began to smile. "I would rather devour you here, my lady, but we have better things to do."

Alice frowned. "I do not foresee anything better than making love with you at the moment, Harry."

Harold groaned as he approached her. He bent down to plant a kiss on her lips. "You are a temptress." He grabbed her hand and straightened, taking her with him so she stood before him. He gave her another kiss. "We should take a walk."

Her eyes widened. "Walk? Where?"

"The park, where else?" he said, pulling her across the parlor. "Everyone seems not convinced that we both returned alive and happy."

"Alive? Both?"

"They speculate that one of us returned with a corpse."

"What a ridiculous thing to say!"

"Precisely."

Alice felt she was beginning to fume. "We are not taking the carriage. I want everyone to see us both walking alive from this manor to the park."

"Of course, darling."

"Without a limp."

"Yes, of course."

"No bruises."

"Yes."

"No coercion."

Harold chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders down the hallway. "Darling, I understand what you mean."

"But not those people. And all the while I thought town folks have more sense."

*****

"You would not believe this," Eva breathlessly said to Alice the very moment she entered the manor.

"Believe it or not, Eva, I can believe anything at this point. But please, pray tell," Alice wryly said. "Where is your husband."

"Upstairs, straight to Harold's study," her friend replied. "Now, you will not believe this..."

Alice shrugged and waited for her friend's surprising news.

"Lady Gedge came calling earlier."

Brows raised in surprise, Alice said, "Well, that is quite unbelievable, I must agree. What did she want?"

"She wants to acquire my help to meet you."