At Your Request (Apart from the Crowd 0.5)(10)

Edgar smiled. “But I imagine it did the trick, though, didn’t it? You’re looking far less queasy now, and . . . we’ll be able to finish our conversation without being surrounded by curious guests.”

Not caring to hear more about his marriage plans, Wilhelmina lifted her chin. “I’m not certain we have much more to discuss.”

Taking hold of her hand, Edgar pulled her back inside the conservatory and hustled her straight back to their bench. Lowering himself down beside her, he pulled her hand back into his.

“Now then, where were we?” he asked pleasantly.

“How is it possible that I’d forgotten how stubborn you can be?” she asked.

“I’m sure I have no idea, since I’ve been told that stubbornness is part of my charm.”

“I’m not certain I’d call it charming, but . . .” She felt her lips begin to curve. “I have, curiously enough, missed your incredibly stubborn self over the last few years.”

“And I’ve missed your incredibly delightful habit of contradicting me at every turn.”

“I’m sure I don’t contradict you at every turn,” she said as he quirked a brow her way.

“I’m sure you do, but before we find ourselves at sixes and sevens with each other, tell me what you’ve been doing over the years I’ve been gone.”

Having no wish to speak about the mundane path her life had traveled of late, she shook her head. “I’d much rather hear about you, specifically about that stint in a steel mill you mentioned.”

“I still work in the steel industry,” Edgar began. “Although I work in my own mills instead of working for someone else these days.”

“Which does explain why someone mentioned you’ve returned to town with a respectable fortune at your disposal.”

“I don’t know if I’d consider my fortune as being at the respectable level as of yet, but I do have high hopes for the future if my Pittsburgh mills keep performing as well as they have been of late.”

Wilhelmina wrinkled her nose. “You live in Pittsburgh?”

“Why do I get the distinct feeling that I’ve just said something that’s gotten me into trouble?”

“Because Pittsburgh isn’t that far away from New York City, and yet, you’ve stayed remarkably absent from New York these past seven years.”

Edgar’s brows drew together. “Who said I haven’t visited New York over the past seven years?”

For a second, she found herself speechless, but only for a second. “Are you saying that you’ve come home often but have never, as in ever, stopped in to see me?”

“Surely, given that you were once very familiar with my mother, you couldn’t have thought that she’d be willing to accept the idea that I’d not visit her for occasions such as her birthday and other holidays, could you?”

“You’ve been back numerous times?”

Edgar had the audacity to laugh. “I must admit that your indignation is doing wonders for that wounded pride I’ve been living with for years.”

“I highly doubt your pride was wounded for years,” she said with her best attempt at a sniff, an attempt she obviously didn’t pull off well since he laughed again.

Giving her hand a bit of a pat, Edgar leaned closer. “My pride was wounded long enough, thank you very much, especially since I’d never considered the idea that you’d turn down my marriage proposal.”

“Your proposal took me by complete surprise.”

Edgar nodded. “I realized that almost as soon as it popped out of my mouth and you turned a concerning shade of white. But, in my defense, it never crossed my mind that you hadn’t come to the same conclusion I had—that conclusion being that we’d spend our lives together. We were the closest of friends.”

Her shoulders took to drooping. “I know we were, but in my defense, I was young, selfish, and somewhat self-absorbed the night of my debut.” She released a tiny sigh. “Quite honestly, it wasn’t as if the thought had never crossed my mind that you and I might very well see ourselves married at some point in the future—the very distant future. However, on that particular evening, my only clear objective was to be admired and fawned over as I made what I hoped was going to be a most spectacular debut.”

Edgar brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a quick kiss on it. “You were absolutely beautiful that night, deserved to bask in all the attention you were receiving, and . . .” He smiled and lowered her hand. “If it makes you feel less guilty, do know that I’ve come to believe that your rejection was one of the best things that could have ever happened to me.”





Chapter

Four




“You’re thankful I rejected your offer?” Wilhelmina all but sputtered.

To her extreme annoyance, Edgar didn’t hesitate to nod. “But of course. To refresh your memory, I was quite aimless before you rejected me. My older brother, if you’ll recall, was responsible for taking over the family business while I was left to do whatever I pleased.” His smile dimmed. “While you and I know many second sons who embrace a frivolous lifestyle, I was beginning to find that frivolous life quite boring, and was counting on my marriage to you to change that.”