Chapter 87

*EDEN’S POV

Eden clutched Ian’s arm. "The bride. I am now Lady Hadleigh." Her veil lifted and she saw her husband's face approaching, grave and very pale. His eyes were a dark brown as he

contemplated his features. 

"He's realizing he's done something irrevocable," Eden mused as he leaned in to kiss her. 

She wished the passionate kiss would last longer, to reassure her, but Ian was already getting up.

An elegant but bewitching kiss, adapted to these solemn circumstances. Ian always knew what to do, on any occasion…

***

"And I don't, not at all." Eden had thought she was perfectly in control of herself , until Ivan entered her life. 

She had been an obedient daughter, an accomplished householder, a strong supporter of the parish. 

Which of these different talents would be useful to her in her new life? None. 

Now she would have to learn to behave like a viscountess. 

Eden proudly raised her chin and placed her hand on Ian’s arm.

She took her bouquet from Alexis’ hands and followed her husband's lead up the center aisle of the small church.

She saw Ian giving small smiles and nods to the right and left, and followed him. 

The pews were crowded. Most of them were probably servants from the castle, the omega pavilion, or farmers from the estate. 

Some people from the village, probably, too. There was a small, shy- looking lady, whom Eden suspected to be the pastor's wife, and a young woman with a well- behaved little girl, whom she assumed to be Jasper’s wife and daughter.

At least it wasn't a secret marriage. There would be no gossip and damage to Ian’s reputation because of it. 

That would come, inevitably, when her pregnancy became visible; but perhaps the gossip would be mitigated if people saw her conducting herself with all the decency her rank required.

Ian had arranged things in such a way that everything looked as he had announced it would: a hasty marriage, because of a father's unreasonable stubbornness. 

"I must write to my father," Eden thought. But she put off this unpleasant prospect until tomorrow. 

She had enough to do today. They walked out onto the square in the bright May sunshine, and Eden saw a crowd of smiling villagers surrounding them.

“I'm glad I'm getting married in the country,” she whispered to Ian, who smiled back.

Someone tugged at the back of her dress and she looked down: a small, round, solemn-looking boy was handing him a bouquet of field flowers.

“Just a second,” she told him gently, before tossing her bouquet of roses into the air. 

The girls present rushed to catch it, laughing out loud, and Eden, meanwhile, crouched down beside the boy.

“They are very beautiful,” Eden told him, thank you very much.

Still solemn, the boy placed the wildflowers in her arms. Eden looked at them: they were simple and fragile compared to his splendid wedding bouquet. 

"They are like me," she thought.

“What is your name?”

“Nathaniel, Milady.”

“ And where do you live, Nathaniel? Can I go see you sometime?”

“-My dad is the baker”

“I'll buy some bread from him then” Edne got up laughing and the child ran to the skirts of a tall woman who was red-faced at the audacity of her son.

“You're doing very well,” Ian whispered to her as he started walking again.

“I have to know the villagers as well as your farmers,” Eden replied, waving to a group of little girls.

“ I have a duty to them all now, just as I did when I was in charge of the parish.” I suppose “Mrs. Kingston will be able to point out to me the families in need.”

“They'll be surprised to have someone from the castle visit them,” said Ian. “I doubt if Ivan ever paid them any attention.”

No, Ivan had never cared whether the people were well housed or whether the children all went to school.

It was likely that he did not care at all. But that was something Eden could do.

“ I'll go and see, and I'll tell you who needs help. We can discuss it.” Ian seemed both amused and surprised by Eden's decisive tone.

“And I suppose you'll ask me to fund your good works?”

“But... of course.”

Eden was pleased to have found something within his skill set. 

For what was to come, she was more doubtful of her abilities... 

But this was not the time to think about it. Ian started to discuss with the man who had served as his witness. 

Ian turned to her.

“Eden, may I introduce Jasper Miller, my best man and dear friend, his wife, Mrs. Miller, and their daughter, the young lady Danielle.

“I am five years old,” said the girl, making a beautiful curtsy.

"Ian’s first friends I've met," Eden mused. Lucas wasn't quite the same, he was family.

Eden smiled what she imagined to be a viscountess smile.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. I'm glad Lord Hadleigh had some close friends with him today.”

Mrs. Miller returned his smile without trying to compose herself. She shook hands with Eden.

“-I am delighted to meet you, Lady Hadleigh, and to learn that Ian was keeping such a romantic secret from us. I'll come by to see you in about ten days, when your honeymoon is over. I'm sure we'll become very good friends.”

Honeymoon? Of course, a runaway fiancée and a hurried wedding suggested a story full of passion. 

Everyone had to be convinced that Lord and Lady Hadleigh were preparing for some hot hours in the privacy of their bedroom…

“A honeymoon?” sighed Ian. “That would be nice, but under the circumstances, with all the business to be done after Ivan’s death, I think I'll have to neglect Eden a little.”

“Come and visit us soon” Eden said to the Miller’s as her husband led her to their car.

“Will they join us for dinner?” She asked Ian, once they were alone in the sedan.

“Yes, they will. The Millers, the revered, Lucad, my Aunt and Alexis”

He waited until the carriage had shaken and the sound of the wheels was enough to cover the sound of their voices before adding:

“ From what I think I see, Lydia Miller is pregnant again, which is good timing. She'll be that experienced friend we talked about for you, if you want her to be.”

Eden nodded with relief. It would be a real comfort, actually, to be able to confide in an omega who had already had a child. But Eden wondered what she would tell her new friend, who would probably guess very quickly that she was already three months pregnant. 

She would probably deduce that Ian had already been her lover for some time. 

Was it proper to let the wife of one of his best friends believe that he had behaved like that?

“Could I... tell her?” Eden murmured. “I'm sure she'll find out soon enough, if she hasn't already…”

“Tell her, yes, but not the whole truth. Let her think we had a passionate affair instead. That will amuse Jasper.”

“But I don't want anyone to have fun with your image” she  protested, with a vigor that surprised him.

How quick she was to defend him

“What alpha would blush at having succeeded in seducing an omega of such virtuous beauty?” Eden told her with a half-smile.

Eden looked away, offended.

Ian was smiling, but there was a gleam in his eyes that made Eden shiver. 

He had seen that expression on Ivan’s face before. Ian had some very... concrete ideas in mind. And since Eden was neither Beautiful (according to herself) nor virtuous, she thought that Ian was therefore being ironic towards her. 

Eden thought she was more delicate. Trying to chase away the bad effect of these last words, she concentrated on the good news. 

She was going to have a friend to help her through her pregnancy!

They walked in silence the short distance to Hadleigh Old Hall. 

This respite allowed Eden to compose a kind smile and make two firm resolutions: not to expect anything from Ian, and to think only of the present moment.

Ian helped him out of the car.

“Are you all right, Milady Hadleigh?” Ian asked her in a worried tone

“Very well, my lord.

All her efforts to compose a dignified attitude were undone when Eden felt himself being lifted off the ground.

“-IAN!!!!”

From all the cars that had joined them, applause and cheers erupted. 

Eden buried her face in her husband's shoulder as he led her across the threshold to her new home