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Lily sat in Caroline's parlor, sipping her tea. It was two days after she'd quit her job, and she found herself with far too much free time on her hands. She had exhausted her search for Ray and only wished to find something to take her mind off things. Caroline offered her a cookie and she took two.
"Do you mind if I have another?" Lily asked after a moment, already reaching for the tray.
"Of course not," said Caroline. "I'll have the housemaid bring some more out for us."
"Thank you," Lily said apologetically as Caroline rang her bell. "I don't mean to be a nuisance, I've just been so hungry lately."
"You're not ill, are you?"
"No."
"How do you feel otherwise?"
"Fine enough, I suppose." She paused. "Tired, actually."
The housemaid appeared, and Caroline asked for some more snacks.
"Perhaps Gilbert should look at you," Caroline said.
Lily sighed. "He already has."
Caroline hesitated before saying, "What do you mean?"
Lily pressed her lips together. "Do you recall the last time I fainted, and Edward brought me here?"
"Yes..."
"Dr. Shannon discovered something... I'm with child."
Caroline's face brightened instantly. "With child? How wonderful! Why did you not tell me?"
"I wanted to get used to the idea myself first."
Caroline's eyes widened. "Did Ray know?" Then she gasped. "Does Edward know?"
"No, neither. Frankly, I would prefer that Ray never found out, assuming that he is still alive. As for Edward... I tried to tell him several times, but I could not get him to listen."
"Then it does not seem to me as though you tried very hard."
"What do you mean by that remark?" Lily asked, feeling as though she was being scolded.
"Only that it is not very difficult to tell a man you are with child if that is what you aim to do."
Lily fumed silently, more because her friend was right than because of any perceived slight.
"You're right," she finally muttered after several minutes of silence. "If I'd truly wanted to tell him, he'd already know." She lifted her eyes to her friend. "I'm afraid."
Caroline reached across this space between them and took her friend's hand. "Of what? You know perfectly well that Edward loves you."
"Yes, but love is so frail. What if he learns the truth and it dissolves?"
"I could not disagree more wholeheartedly. True love is never frail. It has the strength of a thousand weights and is completely unbreakable."
Lily shook her head. "It does not matter anyway. Edward is so self-absorbed, or perhaps I should say absorbed with his money, that he has little room in his life for anything else, including me."
"But how can you say that with a straight face when you know perfectly well Edward stayed in Blisspeak after you were arrested, when he'd already made plans to go and see Mr. Waterson? Does that not prove he loves you more than he does his money?"
Lily bit her bottom lip and shrugged. "I cannot think clearly when it comes to Edward."
"Then you should not think at all while he is around. Allow yourself to act on emotion rather than thought."
The doorbell rang, and Caroline rose to answer it.
"Edward!" Caroline exclaimed when she saw him. She shot a look at Lily, who was still seated on the couch. Lily rose, suddenly uncomfortable. There was no means of escaping the room without being seen.
Edward stepped inside the house with his father hanging onto his arm. Charles Saunders was groaning and holding his stomach. They both looked at her, and she felt her face color.
"I didn't realize you were here," Edward said.
"No, of course not. Why would you?" Lily replied.
Mr. Saunders let out another groan, and Dr. Shannon came running.
"What have you eaten now?" the doctor demanded.
"Nothing, only some mutton and ham. And some sort of creamed pie one of the girls at work brought in."
Dr. Shannon shook his head. "Get him into my office."
Edward gently pushed him toward the office door when Caroline suddenly took hold of him. "I've got him," she cried. All three men looked blankly at her.
"What I mean to say," said Caroline, "is that I'll help Mr. Saunders. Edward, you take a seat in the parlor."
"Whatever for?" Edward asked.
Caroline bit her lip and screwed her face up. "The children have been asking to see you." She looked toward the stairs and called, "Dewey! Hannah! Mr. Saunders is downstairs."
The children came bounding down the stairs, screaming excitedly. They wrapped their arms around Edward's legs.
"There, you see," she said triumphantly. "You would not wish to disappoint them, would you?"
She hurried Edward's father into her husband's office before either one of them could stop her. Edward sat and told the children a story about pirates on the high seas. He was halfway through it when Caroline reappeared and told the children it was time for their nap.
They whined about it, but she called for the nanny, and together the women took them upstairs. Edward and Lily were left alone, which Lily suspected had been Caroline's plan all along.
She looked at him uncertainly. He cleared his throat.
"I looked for you the other day," he said.
"Oh?"
"Yes. The day that you quit. I went by your house, but you weren't there."
"Oh, yes, I went walking. I needed some air."
He nodded. Not another word was said between them for a full five minutes. Finally, Lily rose from her seat and declared she must go.
"Please don't go on my account," Edward said. "My father shall be done shortly and then we shall both be out of your hair."
She paused. She'd wanted to visit with Caroline a bit more but didn't know how much longer she might first be forced to endure Edward's presence. It was already grating at her nerves, all the more so because he looked as handsome as ever, and she was as mad at him as ever. The conflicting emotions made her stomach turn. She wanted to kiss him as much as she wanted to slap him.
"Lily," he began suddenly, "I miss you. It has only been two days and already I miss you. Please, if we cannot be together, at least come back to work so that I might get to see you, even if it is just during the workday."
She found it hard to breathe. Her mind had gone numb. "I don't know," she replied. "Your father made it clear that the workers were uncomfortable around me."
"I don't care whether the workers are comfortable or not. I only care about your comfort."
He was hard to resist, and she felt herself give in just the tiniest bit. "I don't know," she said again.
"I'll double what we were paying you before."
Her face paled. "What?"
"I'll triple it, even. Whatever it takes to get you back."
She shook her head, more sad than angry now. "You still don't understand. You're still trying to buy me."
"What?" his eyes widened. "No, I didn't mean—"
"Goodbye, Edward." She left the house without waiting to say goodbye to Caroline and hoped her friend would forgive her.
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