Always by Amy Richie Page A

question.
    I closed my eyes briefly. This was not going well. “There was…”
    “ You’ve put me in an incredibly difficult situation.” He stood up just so he could glare down at me. “On one hand, if I call off the wedding, it will only confirm everyone’s belief that you are a loose woman and our name will be tarnished merely by association.” He began pacing the length of the small room. “On the other hand, if I go ahead with the marriage and people find out about this incident, our name will be tarnished that way as well.”
    He sat down heavily in front of me. There was no talk of love. It had always seemed obvious before that Edmund didn’t love me. He had once told me that he admired me, which was plenty enough for him. Perhaps if he had loved me, his decision would have been easier to make.
    I remained silent as he argued with himself over the best course of action. “This just won’t do,” he finally announced. “I’ll have to ask my mother what I should do.”
    “ Your mother?” I was horrified that Lady Harris would learn of my indiscretion.
    “ Yes,” he nodded quickly. “She’ll know what to do.”
    He stood back up abruptly and strode purposefully toward the door. Seeming to remember his manners at the last second, he turned, bowed slightly, and hurried out the door.
    I watched the closed door long after he was gone, willing it to come back open. I could scarcely believe that he would discuss such a delicate topic with his mother. I wanted to bury my head in my lap and have a good cry.
    No matter what happened, though, I couldn’t bring myself to regret spending time with Marcus. I knew that I would always cherish the memory of him. I would look back on these last three days as the best of my life.
    I perked up when the door opened, but was disappointed again when it was Aunt Dora.
    “ What are you doing in here alone, dear?” she asked kindly.
    “ Edmund just left.”
    “ Ah.” She sat beside me so she could take my hand in hers. “Things will work out,” she promised.
    “ I think he must hate me now.”
    “ He does no such thing. In order for someone to hate someone else, there must first be an immense love.”
    “ Love and hate are completely different, Aunt Dora.”
    “ Not as different as you would think. They are both very intense feelings. There is such a thin line between love and hate.”
    I shook my head, tears already starting to fall. “He hates me,” I sobbed.
    “ He can’t,” Aunt Dora insisted, “he just barely likes you.”
    I smiled at her sincere logic. It didn’t make me feel any better. “What if he won’t marry me now?”
    “ Then you’ll stay here with us.” I slumped forward in my seat. “Things will work out,” she promised.
    “ I think I’ll go lie down if you don’t mind, Aunt Dora,” I said softly.
    “ You must be tired after your ordeal. I just can’t tell you how relieved we are to have you back.”
    “ I’m sorry to have put you through such turmoil.”
    “ It wasn’t your fault.”
    It was mostly my fault though. I had wanted to stay out in the woods with Marcus for as long as I could. “I guess so.”
    “ You go and rest. Maybe after an hour or so, you’ll start to feel like yourself again.”
    “ I don’t think I’ll feel better until I’ve talked to Edmund again.”
    “ He’ll have to come back soon, you two are to be married this afternoon.”
    I shook my head sadly. There was no way that Edmund would go through with the wedding now. I had never before seen him so angry.
    With a heavy heart, I made my way slowly up the stairs and to my bedroom. In such a short time, I had lost two futures: one with Edmund Harris, and the other that I had barely the time to glimpse–with Marcus Letrell.
    I lay down on top of my blankets still completely dressed, including my shoes. Aunt Dora was probably right; I needed to sleep for a while. Maybe then, things would begin to look better.
    It didn’t escape my notice that I