table and rose.
“If you’ll excuse me. I need to return a few phone calls,” he said “I’ll check on Penny.”
“We can do that,” Edward said quickly. “I want to spend more time with my godchild. I assume I’m her godfather?”
“I’ll put it in the will,” Smith said dryly. “Good night.” He disappeared into the hall, off to do whatever he did in his study in the evenings. The memory of opening his desk drawer to find Margot’s photograph drifted into my mind, and I shooed it away.
Tonight, I was determined to be happy. That was the first step in finding my way back to him.
Edward’s good mood had continued into the following day. When I brought up Christmas shopping, he’d insisted we go, and that we bring Penny along. Just the two of us. I’d battled my own anxiety over it and agreed. For the last hour we’d been strolling through Briarshead, popping in and out of the small shops in the village. Most of them required we leave the pram at the door, given the age of the buildings and their layouts, so Edward took to carrying Penny. He was a natural at it, and it was clear Penny adored her Uncle Edward.
“Spill,” I demanded. “What’s your secret?”
He turned, Penny cradled in one arm asleep, and a book in his other hand. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re clean-shaven, well-dressed, and in a good mood,” I said, crossing my own arms and studying him like I might be able to unlock what was going on with or without his assistance.
“And that’s a problem?” he asked
I hesitated, worried that bringing David up might ruin the festive atmosphere. The truth was I was desperate to know how he was doing it. The last time, I’d seen Edward, he’d been in a dark place. Had Italy been that amazing? Part of me had thought when he arrived that there would be someone to share my misery with. Instead, I’d gotten my best friend delivered to me in one cleaned up, cheerful package. “The last time I saw you…”
“Some things have changed since then,” he said quietly, placing the book back on the shelf. “Some things haven’t.”
“What changed?” I asked, not trying to hide the plea in my voice. Edward hadn’t simply come for Christmas. He’d been summoned by Smith, which meant he’d been filled in on what was going on in my life. He knew about the postpartum depression. I was sure of it. If he had some secret cure that could fix me, I wanted to know.
“I started taking pills,” he said, hurriedly adding, “prescription ones, I mean. I spoke to a doctor. I just decided I didn’t want to feel that way.”
A lump formed in my throat. That was his secret? I blinked against a sudden blur of tears. I’d already tried that.
“Hey, talk to me. I get the sense that’s not what you wanted to hear.” Edward stepped closer, giving us a little bit of privacy. Now that he had cleaned up his act, eyes followed him all over the village. He was no longer flying under the radar. Briarshead knew Prince Edward was in town.
“I went to the doctor,” I whispered, “and I started the medication, but it just makes me sleepy and fuzzy.”
He pushed the bridge of his horn rimmed glasses higher up on his nose, nodding thoughtfully. “When did you start taking it?”
“A few days ago,” I said.
“It takes a fortnight at least,” he said soothingly. “You just have to give them time to work.”
“Are they going to make me feel this terrible forever?” I asked.
“I didn’t have side effects, but I read the pamphlet the pharmacist gave me,” he said with a grin. “I think you’ll be okay. If you’re not feeling better by the time two weeks is passed, maybe you should talk to your doctor about something else.”
I had the oddest sensation that I’d found myself in some type of advertisement: Talk to your doctor about this medication or that medication or anything that might take your hot mess and turn it into the polished, poised woman you’d once been. I forced a smile.
“Don’t do that with me,” he said firmly. “I know when you’re over-thinking.”
“Would you rather I just cried?” I asked as we stepped out of the bookshop, and Edward carefully deposited Penny in her pram, wrapping several layers of blanket around her. She stirred, momentarily opening sleepy eyes to find him smiling back at her. It was enough to reassure her, and she fell