Little Light Ch. 05

Lucia seemed a little bit older when she was asleep. Edwin thought that it might be because how while awake, her eyes were always open so wide as she took in the world around her. But still, he couldn’t escape the ghost of a child’s face in her big eyes and full cheeks. She was always so quiet and observant of him.

Even though she tried to hide away all of her thoughts, he’d still woken last night to her crying into his chest. He thought she wouldn’t want him to know he was awake, so he lay still as she sniffled, her tears wetting his shirt.

He didn’t know for how long she cried, but when she began to calm down he took the opportunity to squeeze her just a little more tightly. She was so small in his arms.

She gave a shaky sigh and moved even closer to him, seemingly unabashedly cuddling against him. Having tired herself out, she fell into a deep sleep soon after, and so did Edwin.

Now, looking at her carefully, he wondered what she had been crying about. He supposed it could be from missing her life before Willoughby's, but it could just as easily be something like how he’d taken her innocence. He was already hard from the morning, but he felt his cock respond as he ran his eyes over the shape of her subtle curves. He stood and began to dress himself, shaking his head free of the distraction.

Lucia opened her eyes then, giving a soft groan as she blinked blearily. Edwin noticed how despite her obvious sleepiness, her eyes lingered on the evidence of his arousal before darting up to his face.

“Morning.” He said, a bit amused.

“Good morning.” She responded in a small voice, making to push herself up.

“You can sleep more.” He smiled at the way her swollen eyes were still half-closed.

“Mm.” She closed her eyes and dropped back down to her side, curling up so her legs were tucked up.

“Get some rest.” He said quietly, reaching a hand out to sweep her messy curls over her shoulder. Part of him wanted to smooth his hand over her hair again, but another part of him wanted to tangle his fingers in her hair, grasp and pull them backwards. He had to press down the urge and turn away. He had business to attend to.

He strode down the hall and stopped at the top of the stairs. Martha was speaking to a delivery man in the main doorway.

"This is the second time this month the delivery has been late. Is Avery having any issues we should know about?" Edwin stifled a smile. He knew the expression Martha would have on her face, a cocked brow that could wither any young man's resolve.

His face crumbled as he stammered out a response. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I just make deliveries."

"Let him know that we'll be speaking to Daniels if Avery doesn't pull his weight." She said, her tone slightly irate.

"Will do." He said with an eager nod. That was when his eyes flicked up to meet Edwin's. "I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding."

Martha opened the door. "Then we'll see you next week."

“Of course.” The man dipped his chin towards Edwin and Martha, and walked out.

Martha closed the door and turned back towards Edwin as he descended the stairs. “He's slacking.”

Edwin gave a tight smile. Sometimes it felt that Martha was a better proponent for his estate than he was himself. “You agreed to give him another chance.”

“I know you like him, but I can't stand that weasel-eyed...” She caught his eye and cut herself off, clearing her throat and folding her hands in front of her. “Do you need anything this morning, sir?”

“Just breakfast before I go to meet the Rainwater representative. I should be back in the afternoon, though.”

"Very well, sir. Regarding your…"

"She will likely sleep for longer. If you can just have some late breakfast prepared for her."

Martha gave a nod and turned away to get it done. She wanted to keep her expression hidden lest any more of her distaste made itself known. It was nothing against the girl herself, but everything to do with the situation. She felt sorry for the girl, really. The couple times Martha had seen her she noticed it in her eyes. Was it loneliness? Sorrow? Or maybe even wistfulness? Whatever it was, it was hidden underneath timidity that Martha had no interest in trying to breach.

But still, she felt sorry for her.

Upstairs, after Lucia woke up and cleaned herself she spent the rest of the morning reading the book that Edwin had procured for her. He’d said it had been popular with young women lately, and as she read on she could understand why that might be. She read on with interest, her mouth becoming dry at the description of the romance between the princess and her knight. Every so often there was a sound from elsewhere in the house. She cast a nervous glance towards the door, as if she would be getting caught reading something she shouldn't be.

In the back of her mind she knew that she shouldn’t feel so intrigued by the things described in the book. The scenes weren’t very explicit, certainly not anything worse than what transpired in this bed every night, but still…

When she got to the part of the story where the knight confessed his affections for the princess, bringing her a flower he’d plucked on the perilous journey he’d taken for her, she smiled with warm cheeks. The book didn’t describe anything more than how the knight bent down and kissed the back of the princess’s hand, but as soon as she read it she had to put the book down. She pressed a hand against her cheek, looking once more at the door that separated her from the rest of the household.

Unwittingly, Edwin’s face had come up in her mind.

It wasn’t so much that he was like the knight to her, someone who would sacrifice himself on dangerous adventures for her sake. No, not really… She bit her lip. Yet, there was something in her imagination that was drawn to him.

Lucia closed her eyes and let out a slow exhale, her stomach twisting as memories rose of his hands on her and his body over hers. She couldn’t deny that maybe, deep down, she wouldn’t mind being romanced. Even if she liked how Edwin treated her more than she could ever admit.

It was the sound of steps coming up the stairs that had her sitting up properly.

“Lucia.” It was Edwin poking his head in.

“Yes?” She said, beginning to get up from the bed.

“There’s a guest I’d like you to meet. Get dressed and come to the study.”

“Alright.” She said as he gave a curt nod and closed the door. She followed his instructions, bewildered.

It almost felt odd to put on one of the dresses. Well, she’d admired them often enough, but she hadn’t been permitted to wear them since her arrival. She remained nude, with only a blanket wrapped around herself for warmth.

Either way, she selected the plainest dress from the collection and shrugged it on before moving towards the study. As she drew near, she could hear two male voices, one belonging to Edwin, and the other one unrecognizable. She pushed open the door to see Edwin sitting at his desk, the other man seated across from him on the other side.

"Come in."

Immediately she could sense that the atmosphere was off. She looked between the two of them as she padded forward, making her way to stand near the desk. She didn't want to draw too near, though, the mere presence of the stranger making her uncomfortable.

"You asked for me, sir?" She could see the man was also curious about why she was here. Uncomfortable with the whole situation, she kept her eyes cast towards the floor.

Edwin nodded towards the man sitting across from him. "This is Aaron Jackson, a colleague."

"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Jackson." Lucia bobbed into a half-curtsy.

"You as well, miss." He responded, a question in his eyes that he didn't voice out loud.

"Come to me, Lucia." Edwin said quietly. It was a soft command, and his delivery of it made her heartbeat quicken as she obeyed.

Her steps barely made any sound, but the heavy silence in the room made them sound thunderous in her ears. She swallowed, drawing close to Edwin's side.

"Kneel here." He pointed at the ground, his eyes still trained on Mr. Jackson.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as it sank in, what he was asking of her. It wasn't even asking, was it?

She couldn't be sure that's what he wanted, though…

Without her permission, her body obeyed him. He settled back in his chair to afford her the room she needed as she stepped between his legs. With a steadying exhale, she knelt in front of him. Under the desk as she was, she was glad not to have to see the other man's face. As Edwin began to undo the tie of his pants she closed her eyes, mortified at the situation. It felt like the world was coming to a standstill as his manhood flopped out, the organ already halfway engorged.

"Master Archambault-" Aaron began, but was interrupted.

"You see, Aaron," said Edwin. His fingers snaked into Lucia's hair, his touch gentle as he guided her mouth towards him. She cast a last pleading glance up at him before her lips were pressed against that hot flesh of his erection. She took him into her mouth as those hands guided her to do. She was glad for them, because she wasn't sure she could have otherwise accomplished what he wanted her to do.

"You seem to have forgotten something. You've come to me, to ask for my help. Isn't that right?"

"Yes." Came Aaron's voice.

Edwin's hands on her head were both tender and commanding at once, and Lucia kept her eyes screwed shut as she sucked on him. This was a hundred times worse than the first day, when he'd used her mouth in the carriage. Her panic made her careless, and there was a soft popping sound between her mouth and his that that made it obvious what was happening under Edwin's desk.

"What I don't understand, though," Edwin said, his thumb trailing along Lucia's cheek. "Is how you've forgotten where you've come from. Do you think I've forgotten, Aaron?"

There was a pause. "Not at all."-

"I helped pick you up from the dirt, Jackson. You may have thought I did so from the goodness of my heart, but the reality is that you've always been an investment. One I didn't think would try to turn on me so soon. I'm not sure what's giving you the confidence that you can do as you wish, but don't think for a moment that you can slight me and get away with it. After all, in more ways than one I'm still the hand that feeds you."

As Edwin spoke, his grip on Lucia's hair tightened, and he moved her head more aggressively. He pressed her head down on his erection, and she fought for oxygen as it was shoved down her throat, a cough dying around its head as she struggled to breathe. The sounds were beyond obvious now, and when he finished what he had to say and released her, Lucia tore away from Edwin's grip with strangled coughs, tears running down her cheeks. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Aaron said quietly.

"Good." Edwin said, sounding pleased. Lucia wiped at the drool at the corner of her mouth, practically able to see the smile on his lips.

"Lucia, darling." His icy blue eyes appeared as they stared down at her, holding her in place. She felt more naked than usual, mortified by what had just happened. "I think Aaron needs a hand, too. Would you be a dear?"

She couldn't help how her face crumpled, confronted with what he wanted from her. He looked down with an expression of such patience, as if his request was completely reasonable. There was a long silence as she looked at him with that plea, and he returned a steady gaze. At last, she swallowed, finding no way to refuse him.

He helped her up, and she turned towards Aaron, turning towards him with slow steps laden with dread.

"Edwin, I-" Aaron's face had grown pale, and he shook his head in a vain attempt to try to stop the situation from escalating. But Lucia was bound to Edwin's earlier command, and she determinedly looked away from Aaron as she knelt down at his side. With trembling fingers, she began to undo his pants. He didn't dare push her hands away, seemingly frozen in his seat as he looked down at her. Eventually, as Lucia undid the last button, he stammered. "This isn't appropriate."

Lucia's cheeks burned as she reached in and extracted Aaron's manhood. It twitched against her hands, the flesh every bit as soft and heavy as Edwin's. From behind her, Edwin chuckled. "And who started the inappropriate suggestions first?"

He began to grow erect, the flesh moving in Lucia's hands as she stroked a hand over it in a despondent rhythm. She wanted to cry, feeling so dirty as she began to stroke him. Aaron was completely hard now, and his knuckles were white where he held onto the armrests of his chair.

"I apologize, sir." Aaron gasped, nearly sounding pained as Lucia used her hands on him. She grit her teeth, waiting for Edwin's command to stop. She didn't want to continue until Aaron spilled his seed. It would get all over her hands, it would… it would make everything that much worse.

"Do you, now?" Edwin said nonchalantly, as if the perversion on the other side of the desk wasn't happening. Lucia squeezed her eyes shut, feeling impossibly abandoned.

"I swear I-" Aaron gave a strangled groan, his erection twitching once again in Lucia's grasp. "We'll make sure to run our decisions by you, sir."

"That's enough, Lucia." Edwin said, and Lucia withdrew her hands as if Aaron's cock were a hot poker. She gripped the fabric of her skirt instead, remaining still and averting her eyes from both men.

Edwin looked at Aaron, the man in front of him thoroughly cowed after what had just taken place. Edwin tented his fingers and placed his hands on the desk, waiting until Aaron looked up to meet eyes with him. "You wouldn't want to disappoint me. Or your wife, right?"

Aaron's jaw clenched, and Edwin was pleased that the threat had done its job. "Of course not."

"Then go on. I'm sure she'd appreciate spending time with her beloved husband." Edwin jerked his chin towards the door at the other side of the room. "Martha will see you out."

He was being rude, not seeing Aaron out himself, but it was necessary to sufficiently make his point. Aaron unsteadily got to his feet, his sour expression poorly hidden, and walked towards the door. He cast another last look towards both Edwin and Lucia.

She remained where she knelt, her eyes cast on the ground with shame on her pretty features.

Edwin waited until Aaron left before slowly rising from his chair. Lucia didn't look at him, her fingers remaining twisted in her skirt. Instead, her eyes remained on the ground, even as he approached where she was and knelt down on one knee.

He placed a finger under her chin and finally she lifted her face up. He couldn't really identify the emotions in her eyes other than that she looked troubled. There was a hint of tears there, when she looked at him.

"What's wrong?" He said to her.

Lucia remained still, other than her fingers still grasping at her skirts. Her voice came out as a whisper. "Why did you make me do that?"

It was more emotion than she'd ever revealed to him, and despite her obvious distress her vulnerability only made desire rear up in his chest. He shook it away, recognizing it wasn't the time for his never-ceasing attraction to her luminosity. Instead, he placed a hand against the side of her face, letting his thumb trail along her cheek.

"I've known Aaron for a long time. That was the best way to get under his skin."

"And what about me?"

Edwin's brow creased slightly. "You did perfectly."

"It…" She shook her head slightly, still not meeting his eyes. "It felt dirty."

For a moment he was at a loss. From the start he'd seen it in her, an inherent disposition towards her undiscovered sexuality. He'd sensed the submission in her. The way that she would accept it. Like it. But for the first time, he was unsure of himself. Had he been mistaken?

He lowered his hand from her cheek. Perhaps it was that action that caused her to finally look up at him.

She looked back down at the floor, and the movement gave her clarity. She already knew that what she did was dirty; the realization was that she herself felt dirty.

"You did what I asked you to. You were a good girl." Her cheeks took on a pretty flush of color, her lips parting just a bit at his words. Her countenance took on that same damned vulnerable expression, and despite his desire to ease her mind, he felt his cock stir to life once again.

"I didn't like… touching him." She said, looking to the side again. "But I… didn't mind…"

She trailed off completely, her timid hesitance only inflaming his id. He reached out to stroke a hand over her hair, and despite herself she leaned into his touch, looking up at him with wide eyes. That broke the dam, and he couldn't help himself as he closed his hand around the bulk of her hair and pulled it backwards.

Lucia let out a moan and immediately clapped a hand to her mouth, seeming terrified of the sound that just left her lips.

Edwin wrapped his other hand around her waist and pulled her close in a possessive kiss. She was as receptive as ever, a moan coming from deep within her as his tongue touched hers. He relished the way that she went limp, accepting his mouth covering hers, accepting the intrusion of his tongue.

"You're so goddamn perfect." He broke away from her and said breathlessly. It was the only thought on his mind, and he could only echo what he said earlier. Even if it was unwilling, she had done perfectly. If anything, it was the fact that she'd done it despite her reluctance to. That alone made him want to mess her up all over again.

He placed his mouth on hers once more, pulling her up with him. She yelped in response, her hands tightening against his chest and her fingertips pressing into his shirt. There was a little whimper that rose from her from the impact, and it only made a smile spread across his face as he looked at her on her back. Her chest rose and fell with her panicked breaths as she looked up at him, seemingly frozen in place and waiting for what he would do.

"Your obedience pleased me, little one." He didn't allow her to wear clothes while they were at home, and there was a special deliciousness in undoing the buttons on the front. She squeezed her eyes shut as he went down her front, but at his command they flew back open, her breaths deepening. "Don't hide away. Look at me."

She bit her lip as he worked on each button, until at last the two sides of her bodice fell apart, revealing the flesh of her pert breasts.

"I want to reward you. Tell me," he said, lowering his mouth and pressing kisses against her jaw. She released a breathy sigh, her pelvis squirming side to side underneath him. He smiled against the delicate skin of her throat, continuing his kisses as he spoke against her racing pulse. "Tell me what you want."

He knew that answering the question would be a challenge in and of itself. The girl was always so embarrassed about everything that he was sure she wouldn't be able to say anything at all. She moaned as his lips traveled past the side of her neck, more towards the back.

"What do you want?" Edwin repeated, his hand sneaking up where the hem of her skirt had spilled over her hip. He felt the soft flesh of her thighs, how it flared outwards into her hips. He traced the shape of her with his greedy hands.

"I want," she breathed out, her pelvis continuing to writhe underneath him as she let out another sweet sound of pleasure. "Whatever you want."

It was the answer that he needed to hear more than anything. A perfect answer.

It was what had him grabbing the two sides of her dress and in one savage move pulled them apart. Buttons he hadn't finished undoing popped off, clattering in the corners of the room, and fabric ripped as he tore the dress apart. She yelped, the sound on her lips one of fear. When Edwin looked into her eyes, though, he saw there was a bit of a gleam of excitement hidden under the opaque layer of trepidation there.

He cast aside the ruin tatters of the dress, revealing her nude body underneath him. "I like you better this way, anyways."

She closed her eyes again, and Edwin put a hand on her neck. He didn't squeeze, but the mere presence of his hand was enough to get her to open her eyes again.

"Keep them open." He grit out, arousal flaring up once more. There was something about the sight of her pinned to the couch underneath him, how fragile her neck seemed underneath his fingers, and how despite it all, maddeningly, she looked at him with wild desperation.

Lucia didn't answer properly, only letting out a fearful squeak as he placed a hand on the back of a thigh and hiked it up, folding one of her legs up. He dragged the hand he had on her neck down her body, making his way down her front in an unhurried pace. She shivered as he did so, the normally soft pink of her nipples growing dark with her arousal.

She let out a sharp intake of breath as his hand reached the space between her legs. He stroked a finger up her slit to find her already soaking wet, her juices feeling slick as his finger glided over her erect clit.

"Maybe you were lying to me." He said, ignoring her protests of pleasure as he stroked his finger over her nub. "And you liked having your hands wrapped around another man's cock."

Her eyes were wild as he said the harsh words, seemingly unable to disobey his command and keeping her gaze fastened to him gently stroking her.

"No," she whimpered.

"Really? Just like you didn't like having my cock down your throat in front of him?" She squirmed harder, her pelvis tilting back and forth in a useless attempt for more stimulation. Edwin kept his touch light, though, smiling sadistically at her desperation.

"No." She said again, her voice a little more forceful even as it trembled.

"We might have to add you sitting under my desk to your daily list of responsibilities, then. At the very least it seems you're quite good at it."

Edwin didn't have to watch her carefully for her reaction. It was obvious that his words affected her as she let out another gasp and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Strike three." He said softly, removing his hand from between her legs and wiping it on the leg of his trousers. Her eyes flew back open, an unsaid plea on her lips. But she clamped her lips shut and waited, watching Edwin as he stood up and undid his pants. Her eyes lingered on the sight of his manhood being released from its confines, but she continued to stay silent even as he straddled her head and lowered himself towards her mouth.

She obediently opened her mouth and accepted him between her lips, and the sensation of her soft warmth embracing him made Edwin shudder. It felt impossibly good, her tongue tentatively swiping along the underside of his cock. He groaned, unable to stop himself from shoving himself into her mouth.

She seemed to enjoy it despite her compromising position, letting out a moan. The sound leaked out around the flesh he had stuffed into her mouth, and Edwin grimaced as he began to take long strokes. He could feel how her lips were drawn taut around him, the movement of her tongue as she tried vainly to swallow, and the desperate sounds she began to make as he entered her mouth more deeply with each stroke.

Momentarily he was afraid of suffocating her, but the more base part of him had him moving his hips. She would enjoy it, anyway.

And she was enjoying it. At least, her body was. Edwin's thickness ravaged her mouth, stretching her jaw open so it ached. When he entered her mouth completely, she could feel him against the back of her throat. The silky flesh slipped against her lips as he withdrew in a slow and unhurried fashion.

His length wasn't enough to bother her when he first began to move, but as his pace quickened it began to jam into the back of her throat. She could feel her windpipe stretch around him, a hot pleasure flushing through her as her center pulsed in a jealous rhythm.

His grunts were so inexplicably masculine in her ears, and her body responded shamefully. Her core flexed in time with his movements, her own hips twisting from side to side. He was beginning to slip too deep into her throat, and tears began to spring to her eyes as it battered her airway. She lifted her hands up to his legs, desperate to gain purchase and push his hips away from her, but he seemed to have other plans.

"Uh-uh-uh." He said condescendingly, and removed himself from her mouth just long enough to gather her wrists in one hand and pin them above her head. Despite her concerns, he pushed his erection back into her mouth, continuing where he'd left off… fucking her mouth.

Lucia could do nothing but withstand his assault, even as tears ran from her eyes and she pushed against the grip he had on her wrists. She let out panicked sounds around the cock in her mouth, but he seemed not to care as he pleasured himself.

Partly, it made her feel the same sort of desperate upset she'd felt when Edwin had directed her to touch Aaron. She couldn’t explain what it was other than how she felt trapped, doing something she didn't want to do and completely at the whims of this man. She'd been doomed to touch Aaron, and now she was doomed to accept this intrusion of his manhood into her throat.

But there was a darker, deeper, more disgraceful part of her. It was that despite how she'd been upset, despite how she felt like she'd no choice in the matter… she preferred it that way. No, she liked it.

She closed her eyes as Edwin really fucked her throat, her arousal growing in spite of her helplessness. Or rather, maybe because of her helplessness. It had been the reason that she'd told him she wanted whatever he wanted. The truth was that when he was rough with her, when he did as he wanted… that was when that feeling would bloom in the pit of her stomach.

When Edwin finally removed himself from her, she was nearly hyperventilating, unable to think from the desire that spiraled up from her center. She didn't notice the saliva that streamed out the corner of her mouth, messy evidence of her submission.

A finger swiped along her slit, and she let out an uninhibited moan from the welcome sensation. Her body had been desperate for any stimulation at all.

From above her, Edwin smiled. "You're absolutely soaked, little one. All your body wants is to be fucked."

He made slow circles around her hole. It wasn't anywhere near how much she wanted, and half-gone as she was she could only swallow down her pleas.

"Do you want more?" He asked her, still making those infuriatingly slow circles around her entrance.

"Ngh." Was all she could manage, not quite sober enough to properly answer him.

Edwin completely removed his hands from Lucia, looking into her eyes with mockery. When he spoke his voice was smooth, kind, as if he were just a gentleman speaking to a lady. "You should ask for the things you want."

Lucia had no response but to stare at him while panting.

"I'll help you out there," he said, slowly drawing a thumb over her lips. "Say 'fuck me, please.'"

She couldn't say something like that, and certainly not in front of him.

"Fuck me, please." The quiet words came out before she could think. It didn't sound like her voice, a little rough and thick from her saliva. She barely had the wherewithal to be embarrassed by her eagerness, but it seemed to be perfect for Edwin. Without hesitation he bent over to kiss her forehead, hooking her legs over his shoulders and folding her completely in half.

She was unsure whether she'd not noticed him lining himself up or it just found its way to her center, but he was pushing into her before she could even register it.

His thick intrusion split her open. It burned, her passage stretching open to accommodate his girth. She squirmed uselessly underneath Edwin's weight, which held her against the couch underneath her. They were both making sounds, breathing heavily.

They lay connected for a moment, Edwin having bottomed out in her tightness and Lucia adjusting to him. She had her eyes closed, her hands weak against the forearms on either side of her body. As soon as he began to move, though, she came back to life, her eyes flying open and her hands tightening around his limbs.

Lucia could feel how every time he withdrew from her, her tightness would constrict again around nothing. She quite liked the idea that her passage wrapped around him, fighting to remain tight even as he invaded her.

Edwin had similar thoughts as he moved slowly, feeling the soft flesh of her pussy give way for him. His body wanted him to thrust into her at a quick rhythm, but he had to stop himself. He wanted to go slow, to drive her wild with need. He wanted to see her unravel underneath him.

It felt like he was only driving himself insane, though, his excitement rising as her pussy pulsed around him. He collapsed on top of her and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace, her sweet fragrance taking over his senses. He let out a throaty groan.

"You feel so good." He said, his voice strained.

He must have been successful in unraveling her. There was no other way she would have done what she did.

Lucia wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered into his ear, her voice timid and aggressive at once. "Fuck me."

It was enough to push him to the edge. He began to thrust into her, his hips fluidly grinding against her. She let out breathy sighs in tandem with his movements, her fingers scrabbling at his back. Sweat formed on his his brow, the room feeling too hot. He was too wrapped up in enjoying Lucia's body to do anything about it, though, and did exactly as she asked; he fucked her until she was making animalistic sounds into his shoulder and the sound of his legs slapping against her bottom filled the room.

"You feel good," Edwin repeated, his voice more of a growl this time. Her pussy squeezing him sent shudders of pleasure traveling through his body. He closed his eyes, grasping the fat at her hip and using it as leverage to fuck her harder. He could feel it. He was getting close.

A knock at the door interrupted Edwin's focus, his budding orgasm fading away in an instant as Martha's voice came from the other side of the room. "Master Edwin, there's something urgent."

Lucia immediately quieted, clamping her mouth shut even as the heightened arousal of her body kept her panting heavily.

Edwin cleared his throat, trying to make himself sound even a little normal. He was sure Martha had already heard everything she needed to know what was happening inside. "Yes?"

"She's here." There was a pause from outside the door. "I'm sorry. I will try to distract her while you… ready yourself for company."

Lucia had no idea who Martha was talking about, but she didn't expect for Edwin to remove himself from her and lean back against the couch. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed. She drew the ruined pieces of her dress around her, sitting up and looking up at him with concern. Who was it that had arrived?