Page 51 of Complete Me

“I noticed,” she reassured him. “Well, if Belle has David duty, I get Edward duty.”

“You sound like a nanny,” he accused. There was nothing like feeling like a third wheel on his wedding day, but Clara shook her finger at him.

“I needed a nap, so I could stay up late,” she said, “but now I’m all yours.”

“I won’t tell Alexander.” Her explanation softened him. The truth was he was taking out his nerves on her. She didn’t deserve that, especially if she wasn’t feeling well. “Did Elizabeth keep you up?”

Clara shook her head, absentmindedly chewing on her lower lip. “She’s finally sleeping through the night.”

That meant Alexander had. Although he enjoyed teasing her about Alexander’s libido, he didn’t particularly want to know the details of his brother’s intimate life.

“Let’s get you dressed,” Clara suggested, “and you could use a shave.”

Edward felt along his jawline and grimaced. “This is why I need David around. I would have gone to the altar looking scruffy.”

“In his future absence, you can use a mirror,” she advised him as they set off for his bedroom.

Since David had insisted on tradition, Edward had taken his father’s old bedroom. Plaid paper covered the walls in hues of navy and camel, and oak wainscoting lined the room’s perimeter. Between the thick, canvas drapes and the hunting portraits, the entire space spoke to a repressed British masculinity that didn’t suit him. Although Ralph Lauren might disagree.

“Is this what you’re wearing?” Clara studied the tuxedo hanging on the wardrobe door.

“Yes.” Edward swallowed a little as he looked at it. He supposed this what most women felt when they looked at their wedding gowns—a curious mixture of apprehension and excitement. It was classically cut with a double breast that reminded him of Cary Grant. He felt like he was stepping back in time whenever he wore it, but unlike the antiquated bedroom, it was into a period of glamour.

“You are going to look dashing.”

It was exactly what he needed to hear.

“Are you nervous?” she asked, taking a chair by the door.

He shook his head, moving into the adjoin bath to start the hot tap on the sink. “Not exactly. I can’t describe it really. I feel…”

“Ready?” she offered him.

That was exactly it. He was ready. It was strange that he had spent so much of his life denying who he was. It had been David that made him realize he didn’t want to be anyone else save a man who could deserve David’s love. “Yes, but I’m still anxious. I know that doesn’t make sense. I keep thinking David will come to his senses and bolt.”

“David has been ready to drag you to the altar for years,” Clara reminded him. “He’s not going to bolt now.”

Still. Edward went to the bar cart his father had always kept well-stocked and poured two glasses of Scotch. A drink couldn’t hurt to steady his nerves. It was a tradition he didn’t mind observing, but when he held one out to Clara, she shook her head.

“None for me. It will put me to sleep. Alexander kept me up all night.” She yawned for good measure, but Edward saw through it.

“Not drinking and afternoon naps?” he pointed out.

She did her best to feign innocence. “It is the holiday season.”

“Don’t make me read about it on the tabloids.” The royal bump watch was due to start up any day now that Elizabeth was walking. Apparently, Clara had seen fit to give them something to actually watch.

“We haven’t told anyone,” she said in a low voice. “I thought we would wait a little longer.”

His eyebrows knit in confusion, and he brushed a rogue curl from his forehead. Then it dawned on him. She didn’t want to upset Belle. The third member of the trio wanted a baby as well. While it wouldn’t surprise anyone that knew Clara was pregnant once more, he understood her desire to keep it to herself.

“Your secret is safe with me,” he promised.

“What secret?” Alexander demanded, poking his head into the room.

“It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you,” Edward explained.

“I’ll leave you two for a bit.” Clara excused herself, and Alexander’s eyes followed her out of the room.