A Man's Guilt, A Woman's Saving Grace

A Man's Guilt, A Woman's Saving Grace
Part One
Chapter One

Edward sat in the pristine chapel, light streaming in from the countless tall, unstained windows. His head was bowed, his hands clasped, and anyone passing by would think that he was praying. Which was partly true. The other part was that he was thinking, and some of his thoughts were worth praying over.

He was thinking of a certain man, about his age or possibly younger, with blonde hair and icy eyes. His cheeks were normally as white as porcelain, but when he had viewed them the other day they had taken on a rosy hue. He chuckled at the thought, resting his face in his hands. Yes, these thoughts were worth praying over, if you were the kind of person who disdained such things. Edward, however, didn't, and he rose, taking his leave of the roomy church.

Stepping outside, he drew his overcoat around himself, waving at a buggy driver who drew his coach close to the sidewalk. "Branson Manor, if you please," he asked, breathless from the cold. The sound of the whip resounded through the street as the carriage rattled down the cobblestoned lane, passing by various shops and buildings. Edward drew up his collar, hiding himself in the recesses of his top hat. Snow began to fall outside, and he looked out of the window to see the approaching countryside welcoming a blanket of the stuff readily.

Soon the driver halted his team, and Edward emerged from the cozy interior, tossing a few crowns to the good man. He nodded, giving a rough-sounding "Thankee." Edward stood at the front of the manor, taking in its grandeur with deep blue eyes before taking the elegant steps up to the immense front door. The clippity-clop of the horses' hooves could still be heard as he gave a few soft raps on the hard wood, which opened after a few moments. The butler bowed, taking Edward's coat, hat, and walking stick as he strode into the central hall, flanked by two enormous, spiraling staircases that joined at the second floor. He adjusted his cufflinks, clearing his throat as he did so.

"Good morning, everyone," he spoke loudly, voice reverberating through the house. "I have arrived." After a moment of silence, a shuffling of feet and the giggling of young children could be heard, followed by the bark of a small dog. Those responsible for the racket soon ran onto the polished, tiled floor, gathering about the tall man with hugs and loud voices. He nearly smiled, the bright faces of his four children beaming up at him with countless questions and stories, the family Corgie scampering amongst them, trying to find an opening so that she could sit on his feet.

"Children! You musn't crowd your father so!" The lilting voice of a woman reached his ears and he turned his head, a guilty blush spreading across his face for only a moment. His wife was leaned against the doorway, mouse-brown hair tucked into a neat little bun, some of the curls around her ears escaping rebelliously. Edward remembered when the sight would have driven him mad. However, now he was only filled with a sense of dread. She met his eyes and smiled, looking exhausted. Edward merely nodded. An expression of slight confusion took hold of her fine features, but she appeared to blow it off as she sauntered into the crowd, taking two of the youngsters by the shoulders.

"I just got back from a business meeting with the owner of Phintom. He has allowed us to take fifty percent of the profits in return for managing part of the company." Edward spoke directly toward his wife, arms held awkwardly around the now attentive group. She nodded, gathering her two closer.
"What did your manager say?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"He approved, and signed off on the deal." Her face lit up, and she laughed joyfully.

"And we know what that means, don't we, everyone?" she asked, looking at her brood with twinkling eyes. Edward stood tall above them, taking in the scene passively. The children looked up at her, questions forming on their faces.

"Vacation in Italy this year!" she yelled, and the room once again exploded into activity. Though they probably had no idea what Italy was, they were affected by their mother's excited air, and ran whooping throughout the corridor. She jumped like a young schoolgirl and clasped her hands together, giggling, then ran up to Edward and threw her arms about him. "You always do such a good job, my darling," she squealed, giving him a hard kiss on his firm cheek. He simply stood, one arm around his wife's back to keep her from falling.

After not recieving any affection in return, she pulled back and looked at him questioningly. "Dear? Is something the matter?" she asked, placing the back of a hand on his forehead as though to feel for a fever. He shook his head, taking the hand and squeezing it gently.
"I'm fine," he answered quietly, kissing the top of her head. She smiled once more, wrapping her arms around him.

"Alright, then." She broke off the embrace and ran to save the baby from Lucille, who was having a fine time twirling her all too quickly around in the hall. Edward sighed, wiping his brow distractedly. How could all that he had made lose its value to him so quickly?