Regina was uneasy. She had been uneasy all day, although Edward had done his best to distract her and keep her smiling. They had found a dress and paid the seamstress well, and it would be ready the night before her wedding. Not once had they again spoken of the fact that they were keeping their day’s errand a secret from Slade and everyone else; they had not discussed how odd it was that she did not have a wedding gown; they had not even alluded to what this circumstance could signify. Edward was so witty and charming that she could only pray that she had been wrong earlier to think that he was a partner to her suspicions about her identity. Something was on Slade’s mind. It was obvious. His glances were long and enigmatic. Regina grew more distraught as the meal progressed. She worried that he had somehow begun to have doubts of his own about her. She was afraid that he was going to seek her out after the meal and confront her. She would avoid being alone with him tonight—and tomorrow, and until the wedding—at all costs.
