Clara urged her horse Tully faster along the bridleway, enjoying her early morning ride. She glanced behind her to see her new maid Deliah and Peterson, the guard Sam hired before he left for Liverpool, trotting behind her. The man went everywhere with her. He rarely said a word but was never far from her side. She didn’t know why she needed a guard, but Sam insisted on it, explaining it was for her safety. She sighed. It had been six weeks since she accepted Sam’s proposal and four since they were married. Clara flushed in embarrassment, thinking about the wedding. The Kincaides had done their best to make it a festive occasion but the reality of why the union was taking place hung over the entire day.
After the wedding brunch, Sam and Clara went to his townhouse. He introduced her to the staff and then shocked her when he said he was leaving immediately for Liverpool. She pressed her lips together in annoyance, remembering his parting words.“Enjoy your freedom, Mrs. Kincaide.”
Clara had been too shocked to respond. She sighed, willing the memory from her mind. Freedom to do as she pleased should have excited her but now that she had it, what did she do with it?
She stopped Tully, allowing Deliah and Peterson to catch up to her. They looked to be squabbling and Clara rolled her eyes. The two were always squabbling.
As they approached, Deliah said, “Mrs. Kincaide, you are riding much too fast,”
Peterson rolled his eyes. Clara patted Tully, happy that Sam somehow had been able to purchase him from her parents. The price must have been staggering but when she questioned Sam, he just shrugged as if it was nothing. He had used a middleman to prevent her parents from finding out who the purchaser was. Since the night of Hasting’s ball, she had heard nothing from them. The week before her wedding, Clara sent her mother a message every day, but she never responded. Clara didn’t miss her parents, but she did miss Henry. A lump formed in her throat; she was horrified about what her brother must think.
She, the Ice Princess of the ton, was utterly and irreparably disgraced. The papers had spun the story in a way that Sam was the villain and Dolan the victim. Sam, in a fit of jealousy over losing Clara as his lover, had confronted Dolan. It was all lies and Clara had no doubt, the false narrative could only be her mother’s doing. Her revenge for Clara’s choice of Sam over Dolan.
In truth, she didn’t care that she was no longer invited to teas and balls. In some ways it was liberating. Still, she thought, feeling the ache in her chest, she missed her brother. She wasn’t sure when she would get to see him next.
Clara didn’t see much of anyone nowadays besides her sister and Sam’s family. Diana discreetly paid her visits to tell her about Henry and check on her. The Kincaides were the same, always checking on her, especially Mercy and Sam’s sisters Sophia and Annie. The conversations with them were always awkward. They seemed puzzled by Sam’s long absence and the confusion at every visit hung in the air. Clara had no answers for them.
“Mrs. Kincaide, are you all right?” Deliah asked.
Clara pushed the thoughts away and smiled at her maid. “Of course. I’m fine. I apologize for the gallop. I just so enjoy Hyde Park when no one is here. I love to let Tully stretch her legs. Perhaps it is best if we return to the house.”
She moved Tully forward at a trot, glancing back to see Deliah and Peterson following behind her again. Her mind drifted back to Sam. She still couldn’t believe he had left. He hadn’t done it in a dramatic or harsh fashion but with his usual good-natured grin as if he were saying goodbye to a friend he played cards with. She would never admit it to anyone, but it stung to watch him leave. They were married, did he really not see her as more than his friend or mate?
As they pulled up to the townhouse Clara instinctively touched her lips as she remembered their one kiss. She pulled her hand away. Enough! She would not dwell on the kiss or her marriage of convenience. She wasn’t married to Dolan, and she couldn’t ask for more than that. She stepped into the townhouse and made her way to the breakfast room which was decorated in layers of gold and navy. She strode to a sideboard and picked up one of the scandal sheets.
“Mrs. Kincaide, why don’t you eat something first?” one of the staff offered.
She smiled and said, “I will in a moment. Tea for now. Thank you.”
Clara settled herself in one of the cushy wingback navy chairs. Her eyes scanned through the paper and came to a skittering halt at one title.
Not Even a Month and the Ice Princess’s Rogue is off in Liverpool with a New Love
Clara gasped and continued to read.
A rogue will always be a rogue. It seems even the most charming common scoundrel cannot thaw the heart of the Ice Princess. Rumor has it he has found a much more fiery lady to spend his time with in Liverpool. I dare say many bets were placed on how soon the Ice Princess would be abandoned for someone much warmer.
She placed the paper on the table and looked around at the staff who stared at their feet nervously. They knew, that is why they wanted her to eat before she read the paper. What did she expect? Their marriage was in name only. He had told her this before their wedding and all of his actions had indicated this. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. So what if her husband had a mistress? Most ladies’ husbands did. She wouldn’t be the first. It was truly time to focus less on Sam and more on what she wanted. She rose and pushed her shoulders back, making her way out the door.
“If you will excuse me, I think I will retire to the library,” she stated to the staff.
~
Sam sat in Milly’s Tavern drinking ale and ignoring all the smiles and suggestive looks his pretty, shapely server was making at him. He spent most of his nights in the tavern when he was in Liverpool and generally was more than willing to spend time with one of the servers. This trip was different; the interest wasn’t there. He scowled into his ale, knowing exactly why, his wife. Even though they’d both agreed to a marriage of convenience, she was always in his thoughts, and most recently he’d spent every morning with a raging hard-on after dreaming about the time he spent with her in Adderly’s damn cardroom.
The server came over one more time, and Sam opened his mouth to state more clearly, he wasn’t interested. But the proprietor, Milly Harrison, beat him to it. “Sara, he isn’t interested. Leave Mr. Kincaide alone. I’ll fetch his drinks.”
Milly sat down across from him. She was a beautiful woman herself with large hazel eyes and dark brown skin. Last year, Sam had tried to charm his way into Milly’s bed, but she had no interest. Instead, they became close friends and bonded over stories of life on the ocean. Milly was the daughter of a ship captain and had spent most of her life on the water until her father passed away.
She opened her tavern with her inheritance around the same time Sam and his family had decided to base their passenger travel company out of Liverpool. He wasn’t sure how old she was, but he guessed closer to Sophia or Annie’s age than his thirty years. She was young to be the proprietor of a tavern, but Sam learned quickly, she could handle herself and had a loyal staff ready to knock heads together if needed.
“So, every night you have been in here, you have ignored all the servers desperately trying to get your attention. It’s now become a game to them who will win time with you. Very distracting, Kincaide.”
He rolled his eyes. “I have shown no interest in any of them.”
She leaned forward. “That is my point. Normally you would be laughing and flirting but instead you’ve been sitting in the corner sullenly drinking my ale.”
He lifted a blond brow at her. “I could go somewhere else.”
