She laughed, mischief dancing in her eyes. “What makes you so glum? I hear you are a newlywed and to a very fancy lady.”
“It’s complicated,” he said with a scowl.
Her lips formed a wide smile. “Yes, I read. It sounds very scandalous.”
Sam snorted. “I didn’t know you were a fan of London scandal sheets.”
Milly smiled and winked. “They come in handy, even if they are a few days behind.”
He didn’t want to talk about his beautiful, perfect wife but knew Milly would not stop asking questions until he shared something. “She married me because she had to. Now I’m just trying to stay out of her way. Letting her live her life any way she damn well pleases.”
Milly leaned back in the chair. “Very noble of you. We should start calling you Saint Sam now I suppose. So why not spend time with one of my servers or any of the numerous women who adore you in Liverpool?”
Why didn’t he? He knew why. He didn’t want them. Sam wanted his wife, and he wanted her bad. Yet, after everything she had been through, he wanted it to be her choice what direction they took with their marriage.
“She must be remarkable,” Milly said.
Sam flushed. Damn Milly for being able to read him so well. They spent too much time together, sitting around drinking.
“You know what I think, Sam.”
He chugged his ale and said, “No, but I imagine you will tell me.”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “I think you must really care about her, so I don’t understand why you are hanging around in Liverpool and sulking in the corner of my tavern.”
He said nothing, spinning his mug in his hands. Finally, he looked up and said, “What do I have to offer a lady like that?”
The mischief faded from Milly’s brown eyes, and she said, “You’re a bloody fool if you have to ask that question. She is no better than you because she was born into a family with a peerage. Has she said that? If so, she is not worth your time, and I say bed as many ladies in Liverpool as you can until she is out of your system.”
He shook his head, not wanting Milly to think poorly of Clara. “She isn’t like that.”
“Then why are you here?” she asked before standing to fetch ale for another table.
Chapter 12
Clara sat in the sitting room, reading a book on some far-flung adventure. She sighed and put the book down. What was she doing? She felt restless and bored. Tomorrow she would receive visits from Diana and Sam’s sister-in-law Mercy. While she enjoyed visits from them both, Clara needed to do something different. She was squandering all this freedom she had. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. She frowned, wondering who would be visiting her unplanned. Then she heard a familiar female laugh and her mouth dropped in shock. What was Lady Hawley doing here? Was she trying to visit Sam? Clara felt a stab of jealousy at the thought.
Henson, the butler, entered the room and said, “Ma’am, Lady Hawley is here requesting a moment of your time. I can tell her you are out.”
Clara wondered if she should send her away. She was her husband’s lover. What could she want? Still, a nibble of curiosity prevented her from doing so.
“Please escort her in,” Clara said.
Henson’s eyes widened in surprise. Clearly, he knew about her husband’s lover.
“Henson?” she prompted.
He nodded but frowned. Since moving in, she had come to adore Henson, and he had also become quite protective of her. All of Sam’s staff had been wonderful and warm, quite different from her parents’ staff who knew showing too much warmth would see them let go. She smiled thinking about her maid Deliah, who had a habit of chatting non-stop. Yes, she was happy that the staff at the Kincaide townhouse was much warmer. Well, besides Peterson, but Clara imagined that came with his job. Clara sat up, arranging her dress, and making sure all was perfect.
Henson returned with Lady Hawley, who charged through the door with a large smile on her face. She was dressed in a startling fuchsia gown. “Mrs. Kincaide, how are you?”
Clara rose. “Hello, Lady Hawley. What a pleasant surprise.”
She smiled mischievously. “A surprise? Yes. A pleasant one I doubt.”
Clara kept her features neutral, unsure what reaction Lady Hawley was expecting from her. “Please sit.”
Lady Hawley plopped into a chair while Clara delicately lowered herself into her own seat. Clara opened her mouth to start a conversation, but Lady Hawley said, “I imagine you are wondering what I’m doing here. I was at home by myself, and I kept thinking about you, so I decided to pay a visit. You have been hiding, and it’s time to stop.”
