‘I do not think anyone has ever been less pleased to see me,’ commented his brother.
‘I doubt that,’ countered Edward.
‘Is it that sort of morning?’ asked Christopher, nodding towards their glasses.
‘It is,’ said Edward, although Freddie still had not taken another sip.
‘I admit that I am no expert on women,’ said Christopher, settling into a large wingback chair, ‘but I am going to take a wild guess and suggest that getting drunk is not going to help your cause.’
Freddie grunted in agreement.
‘Again, I’m no expert on women,’ said Christopher, ‘but I believe there are certain times of the month when they are less… um… rational.’ It was interesting that his brother should blush when referring to a woman’s monthly cycle, especially when there was no woman around to hear him.
Freddie would make fun of him, but he wasn’t in that sort of mood. Besides, he didn’t think that was the problem. ‘I do not believe her behaviour can be attributed to that.’ He wasn’t an expert on that side of things either, but he knew Emily and he knew that… he pushed himself upright. He counted back in his head. He’d been married for six weeks now, and there hadn’t been a time when Emily had denied him. There hadn’t been a day when they hadn’t enjoyed one another intimately. Could that mean… or did that mean…? No. Surely, she would have said something unless… she might be as clueless as him. It wasn’t as if either of them had been married before.
He stood. ‘I have to speak to her.’
‘Good man,’ said Edward, leaning back in his chair and crossing a leg over his knee. ‘I am glad I have been of help.’
‘You were useless.’ Freddie clapped Christopher on the shoulder as he passed. ‘However, I do thank you, Chris.’
‘Hey,’ Edward called out, but Freddie ignored him. It was time to get answers of his own.
When he reached Emily’s door it was finally open, but his optimism was short-lived. He peered into the room, but Emily had gone.
Chapter Thirty
Emily’s eyes burned. She would give anything for a nap because she had not managed more than a few minutes of sleep during the long night. Over and over again, she had heard the two women talking about her, degrading her body as if she were nothing.
As dawn had crept around the edges of her heavy curtains, she had realised something; the words of strangers had no power to hurt her if she didn’t let them. Freddie had always told her how perfect she was and she had not believed him, but when a stranger told other people that Emily was strange she instantly accepted it as the truth. The problem was, she had grown up hearing versions of the same thing from her own mother.
In their short marriage, Freddie had not once made her feel like she was a burden. He had made her feel cherished and adored. She may not be his first choice of bride, but he had never treated her that way. Instead, he made her feel like a queen and it was his words that she should take to heart, not anyone else’s. She had helped him with his correspondence and she could go on doing so, giving her the purpose in life she had always wanted.
Their marriage was going to work because she was going to be a damned good wife to him. But before she could begin, she needed to go back to the beginning. She needed to tell her mother that therecould be no more sly insults or direct ones either, that her mother needed to clearly be on her side, that if she heard a rumour about Emily, it was her duty, as her mother, to refute it in the strongest possible terms.
Emily had no idea whether she could get her mother to agree to any of it, but she knew that, for her own pride, she had to try. When that was done, she needed to tell Freddie everything and she had to make it clear that, although this marriage was not something he had wanted, it was going to be a damned good one. She was not sure she would be able to say the curse word in front of him, but he would get the point.
‘It really is too early for visitors,’ said her mother as she came into the sitting room looking as put-together as always.
‘I am not a visitor, Mama. I am your daughter.’ Emily’s chest filled with pride at herself for the way her voice did not waver as she dished out this correction.
Her mother paused mid-step, before straightening her spine and continuing towards Emily. Emily pressed a dutiful kiss to the proffered, powdered cheek. ‘Indeed you are,’ said her mother as she settled herself on the edge of her settee. ‘I have rung for tea, but I told them to hold on the cakes. We do not want people commenting on your figure.’
Emily sucked in a breath. ‘Mama, there is no one here to see us. We could eat a four-course meal and only you and I would be any the wiser. What is more, Freddie and I consummated our marriage on the day that it happened as I have told you before.’
Her mother twisted away as if slapped. ‘Really, Emily. It’s bad enough that I have the picture of that man half-naked in my mind, I do not need any…’
‘That manis my husband and you will refer to him as such.’ A cold, hard rage was turning Emily to steel. If her mother couldn’t treatEmily with the worth that she deserved, Emily could live with it,hadlived with it all her life and she could cope if it continued. But she would be damned if anyone in her family spoke about Freddie with anything less than the utmost respect.
Her mother laughed, the sound like broken glass tinkling to the floor. ‘He is a bumbling fool. Everyone knows how he couldn’t take to school and he was thrown out of university before he had been there a term. He cannot stick at anything for long. If only you had held out for the duke you…’
‘I did not want to marry the duke.’
Her mother laughed, the sound cold and hard. ‘Then you are a fool. Glanmore would have provided you with a life of luxury. Once he has an heir andthatman loses the earldom, you will be lucky if you have a ha’penny to live on.’
Emily stood, her fingernails digging into her palm. ‘Freddie is the best man I know. I wanted to marry him far more than any other man I have ever met.’ For the first time, she realised that was the truth. There had never been another man she could talk to, the same way she could Freddie. Even when she had thought she loathed him, he was the one person she could truly engage with at any Society function. ‘He is kind, funny and very, very smart. If you cannot see that, then it is your loss. However, you will treat him with the honour he deserves or I shall cut you in public.’ Her mother gasped, her hand going to her throat. ‘And what is more, I shall instruct the duke to do the same.’ It saddened her that the latter part of this threat was more likely to upset her mother than the former.
Her mother stood, so that they were now facing one another. Two splotches of colour stained her mother’s cheeks but otherwise there was no show of emotion. ‘You will do no such thing. I have raised you and given you everything…’
