Adele pulled away gently as the carriage started to move. “I think the earl is happy to be rid of me.”
“Then he does not appreciate you. I think I shall never want to be rid of you again.”
She grinned and reached over to touch his hand. “I can hardly believe this is happening.”
“Are you happy, Adele? Do you have any regrets?”
“I am very happy. I regret nothing.”
He laughed and kissed her cheek, happy to have her by his side.
She looked out the window and must have realized that they were headed north instead of west toward Mayfair. She turned and gave Hugh a quizzical look. “Where are we going?”
“Scotland.”
“Scotland?” She nearly shouted the word.
“We must elope.”
“What?”
Hugh didn’t like the startled expression on Adele’s face. He explained, “My mother disapproves. But it is of no consequence. Once we are married, there won’t be much she can do to—”
“Absolutely not.”
Hugh grunted in surprise. Lord save him from obstinate women. Why would none of them just do as he wished. “I thought you wanted to marry me.”
“I do. But I will not do it in secret in Scotland. I will not mire myself in further scandal. If we go to Scotland, everyone will assume that you behaved inappropriately during your convalescence, or that I seduced you, or something like that. They will assume we are marrying because we must. They will assume that I am some…” She looked up, as if she were thinking for the right word. “They will assume I am a harlot out to ruin you. No. We will not be eloping. If we marry, it will be in a church, here in London, with many witnesses.”
“You are serious.”
“Yes, I am serious. When we spent that night together, you told me to never feel shame. Well, I do not feel shame and I won’t be made to feel shame over some… accident of my birth. I assume that is the main reason your mother disapproves. I’m sure she said I was too old and reminded you that my father is a joke to theton.”
“Well, yes, but—”
“Hugh, I am sorry, but I cannot marry you in Scotland.”
That did present Hugh with something of a dilemma. Because if they did not go to Scotland, then Hugh would have to take Adele home, and he’d have to explain her presence to his mother. The fact that the reason for his haste was that Adele was about to take a position as a governess was unlikely to win her any favor with the dowager duchess.
But his mother would have to get used to the fact that this was what Hugh wanted. He rapped on the roof of the coach and waited for it to slow.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll order the coach to bring us to my house. I hope you have thick skin.”
“I just cared for the countess. I can handle a stubborn older woman.”
“You say that, but you have not met my mother.”
*
The Dowager Duchessof Swynford was probably the most proud woman Adele had ever met.
Hugh had introduced her as “my mother, Helena,” but Adele felt awkward calling her by her given name.
“Lady Adele will be staying with us until the wedding,” Hugh informed his mother.
The dowager was polite, but icy. Hugh ordered a servant to set up one of the guest bedrooms, and once that was prepared, he encouraged Adele to rest before dinner.
He put her in a sumptuous bedroom with large bed made of dark wood, with violet bedding and curtains. It was much larger than her bedroom at the Sweeney home had been. Adele noticed that her trunks had already been placed in the room, so she busied herself unpacking and then lay on the bed, hoping to nap. Instead, she watched the second hand on the bedside clock and gave up.
