“Someone has been telling someone in thetonthat our marriage was fractious. And, no doubt, that I was directly responsible for her death.”
“They don’t know the truth.”
“The truth doesn’t matter when Society is the judge. They have deemed me guilty, and there is nothing I can do to prove them wrong.”
“Time,” she sighed, her cheek pressed against his back. He itched to have some space so he might think about this without fear of hurting her again. “Time is all you need.”
She was wrong, but that didn’t matter. Several years had done nothing. A new marriage had only made things worse.
“We have time,” she said, hands caressing. “And we can stay here. You were right all along. No more London for us.”
“And you’ll be content with that?” He twisted and looked down at her, smoothing her hair back from her face. “And nothing more?”
“Nothing more,” she assured him. “I promise.”
Aurelia was watching Sebastian slowly slip away from her. Small things: a distant look in his eyes even when he made love to her, and a certain detachment from her activities in their everyday life. When she proposed changes to the house, his brow furrowed, and he no longer put forth suggestions or involved himself. Rather, often he bid her to wait.
Wait, wait, wait. For what, she never knew, and when she asked, he couldn’t provide an answer.
Eventually, tiring of this, she elected to attend a soiree hosted by Mary Ann and her father. In the absence of her mother, Mary Ann was playing the role of hostess, and Aurelia knew the young lady was eagerly anticipating her Season next year.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” she asked Sebastian as she pulled on her gloves.
He lounged on the sofa in the dressing room, ostensibly reading a book, though on occasion she caught him watching her reflection in the large mirror. “Not in the slightest,” he murmured. “If you recall, we agreed—no more social events.”
“No.” She crossed the room and kissed him; although he returned the kiss, nothing stirred behind his eyes. It was as though a part of him that had once been open to her now slammed shut, and she didn’t know how to open it again. “We agreed on no more London events. This is not a London event.”
“And so I am permitting you to go, little mouse.” He caught her hand before she could pull away, though he was only half-teasing. “But if there are any nasty rumors, promise me you won’t engage.”
She could make no such promises; if therewereany nasty rumors spoken around her, she would go out of her way to put them right. As would Mary Ann, she had no doubt.
“It will be fine,” she said instead, dropping a kiss on his forehead and gliding over to the dressing table, rubbing her perfume on the base of her throat. “I must go. Goodbye, sir indomitable thundercloud.”
His dark eyes watched her from the room.
A short carriage ride later, and she had arrived, stepping into Lady Mary Ann’s large but modest home. Situated on a sizable piece of land, it was everything a gentleman’s home ought to be, and when Aurelia was escorted to the drawing room, she found Mary Ann already holding court to the local ladies of the community.
The same ladies who had spurned her attempts at an overture when she first arrived in the area.
“Duchess!” Mary Ann sprang up, her arms outstretched. She looked positively radiant in the candlelight, her blonde curls limned with gold and her pretty blue eyes laughing. “I’m so glad you could make it. Everyone, this is the Duchess of Ravenhall, my dearest friend!”
Aurelia smiled graciously, deciding then and there not to hold a grudge—or at least not be seen to hold a grudge. “It is a pleasure to meet you all.”
Mary Ann ran quickly through the introductions, and another young lady—who would also be attending her debut in London next year—took to the head of the room to serenade them all on the harp.
Mary Ann maneuvered herself so she was seated beside Aurelia. “I take it the duke did not want to attend tonight?” she whispered.
“No. I suppose I didn’t tell you about what happened last time. He would rather stay home and let the rumors die down themselves.”
“But you’re here,” Mary Ann praised. “Well done. That must have been difficult.”
“Not so difficult knowing you’re here.” Aurelia squeezed her friend’s hand in gratitude. “And knowing that everyone here originally rejected me.”
“Now they will have no choice but to accept you.” Mary Ann beamed. “Really, it could not have happened more perfectly.”
The door opened, interrupting the harp, and when Aurelia looked up, she froze. There, striding toward her as though he owned the house and everything in it, appearedLord Redwood.
Tall, almost handsome if it weren’t for the perpetual sneer on his face, he glimpsed her and immediately dovetailed to her side.
