“I am surprised, however,” Cassandra said, “that you took the time to visit, Nathanial. When was the last time you visited your nieces or nephews?”
“Considering he is the only nephew, never before,” Nathanial said.
“And your nieces?”
Nathanial waved a careless hand. “I have so many of those, it would be unfair of me to favour one above the other.”
Cassandra raised an eyebrow, but she struggled to hide her obvious pleasure as she looked back at William, her son. The only male in the Hardinge line, save Nathanial.
“You must visit often,” she said, a tinge of command in her voice. Being The Lady Haddington, wife of the Viscount Haddington, she was used to commanding, though she infrequently attempted to command him. Perhaps because she knew the futility of such an attempt.
He gave a gentle smile. “Perhaps, when it doesn’t interfere with our other plans.”
“What other plans?” she demanded pettishly. “What could be more important than seeing your nephew?”
“Many things, my dear sister. I had thought Theo and I might retire to Havercroft.”
Theo flashed an edged, angry look at him, but there was nothing she could say in front of Cassandra. Something he had counted on.
“So soon?” Cassandra asked. “It’s hardly April.”
“We will wait until the end of the Season, of course,” Theo interjected. “We wouldn’t want to miss too much of dear William’s early life.”
“Unless, of course, there is a reason for you to retire.” Cassandra’s eyes gleamed as they darted to Theo’s stomach. “You may tell me, even if you do not wish to tell Society. I can be quite discreet, you know.”
Unlike Theo. A glance at her told him her face had flamed.
“There is no reason other than my preference for a quiet life with my wife,” Nathanial said. A quiet life he intended to participate little in, but his sister did not need to know that. “Think—we would not wish to draw attention away from you and William.”
Satisfied again, Cassandra looked away, but Theo did not; she held his gaze, that hard, angry look in her eyes not dimming for a moment.
He had not thought, before their marriage, that she would rise against him. He’d known she was stubborn, of course, because their childhood together had done plenty to illuminate that particular trait, but there was more to this defiance than pure stubbornness.
And if he reflected that his anger was unjustified, given the particulars of their arrangement and marriage, he did not allow himself to dwell on it.
Eventually, Cassandra motioned that she was tired and William needed to feed. The child was handed back to his wetnurse and Theo and Nathanial left, her hand once more tucked in his arm.
She jerked it free as soon as they reached the privacy of their carriage. “You do not have the right to order me around,” she said, her voice tight. “Tocommandme as though I were little more than your servant.”
He had always presumed he would marry an equal, a woman whom he had no need to command.
“When you are wilful enough—” he began through gritted teeth.
“Wilful?” She raised her eyebrows. “You offered me marriage, Nathanial, and I was grateful. You offered me a bond that was not to be a shackle, and I was even more so. Do you retract your word now?”
He had never seen such boldness in her.
He had never thought her more beautiful.
“I made a vow to protect you,” he said, controlling his voice. “That is the bond to which you agreed.”
“Then perhaps you might consider I am capable of protecting myself.”
“Are you?” Nathanial could not help but think of the way she had accepted his hand at the masquerade. The way she had followed him to the darkness of the garden and let him have his way with her.
The fact she did not know who he was, and still allowed these things.
“I will be remaining in London for the foreseeable future,” she said coldly, folding her hands in her lap. Gone was the nervous fidgeting from earlier. “If you wish to leave, you have my blessing. Perhaps you wish to take Mrs Stanton to visit the country; I’m sure she has little experience outside London.”With that entirely unjust passing blow, she turned her attention to the streets outside the window.
