It does not matter, does it? None of them will miss you, not really.
A lump formed in her throat, and she swallowed it down. “Do not be silly, Selina,” she muttered to herself as she changed into her nightgown. “There is no need to pity yourself. Just count your lucky stars that you are not homeless on the street or forced to work for your godmother your entire life.”
However, as she got into bed, she felt a hot tear run down her face anyway. Somehow, she drifted off to sleep, only to be woken up in the middle of the night by someone pounding furiously on the front door of the manor.
Twenty-Seven
Dominic held out hope that Selina was going to come back until the evening. He paced around the main hall, looking out the windows to see if Lady Gillray’s carriage would come ambling up the driveway.
He had learned from one of the servants that Selina had been spotted in town with her sister.
The dowager watched him, looking fretful herself. “She will be back,” she said. “She just needed to spend time with her sister. A young lady cannot spend her days cooped up in a house forever, even one as grand as Greystone Manor.”
“I was harsh with her,” Dominic said. “Too harsh. I made her feel unwanted. Perhaps she is done with me. With Greystone.”
“She loves you,” the dowager said. “She would not have gone through the trouble of procuring the pup for you and Percy if she did not.”
He shut his eyes. “I am not worthy of that. Not after how I have treated her.”
“Nonsense.” The dowager duchess put her hands on her hips. “You are worthy of love, just like anyone else. She will not abandon you, and she will not abandon Percy. Just give her some time. I am sure, after dinner, she will come back home.”
A little reassured by his grandmother’s words, Dominic stopped pacing long enough to eat dinner with her and Percy.
His son frowned as dinner was served. He pointed to Selina’s empty chair.
“The duchess will not be joining us for dinner,” Dominic said gently. “She is with family.”
Percy frowned and pointed to himself and then Dominic.”
“Yes, we are her family too,” Dominic said. His chest tightened, wondering if Selina still saw him as family after his horrible words to her. “But she has other family.”
Percy looked almost distraught from that. But then Duke stopped next to Percy’s chair and barked once. Percy looked down at him, and his expression softened into a smile.
The sight made Dominic relax slightly. His son was still very happy about having a dog, and Dominic had to stop him from feeding half of his dinner to the little pup.
“You do not want to make him sick,” Dominic said.
Percy pouted slightly. “One piece?” He pointed to his chicken.
Dominic chuckled softly. “All right. One piece of chicken. And that is it.”
His son grinned and fed Duke a piece of chicken. The puppy was ecstatic and wiggled around with excitement.
After dinner, Percy and Duke went up to his room to go to sleep. Dominic looked out of the front window, but there was still no sign of Selina. The dowager duchess was looking a little fretful.
“Perhaps she needs a night away and will be back in the morning. We know where she is. It is not like she is lying injured on the side of the road. I am sure there is no need to worry.”
Dominic shook his head. “Why would she leave without telling any of us? Especially if she was planning to spend the night? She could have at least sent a message.”
He felt unsettled not having Selina with him, especially after he had been so cross with her. “I am not spending a single night with my wife sleeping under a different roof. I must go to her at once.” He gestured for a footman and ordered the carriage to be prepared for him while he grabbed his jacket.
A moment later, he was in the carriage. “Drive as fast as you can, please,” he told the driver. “It is of the utmost urgency.”
His driver nodded and snapped the reins. The horses took off at a fast trot down the driveway.
Dominic drummed his fingers impatiently on his knee. He was not going to let his wife get away. He did not care how long he had to stay at Gillray Manor. He would bring her home.
It was late in the night when his carriage finally pulled up to Lady Gillray’s home. Dominic did not wait for the driver to open the door for him. Instead, he jumped out and jogged up to the front door of Gillray Manor. He knocked, but there was no answer.
