The ring on her finger was now a reminder of what was so easily forgotten, that she was a married woman. Easily forgotten, too, was her pregnancy, since she was suffering not the least bit of discomfort or sickness with it, nor had she even begun to expand, except for a very slight enlargement in her breasts. Yet she was now two and a half months along. But she’d never mentioned it again to James, nor had he ever spoken of it even once. She wasn’t even sure he’d heard her that day she’d blurted it out in her anger as she slammed out of his cabin.
Just now, Georgina pulled James’s heavy Garrick coat closer about her to ward off the chill. The harbor was a bleak-looking place in the middle of November. Cold, overcast, the day was as gloomy as her thoughts were becoming as she waited for James to join her.
What, if anything, awaited her here?
Georgina remembered Piccadilly. She almost mentioned it to James, that she and Mac had stayed in the Albany Hotel, which the rented carriage had just passed. But one look at her husband’s expression changed her mind. He’d been like that since they left the ship, actually since they’d first sighted England.
She didn’t bother to ask what had turned his mood so dark. He’d just give her some careless remark that would tell her absolutely nothing, and that would only irritate her. And she was trying her best not to aggravate the situation by giving her own gloomy mood free rein. But she would have thought James would be glad to be home. She knew he had family here, even a son…Good Lord, how could she have forgotten that? He had a seventeen-year-old son, a boy only five years her junior. Was James worried about having to explain why he was coming home with a wife? Would he even bother to explain? Was he even bringing her home?
For God’s sake, this was utterly ridiculous, when a little communication would put her mind at ease…or not, as the case might be. “James—?”
“We’re here.”
The carriage stopped just as he said it, and he was out the door before she’d even gotten a look out the window. “Here, where?”
His hands reached back in to lift her down to the curb. “My brother’s townhouse.”
“Which brother?”
“Anthony. You’ll remember him. Dark as sin, I believe you called him once.”
Her brows drew together with a sudden suspicion that released all her pent-up anxiety in a burst of anger. “You’re dumping me here, aren’t you? You haven’t the guts to take me home with you, so you’re leaving me with your rakehell brother. Which is it you don’t want to explain to your son, that I’m an American or that I’m your wife?”
“I despise that word. Call yourself anything else you like, but kindly strike that word from your vocabulary.”
That he said it calmly only infuriated her more. “All right. Will whore do?”
“Preferably.”
“You bastard!”
“My dear girl, you really must curb this propensity you have for swearing. And as usual, you’ve managed to air our dirty laundry for the delectation of the masses.”
The “masses” happened to be Dobson, Anthony’s butler, who had diligently opened the door before it was required of him, having heard the carriage arriving. Georgina blushed profusely to have been caught shouting profanities. But to look at the stoic-faced Englishman, you’d have thought he hadn’t heard a word.
“Welcome home, Lord Malory,” he said as he thrust the door open wider.
At that point, Georgina almost had to be dragged inside. Despite her boy’s clothes, which couldn’t be helped, she hadsowanted to make a good impression today of all days, what with the possibility of meeting James’s family. But then he hadn’t denied he was going to drop her off here with Anthony, and everything she’d ever heard him say about this brother, and what she’d seen for herself, had led her to believe he was as disreputable a fellow as James was, so what was the difference? She had no care to impresshim. Still, servants gossiped, and this one likely knew the servants of the rest of the family. Devil take it, she could kick James for making her finally lose her temper.
And James could have kicked himself for making things worse with her, but he couldn’t seem to break the habit of a lifetime. But she was so bloody thin-skinned. She ought to know by now he didn’t mean it. But hewasdamned annoyed with her.
She’d had more than enough time to give him some clue about how she felt about him now, but not one bloody word had passed her lips on the subject. And he’d never felt more insecure in his entire life. The only thing he was sure about was that she desired him as much as he did her. But he’d known too many women not to know that that meant absolutely nothing where their true feelings were concerned.
The truth was, she hadn’t wanted to marry him. She’d told her brothers so. She’d told him so. She was going to have his baby, but still she’d flatly refused to marry him. She’d had to be forced right along with him, and everything she’d done since had led him to believe she was just biding her time, waiting for an opportunity to run from him again. And now she’d have all the opportunity she could want, which put him in a devil of a bad temper. But he hadn’t meant to take it out on her. He ought to apologize…damned if he would.
“I don’t suppose my brother is at home this time of day?” James inquired of Dobson.
“Sir Anthony is at Knighton’s Hall, I believe, for his customary exercise in the pugilist ring.”
“I could do with a bit of that myself just now. And Lady Roslynn?”
“Visiting the countess of Sherfield.”
“Countess? Ah, that’s right, Amherst wed Roslynn’s friend not too long ago.” His eyes locked with Georgina’s before he added, “Poor man,” and he was satisfied to note that her expression of embarrassment switched to one of anger. “And is my son at school, Dobson?”
“He got sent home for the week, my lord, but Sir Anthony has already filed a complaint with the headmaster, and his lordship the marquis is also looking into the matter.”
“And the lad was likely totally to blame for whatever it was they say he did. Damned scamp. I leave him alone for a few months—”
