She was his father’s widow. To the world, she was his mother, so he couldn’t very well throw her out. It had always been easier just for him to leave. But now he had his wife and child at Silverley, and Miriam was not going to drive him away anymore.
When he went upstairs to change for dinner, he was in a foul mood. He had not been able to keep from worrying over the problems with Regina, and he was also nagged with guilt for getting her drunk. He had put her nightgown back on so she wouldn’t be embarrassed when her maid came in to wake her. But even if she didn’t remember their night together, he knew he had tricked her into accepting his ardor.
Three maids were leaving the sitting room that divided the master suites just as Nicholas approached. “Where are you going with all that?” he barked. One was carrying a basket of shoes, and gowns galore were draped over the other two maids’ arms.
The servants blanched at his tone, saying nothing. Reggie came up behind them and, after sending them on their way, asked her husband, “What are you snapping at them for?”
“You don’t like your rooms?” he asked, wondering why her clothes were being carted out.
“On the contrary, I like them very well. The servants are removing Lady Miriam’s belongings, as they did once before. I suppose she moved back in there after I left, thinking I wouldn’t return.”
That did not appease him. He was too miserable to be appeased. “You wouldn’t have returned if I hadn’t insisted, would you?”
Reggie shrugged. “I never gave it much thought. I returned to London simply because I wanted to be near my family for Thomas’ birth.”
“Of course, your dear family,” he sneered. “Well, your family is a long way from here, madame, and I thank God for that. You won’t be running back to them again.”
Reggie stiffened, eyes slanting angrily. “I neverranback to them, sir. But if I wanted to do so, I would.”
“No, you won’t!” Nicholas shouted. “And I’ll have you know right now, your bloody uncles are not welcome in this house!”
“You don’t mean that,” she gasped.
“See if I don’t!”
“Oh! Of all the—” She was too enraged to finish the thought. “Oh!”
She swung around and stomped into her bedroom, slamming the door. Nicholas stared at the closed door, his temper past exploding. In two strides he reached it and threw it open.
“Don’t you ever walk away from me when I am talking to you!” he bellowed, standing in the doorway.
Reggie swung around, startled, but not at all intimidated by the fury raging through him. She had held back her own fury too long.
“You were not talking!” her voice rose to match his. “You were shouting, and nonsense, too. Do not think you can place such restrictions on me, sir, for I won’t have it! I am not your servant!”
“And what, pray tell, are you?”
“Your wife!”
“Exactly! My wife. And if I wish to place restrictions on you, I will bloody well do so!”
“Get out!” she screamed. “Out!”
She shoved the door against him until it closed, with him on the other side. Nicholas scowled, but he didn’t try to open the door again. The significance of being banished from her room was too much, symbolizing the rejection he had expected. He looked at the closed door and saw a barrier, solid and unbreakable.
Chapter 34
“ISUPPOSE I ought to mention that I am expecting guests for the weekend.”
Miriam’s statement drew all eyes to her. They were dining in the formal dining room, Nicholas at one end of the long table, Reggie at the other. Shouting distance described the length separating the lord and lady of the house. This suited Reggie perfectly. She hadn’t said a word to her husband for three days.
Miriam and Eleanor were seated facing each other at the center of the table. It was much easier to talk that way, but the two sisters had nothing to say to each other.
Sir Walter Tyrwhitt was next to Miriam. The friendly neighbor had stopped by earlier and she invited him to join them. As usual, Miriam’s manner was very different when the debonair gentleman was present. She was almost warm.
Tyrwhitt was in fact a very likable fellow. Middle-aged, a few years younger than Miriam actually, he was a fine-looking man with distinguished silver streaks running along the sides of his dark brown hair. His eyes were green. He was a farmer at heart, and never tired of talking about the land, crops, the weather. It was amusing to see how serious he could become when he spoke of these things, because he treated all other topics with casual indifference.
Nicholas put himself out to be agreeable to their guest, a great relief to all after three days of surliness. He humored Sir Walter with a good deal of talk about spring crops. Orwashe humoring him? Perhaps he really was interested. Reggie was amazed at how involved he became. Was he, too, a farmer at heart? How little she knew about the man she was married to.
