“Ifyouhadn’t broken it off with Emilia,” Varley reminded him, “she wouldn’t have set her cap atme. Despite knowing I was already engaged, she enticed me like a Greek siren.”
Matthew was sure his expression mirrored Purity’s, one of utter surprise.
“I cannot be blamed for your weakness, nor for Emilia’s actions. You ought to have remained faithful to your fiancée if you truly cared about her.”
“What do you know about fidelity?” Varley demanded.
Matthew was done talking.
“Get out!”
However, Purity was still behaving like a hostess whose party was souring and which she hoped to remedy.
“You and Lady Varley chose to marry one another. Surely, there must be some attraction that didn’t perish because she cost you a different wife.”
Matthew nodded, crossing his arms over his chest to keep himself from throwing punches.
“Maybe there is more to unify the two of you than your hatred of my husband,” she suggested.
Varley stared at Purity, then back at him.
“I think Lady Foxford has a valid point,” Matthew said.
Most of all, he wanted this war to end today, no longer needing to look over his shoulder, nor worry what might be in the newspapers. Varley had been dogging his tracks for the past three months — reporting or embellishing at will. Of that, Matthew was now certain.
For that matter, he no longer wished to dodge a glancing blow when Varley passed him in the sanctuary of their club.
“This conversation would have been better done without a lady present,” Matthew added, certain she’d never heard the like before.
Come to think of it, he had never had such an odd discussion, trying to convince a man to be satisfied with the wife he had, even though she was probably disloyal, both root and branch.
When Purity bit her lip and appeared about to speak again, Matthew prayed she didn’t spout some rule regarding kidnapping a lady that might set Varley off to more threats.
For while it was the case that most would believe Purity’s version of events if they came to light, thetonwould always cling to a shadow of a doubt regarding her faithfulness after she seemingly went to meet privately with a married man.
She ought to have known better.
Finally, Varley snatched up his hat.
“You are not worth my effort,” he said to Matthew. “This lady will come to her senses and see you for what you are.”
Matthew fisted his hands again but was loath to come to blows in front of his wife.
In any case, perhaps recalling their last altercation, Varley moved quickly to the door. But then he took the time to nod courteously at Purity, who gave him a friendly little wave of dismissal before he turned and left.
In a heartbeat, Matthew was on her, grabbing her upper arms and hauling her close.
“You idiot!” he said without heat, too relieved at finding her unharmed to be angry any longer. “Why did you come here willy-nilly?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped, before putting her arms around his neck. “I did no such thing. I was lured here by the dire tidings that Diana needed me and that you were waiting.”
He squeezed her tightly. “You came at my bidding?”
“Yes,” she answered, sounding a little breathless as she went on tiptoe gaining a few inches.
“But Lady Purity, meeting in the middle of the day in an inn is inappropriate, indecorous, improper — do all dreary words start with the letterI?”
“They might,” she said. “I haven’t bothered to investigate.”
