“Still here, Miss Hamilton?” he said. “You must be fit to drop. Have you not offered her a seat, Sybil? How uncivil of you.” His eyes were laughing.
“You are dismissed, Miss Hamilton,” her grace said.
“From the room?” Lord Thomas said. “By all means. But not from the house, I hope. My sister-in-law has the most volatile of tempers, Miss Hamilton. But she is not vindictive once she has calmed down. I believe you will still find yourself with employment by the end of the day. You had better move now before you fall down. I believe you must have been standing on that same spot for the better part of an hour.”
He smiled at her as she turned and made her way from the room.
Perhaps she should resign, she thought, assuming that she would have any choice in the matter anyway. Perhaps she should leave even before morning. Even before dinner.
But if she left, Matthew would think she was running from him. And he would come after her and fetter her and take her off to prison this time. Her temporary reprieve would prove to be very temporary indeed.
Besides, even if she did get away without being caught, what would she do? She had no money and no references. Her situation would be appallingly familiar, except that this time she would know how it must end.
She shut the door of her room behind her and locked it. And she threw herself facedown across the bed.
She had been so filled with elation just a few hours before. There had been the fresh air and the outdoors and the blessed, blessed freedom. And there had been that ride and her absurd happiness over the mad and dangerous race. Despite the factthathehad been her companion, she had been happier than she could remember being for years. Even happier than she had been at the ball. Her happiness with Daniel had been a quieter, less vibrant thing.
Daniel! She must not think of him. The pain of dull hopelessness would be too hard to bear if she allowed herself to think of him.
“THOMAS,” THEDUCHESS OFRIDGEWAYsaid indignantly, “that was intolerable. You quite undermined my authority, and people tend not to take me seriously anyway because I am so small and mild of manner.”
“Are you angry with me?” He leaned down and kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth and bearing her back and sideways until she was lying along the daybed. “Do you want to fight me? Kick me? Come on, then.” He laughed down at her.
“I am serious,” she said, lifting a hand to trace the line of his jaw. “I had quite steeled myself to be strict, and you completely spoiled the effect.”
“What has the poor girl done?” he asked. “Allowed a bored guest to taste her lips? I gather Shaw is a lusty enough character, Sybil. Doubtless he was the seducer and she the seducee, even if she was enjoying what she was getting. And one can hardly fault his taste. She is a pretty girl.” He laughed at the look in her eyes. “Or would be to a man who is not besotted with you, of course.”
“Are you?” she asked, twining an arm about his neck.
“Besotted with you?” he said, the laughter dying from his eyes. “You know there has never been anyone but you, Sybil, and never could be.” He kissed her long and deeply.
“She is a woman of loose morals,” she said. “She really must go. I was shaking with the distress of having to dismiss her, but I did what I knew to be right.”
“She is Adam’s, you said?” Lord Thomas smiled at her ashe eased her dress off one shoulder. “Let him amuse himself with her, Sybil. I can be persuaded to comfort you. Or are you jealous?”
“Of Adam?” she said, wide-eyed. “And a governess? I hope I think better of myself than to feel jealousy, Thomas. But I do not think it kind of him to conduct his debaucheries here.”
“Leave them alone,” he said. “And let Shaw have her too if he wants. And Brocklehurst. The two of them were strolling out on the back lawn and looked to be deep in conversation early this morning. Their tête-à-tête was interrupted by Adam.” He laughed. “Let Adam be preoccupied with guarding his hot little property. And I will be preoccupied with guarding you.”
“Oh, Thomas,” she said, throwing both arms about his neck and drawing his head down onto her shoulder, “it is not funny. There is no humor in this at all. What are we going to do?”
“Patience,” he said soothingly. “Something will turn up.”
“But what?” she said. “I am married to him. That can never change. Oh, why did you not take me with you when you left? I would have gone to the ends of the earth with you. You should have known that. I would not have cared.”
“I could not,” he said gently. “I could not have taken you out into the uncertainty of my future, Sybil, especially in your delicate condition. I could not do that to you. It would have been too cruel.”
“And it was not cruel to leave me as I was?” she asked.
“Hush,” he said. “All will work out, you will see. Does anyone ever walk through either of these unlocked doors unbidden?”
“No,” she said. “But don’t, Thomas. I’m afraid.”
“Don’t be,” he said, getting to his feet and gazing down at her. “We belong together, Sybil, and you know it. I shall lock the doors and then you may feel quite secure.”
He lay down beside her on the narrow daybed when histask was accomplished, and kissed her, drawing up the muslin skirt of her dress with one hand as he did so.
“Thomas,” she moaned, her fingers twining in his hair. “Oh, Thomas, it has been so long. I love you so.”
