“Nor for Rebecca. She never wished to marry in the first place. A wish she almost received.”
Lady Macbeth again tugged on her lead and Gabriella pushed out of his hold.
“You didn’t answer my question. What of the girl at the fountain? I would have the truth, wife,” he said sternly.
Gabriella’s shoulders fell. “All right. I shall tell you. She works at the theater. I wanted a peek behind the scenes—”
James found himself in a quandary that warred between outrage and admiration in Gabriella’s admission of being where she most definitely did not belong. Outrage won out. “Do you have any notion of the danger you flirted with?” The words edged through his gritted teeth.
“I could hardly turn away after I found her sobbing, could I?” Her hand flitted out in blasé dismissal. “She is with child and has no means of recourse.”
The temptation to shake some sense in her took hold, but she would only dig her slippered heels in, and that would get him nowhere. “So, she’ll marry the father, and that will be the end of it.”
“I happened to mention that very solution myself.” A smile fleeted across her lips.
His wife, he was slowly learning, was inordinately forthright with her words, and honorable. And, with a huge heart, to boot. His insides softened.
“Unfortunately, it is not so simple as that, my lord.” Her body vibrated with fury. “The father is of our class, not of her own.”
“Ah, so she got herself tangled up with a toff.”
“Men,” she mumbled under her breath in disgust. She looked up at him. “I believe he raped her. At the very least, he entrapped her with unfulfilled promises, likely never revealing his station in the first place. She is sixteen. That is a child.”
Of course, being so generous of nature, his wife would be furious, but some things just were. He tempered his tone to gentle. “I hate to break this to you, my dear, but sixteen is but a year from when most women in the modern world marry. Aside from the obvious, she would have been able to discern his status from his manner and how he was dressed.”
“Of course, you would say that. Nothing excuses taking a woman by force, my lord.” She tugged on the lead. “Are you ready for breakfast, Lady Macbeth?”
She had him there, he thought, anger rising on her behalf.
The little dog pranced in a circle at their feet, drawing James from his darkening mood. He could almost believe she understood her mistress’s every word. “When is your next outing to Drury Lane?” he asked her.
She shrugged. “The only answer I can give you is if my sisters are invited to join us, I shall be extremely busy.”
Excellent to know. All he had to do, was make sure she didn’t learn when he invited them. Rose, in particular, would keep a diligent eye on James’s duplicitous wife if James happened to be called away a second time.
“Come, I could use some sustenance myself,” he said, steering her back to Huntley. “Now that you’ve had your rendezvous, I suspect you are hungry as well.”
“Well, I suppose I could use a spot of tea. And a scone. And kippers. I wonder if Cook was able to procure any fresh berries…”
Twelve
Dearest Gabs. Success. The locale has been secured. Yrs. R
“Thank heavens for your missive, Rebecca. It was most timely.” Gabby accepted Rebecca’s proffered cup and added a splash of milk. She glanced at the door. “Where is my brother?”
“Ryleigh had an appointment at Tattersalls. In the mood for locating new horseflesh. I suspect he’s craving the scent of agriculture and hay. Not that I don’t on occasion,” Rebecca said with a smirk. “There are times I vow I shall throw myself off the nearest battlement if I am forced to step into one more ballroom.”
A giggle erupted from Gabby. “Thankfully, any battlements in Mayfair are not all that accessible.” The closest one was at the Tower. “So, tell me, when am I to introduce you to Mabel Clark? She is in dire straits.”
Rebecca doctored her tea and sipped. “Now that we’ve secured the house, I believe it best to visit in unmarked carriages. The lot is covered with trees and there is a stable at the back, but, well, you know how people talk.”
“How on earth did you manage the house?” Gabby’s shoulders slumped. “Never mind, I suppose the “no option” means you had to involve Sebastian.”
“I’m sorry, Gabs. Even a duchess is not taken seriously on her own when it comes to purchasing real estate. But I’ve been assured of my husband’s full support behind our efforts. Admittedly, he may believe ’tis a shelter for children.”
Gabby stared at her, astonished. “You didn’t tell him about the women?”
“I didn’t have time for a lengthy disagreement. I’ve already placed a couple of women in the housekeeper’s capable hands.” She sniffed her disgust. “I had more rights to obtaining property as a spinster than as Ryleigh’s wife.”
