Could they do that without Johanna risking her mother?
She did not know.
“Well.”Lady Astrid gave herself a shake.“We will discover what they are up to soon enough, I am sure.They are never as discreet as they think they are.We’ve all decided to tell each other everything we discover from our husbands—or soon-to-be husband in my case.Can we count on you for the same?”
“Yes,” Johanna said immediately, relieved that she could make such a promise.“Of course.”
If Matthew told her anything, or if she overheard anything that he was saying, she could happily tell her friends.The promise was not about things she might discover fromothersources.Because, of course, none of them suspected anyone in her family might have anything to do with the demise of the previous dukes.
“In the meantime, are you coming out of seclusion soon?”Kalina asked.“I would love for you and Matthew to attend my upcoming ball.It is my first one as Nathanial’s hostess.”
That she was nervous about it was obvious, even to Johanna.Which made her feel a little less nervous, at least about social matters.Ruthlessly, she boxed up the fear and anxiousness that their revelations had sparked, the way she had back when she’d been dealing with her siblings and keeping how badly off they were from them.
Right now, she needed to get through this visit.She could fall apart later.
The way she always did.
“Yes,” she said immediately, pushing a smile onto her lips.“Lady Stark says we must leave the house soon or we will be overrunhereby curious visitors.”
“She is not wrong.The suddenness of your marriage is the talk of theton,” Lady Astrid confirmed with a glance at the others.“We have managed to keep them at bay with some talk of my house party and your meeting there, but since there is not much to tell, that will not satisfy them for long.They will want to see you for themselves.”
“Another duke off the marriage mart is a big deal,” Tiffany agreed, a small smile alighting on her lips.“My brother is finding himself in more pursuit than ever, yet no closer to finding a wife.He is growing desperate enough, I think he may soon hire Lady Hu and Mei to help him.”
“Oh, I hope so,” Lady Astrid said immediately, a wicked grin on her face as she literally rubbed her hands together.“I would love to rub his nose in it that he did need a matchmaker’s help after all.”
“Well, that will not help if he thinks you might do so,” Tiffany told her, exasperated.
“I will wait until the actual wedding to enjoy my glory,” Lady Astrid assured her.
Johanna laughed with the others, a smile upon her face, even as her heart wailed within her.
Matthew
Laughter from the drawing room assured Matthew that his wife was well taken care of for company when the note from Drake arrived, summoning him to the club.His lessons with Micah done for the morning, Matthew did not hesitate to take his hat and cane and quit the house for a bit—well, after confirming his plan of action with his coin.Hopefully, he could be home in time for supper this evening.
He was very hopeful someone might have come up with something.Being left out of questioning the gentlemen Cornwall had named had seemed the best course of action at the time, but being out of the informational loop was rather bothersome.Matthew wanted to know what was going on.
Drake had commandeered one of the private rooms at White’s, and Matthew was surprised to find that he was not the first to arrive.Sebastian, Gregory, and Drake were all already there, glasses in hand, ensconced in large wingback chairs that had been set up in a circle.
“Matthew.”Drake nodded a greeting and handed Matthew a glass of brandy from where he was seated beside the drink tray.“How goes it?”
“I need to be home by supper,” he replied, taking both the drink and a seat.“Grandmama and Johanna were put out by my absence last night.”
“Tiffany was not best pleased, either,” Gregory agreed.“And we are not even as newly wed as Matthew and Johanna.”
“Yes, but you and Tiffany are a love match,” Sebastian said, swirling his drink in his snifter.“Matthew and Johanna are not.”
“Neither were Tiffany and I at the beginning.That was the falsehood we put about to save her reputation, remember?”
“I am trying to forget all about your scandalous behavior with my sister, actually, thank you,” Sebastian replied dryly.He turned to Matthew, cocking his head.“It has only been two days of marriage.Less than a week since you rescued her.Surely, you are not in love already.”
“I do not think there needs to be love for a new wife to desire her husband to be around for suppertime the day after their wedding,” Drake interjected, which Matthew was grateful for because he did not exactly know how to answer Sebastian.
He had not married Johanna for love.But he did like her.Quite a bit.He was not particularly interested in pursuing or bedding any other woman.In fact, he rather wanted to be around for suppertime this evening.He did not want to miss another meal with her if he did not have to.
He wanted her to be happy.
From what he’d seen of Gregory and Nathanial, that was how they conducted themselves, and they were both now love matches, though neither had started as one.Was it possible he was falling in love with his wife?
