“Does … does Ewan have a mistress in London?”
Phillip’s crack of laughter was her first answer. “Clayton? A mistress? No. No. He’s never been the sort.”
Relief unlike anything Thea had ever known before poured through her veins. “Are you certain?”
“As certain as I can be,” Phillip assured her.
For the first time since after the Christmastide ball, hope rose in Thea’s chest. As Phillip said, it didn’t mean that Ewan loved Thea, but at least he wasn’t in love withanotherwoman. But she still had to be certain. “Phillip, you said yourself, you can’t know what’s in his heart. Is it possible that he loved Lydia and just never mentioned her to you?”
Phillip leaned across the table and met her gaze. “I know this. I never heard him utter a word about Lydia, but after you left that morning, Thea, Ewan never stopped talking aboutyou.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Ewan rode back to the stables that afternoon atop Midnight. Phillip was beside him riding Alabaster. Phillip had finally gone from speaking to the horse to riding him again. The duke had insisted, and Ewan was nothing but pleased with his progress.
“I spoke to Thea earlier,” Phillip said casually.
“And?” Ewan asked. He did his best to appear nonchalant, but he’d been waiting for Phillip to broach the topic ever since they’d left on their ride an hour earlier.
“And you’re both fools if you ask me.” Phillip leaned down and patted Alabaster’s neck.
“Fools? Both of us?” Ewan retorted, chuckling.
“Yes,” was Phillip’s steadfast reply.
Ewan sauntered closer. “Very well, why is Thea a fool? I’d like to know.”
Phillip lifted the reins. “Thea is a fool because she thinks you’re in love with Lydia Malcolm.”
“What?” Ewan scowled.
“Precisely.” Phillip shook his head.
“How does Thea even know about Lydia Malcolm?” Ewan asked.
“I didn’t ask her that. But she was convinced that not only were you engaged to Lydia, that you are also madly in love with the girl.”
Ewan wrinkled his nose. “Where in God’s name did Thea get that idea?”
“Where do fools get any of their ideas?” Phillip replied, a half-smile on his lips.
Ewan sighed and shook his head. “Very well, go ahead. Tell me why I’m a fool.”
“With pleasure,” Phillip continued, spurring the Arabian into the stables. “Youare a fool because you haven’t told your wife how you feel about her.”
“What?” The scowl returned to Ewan’s face.
“I don’t know whether you love her. Though I suspect you do. But what does a bachelor like me know about love? I do, however, know that you couldn’t stop talking about her and moping about this house after Thea left, and I told her as much.”
“What? Why?” Ewan trotted up to the stablehand who was patiently waiting for them.
“Because she needed to hear it. Only she really needs to hear it fromyou,” Phillip continued.
Ewan cursed under his breath. “Damn it, Harlowe. What are you saying?”
Phillip swung himself from the horse’s back and landed on the packed earth. “I’m saying you should tell your bloody wife that you love her, you idiot!”
LATER THAT DAY,after Ewan saw to the horses, he strode into the house and up to his bedchamber. After Phillip and Alabaster had returned to the stables, Ewan had ridden Midnight again for miles and miles trying to put to rights the rioting thoughts in his head. He’d got no more clarity than he’d had when he’d left, but at least he’d worn himself out.
