He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair. Perhaps he’d handled her incorrectly. Perhaps ordering her about and insisting on his way was not the best maneuver. She’d called him an arrogant, holier-than-thou ass. Perhaps he needed to be a bit more circumspect.
She’d seemed truly angry last night when she’d accused him of not giving her the benefit of the doubt. He’d actually spent a moment wondering whether she was telling the truth. Was it possible shehadn’tschemed to get him to marry her? Could it actually be true shehadn’twanted to marry him any more than he’d wanted to marry her? Had she trulyvomitedwhen she found out they would be forced to marry?
That last part had been almost too much to believe. After all, he had been an eligible duke, and even a man as arrogant as he apparently was had heard others call him handsome. It was not an opinion he’d formed entirely on his own. He’d been a desirable choice for a husband. The papers had named him most eligible. Then again…if everything Gemma had told him last nightwastrue, he’d made a terrible miscalculation.
The words she’d said that night in Southbury’s study, the words that had haunted him ever since, floated back to his mind. “You heard him, Mary. Remember your promise.”
Soon after, Lady Costner had come running and shrieking and accusing him of ruining her daughter.Thatwas why he hadn’t listened to Gemma’s attempt at an explanation.Thatwas why he’d assumed she’d schemed to get him to marry her. It had been obvious that she and Mary had both been trying to corner him in the room alone… Hadn’t it?
But even if he’d made a mistake, he had no intention of granting her a divorce. Such a thing would bring shame upon the Grovemont name, the title, and his entire family, past and future. It was unthinkable. No, he wouldneveragree to a divorce, but hedidneed to find out if she was telling the truth about the rest of it. Because if Gemmahadn’twanted to marry him, that would change everything.
O
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
There was one person Gemma could talk to. One person who would keep her secret, not judge her, and never attempt to talk her out of it. Which was why Cecily Grundy was the only person Gemma had told about her desire for a divorce.
It was impossible not to love Cecily. She was a sweet girl with the very best intentions and love in her heart for everyone. She was also easy to talk to. And over the last year, since Grovemont had been gone, Gemma had spoken to her friend at great length about her marriage. With Cecily, Gemma knew her secrets would go no further. Cecily was the only person who truly understood how unhappy Gemma had been since the moment she’d married Grovemont. Oh, Mrs. Howard and Mr. Warwick suspected, but Gemma had never dared share her unhappiness with the two trusted servants. They were Grovemont’s servants, after all. They owed him their loyalty.
But Cecily was Gemma’s friend. The two young women had forged a bond during their first Season. Gemma had become the champion of the wallflowers against awful Lady Mary. United against a common enemy, Gemma and Cecily had grownespecially close. Cecily came from a genteel family who’d lost its fortune, which meant she was adecidedwallflower.
But then darling Griffin had stepped in and danced with Cecily at one of the balls, and the girl’s dance card had remained quite full ever after. She’d even received a handful of proposals. Unfortunately, her Mama had refused them all due to the fact that Cecily’s older sisters weren’t married. It was a problem Gemma and Cecily had spent many hours discussing over scones and tea.
Today’s problem called for more scones and more tea.
“And then I told him he had two choices,” Gemma reported as she lifted her cup to her mouth in Cecily’s mother’s drawing room. Thankfully, Cecily’s two obnoxious older sisters and her overbearing mother were at the milliner’s for the afternoon. Cecily had feigned a megrim to skip the outing.
“You didn’t!” Cecily exclaimed.
“I did.” Gemma lowered her voice. “I told him he could claim the marriage was never consummated.”
“Oh, but that’s not true!” Cecily interjected, her bright-blue eyes going wide and her round cheeks turning red.
“No, it’s not true, and he made that same point,” Gemma continued, “but I said he could claim it was true.”
“What was the other choice you offered him?” Cecily asked.
“I will admit to crimcon.”
“Crimcon!” Poor Cecily went pale as milk.
“Yes,” Gemma replied, nodding and smiling.
Cecily drew her hand away from her mouth. “But that would mean you… you…”
“Had lain with another man,” Gemma finished for her in a loud whisper.
The bright pink in Cecily’s cheeks deepened.
“I’m sorry if I’m upsetting you, dear,” Gemma said, suddenly quite aware that she was speaking of things she probablyshouldn’t in front of an unmarried lady. But neither of them was uneducated. Gemma had shared all she knew with Cecily. “Ignorance is dangerous,” Meredith always said.
Cecily plucked another scone from the silver tray in front of them. “No. It’s quite all right. I’m only sorry you’re being forced to make such a drastic choice.”
“It’s my own fault,” Gemma replied with a sigh. “If I had just had the patience to wait for Grovemont to come out of the study at Griffin’s wedding, I wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
“And he wouldn’t either,” Cecily pointed out with a sigh of her own.
Gemma pursed her lips. Hmm. Cecily was right. Grovemont wasn’t to blame either. Not for the marriage, at least. He was, however, decidedly to blame for being an ass. But if Gemma hadn’t made such a mistake in the first place, they wouldn’t be married, and she wouldn’t even know how big of an ass he was. Oh, dear. Was that guilt tugging at her conscience?
