“If he is on his deathbed, Mother, then why in God’s name are youhere?” His voice cracked.
“Because you leave me no choice, son,” she snarled back, matching his temper. “Had you not bungled matters with LadyCamberly, I shouldn’t need to be here, dangling another bride before you.”
“You know deuced well I was willing to marry her, Mother. It washerchoice to leave me at the altar like some cuckolded?—”
“Yes, yes, she hurt your pride. But you needn’t have run to the ends of the earth like some wounded pup. You could have stayed, allowed the scandal to blow over, then chosen some other girl. But instead, like the whelp you remain, you hide here in Cumberland, where the weather is as foul as?—”
“Do not disparage the Abbey, Mother, because I have every intention of remaining here for eternity.”
“Roland, you have a duty to your father, a duty to family, and a duty to perform as future Duke, which is why I?—”
“You can shove the Dukedom up your arse,Maman.” Her eyes grew wide at his coarse words. “Because I will not move back to London and I damn well will not, I repeat,will notmarry Miss Mowry. I don’t care how substantial the woman’s bloodline or dowry.”
His mother glared at him, her eyes shooting daggers.
Wells glared back, just as ferocious.
And then, without a word, the Duchess strode from the room, her back ramrod straight and her exit sharp as glass. She’d punish him for his last comment, he knew. His mother knew well how to punish her only son with the slap of ungodly, awful silence.
She was inhuman.
Charles was in fits. Never would she have expected Lord Wellesley’s mother, the Duchess of Allendale, to arrive so unexpectedly, so imperiously. With another lady no less! Andtwo ladies’ maids! Not to mention their carriage driver and footman. That would mean six more mouths to feed, six bodies to sleep, six linens to lay, six more sets of everything to wash. Her mind was overwhelmed by the labor this would mean for her staff, the unfairnessof it. Because the Abbey was not prepared for guests. And she’d let his lordship know it.
She went in search of him but heard only angry voices from the parlor and thought better than to interrupt whatever conversation Lord Wells was having with the Duchess. She tiptoed away in search of Cuthbert, the next best man to accost, yet he, too, seemed equally distressed.
“It’s just like her t’ do this to us, miss, just like her grace. Reason Lord Wells went t’ sea, she was. Domineerin’, overbearin’, smotherin’ sort o’ woman who never gave her son a moment’s peace, and now look. Back at it she is. Willin’ t’ make the miserable long journey t’ Cumberland t’ get what she wants.” He nearly snorted his disgust. “You mark my words, Charles, she’ll have him married come hell or high water. She don’t give up, that one, as stubborn as he, and when the two go at it . . .” He shook his head, scowling.
Cuthbert had a wealth of knowledge when it came to Lord Wellesley’s family, Charles could tell, but she’d not be distracted by this now.
“Never mind all that, John, we’ve more pressing matters: finding beds for six unexpected guests.”
“Christ,” he muttered. “Where the devil are we t’ put ’em all?”
“I don’t know, Cuthbert, you tell me!”
The two argued at length as to who should go where, until Charles got her way.
“John, we’ve no choice but to give Miss Mowry Mrs. Jenkins’s bedroom, and put our cook with Ginny and Marta, and their two ladies’ maids in my cold closet. Ruby, Clarice, and I will simply take a spare room somewhere and ready the space as bestwe can—sleep amongst the cobwebs and mice if need be. We can work up the room while we’re in it, I suppose.”
“Oi.” Cuthbert nodded. “His lordship can bunk with his men. He’s used t’ sleepin’ in hellholes and ships’ galleys. Her grace can take his chamber.”
“When he rebels, I shall tell him that wasyouridea, John.”
“You go right ahead, miss.” His eyes gleamed.
Yet Charles already felt beat, and the guests had only just arrived. This visit would test her mettle, and test his lordship no doubt too.
“Cuthbert?” She ventured.
“Yes, miss?”
“Is there anything else I should know about the Duchess? Anything I ought to anticipate?”
He chewed his lip. “She’s more stubborn than her son, Charles, and always gets her way. Mind you stay on her good side, and all will be well.”
The Duchess’s good side, eh?Charles thought.Which side is that, pray?
Yet she was accosted by the lady herself not a minute later in the hallway, with barely enough time to collect her wits.
