“That’s true. But you do.”
“Tho you married m-m-me for that?”
I married you because I love you, Caro. But you’re not ready to hear that, are you?
Phineas raised his chin and held out his hand to her. He thought this might the most daring act of his life, waiting for her to take his hand. But she reached out and when he felt her clasp, he wanted to cry in relief. Instead, he spoke from his heart.
“Let me be clear, Lady Burchester. I am absolutely besotted with you. Infatuated with you. Your smell, your skin, your hair, your body, your face. Your beauty, darling. And your kisses, your touch, and how you let me kiss and touch you. Even now, in this horrible situation and with you so upset, I can only think about how quickly I can get you back into bed. Yes, it’s terrible and base and entirely true.”
She swallowed.
“But I also married you because I know, if I could just get you to talk to me, even if you’re angry with me like you are now, I’m going to find out I married the wisest woman in the world who is going to be the most wonderful mother to our babies.”
“We can’t afford babieth. We can’t even afford La.”
“We have to afford Miss Lavinia.”
“Yeth.”
“So, now you know the whole truth. I married you for your dog, Caro.”
A twitch of her lips. Had she almost smiled? She dropped his hand, ducked her head, and went into her reticule and found a handkerchief and began to wipe her eyes and her nose.
“I hate this, Caro. I hate that I’ve already let you down so badly. And I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you how poor I was before you married me. But I was so afraid you wouldn’t have married me if you knew.”
She folded her handkerchief. “I want to be in charge of the money in thith marriage.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea, darling.”
“You mutht remember you thaid that. You might not be th-tho happy later.”
“Will you give Phin a kiss now?”
She closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. “You mutht let me conthentrate, Phineath.”
“Yes, Caro.”
They took Edmund home. The marquess looked rather hangdog in the carriage. However, Phineas was sure he himself looked even more hangdog.
Lavinia replaced Edmund in the carriage once they got to the Sudbury town house. Phineas gazed at the droopy face of the hound and felt like the whole world must be unhappy because Caro was unhappy.
However, Caro did not cry or frown as the carriage took them back to the rooms. She stared out the window, her face holding no expression whatsoever, a pile of ledgers and bills next to her on the seat, barricading her away from Phineas, her hand on Lavinia at all times, taking comfort from her dog instead of her husband.
Without turning her head, she battered Phineas with questions. How much did his rooms cost? How long was the lease? Who were the merchants who had come this morning? What other businesses did he owe money to? What were his other expenses? What about the cost of stabling his horses and coal and bills from tailors and shoemakers? How many servants did he have? What did each of them do for him?
He had never heard so many words from her before, and it grieved him that it had taken his own dereliction to make her speak to him at such length.
“We will have to l-let motht of the London thervantth go.”
“We can’t. I mean, I can’t.” He almost flinched when she finally turned her head to look at him.
“I thought you agreed I wath going to be in charge of the money.”
“I owe them all back wages.”
“You owe money to the people who feed you and dreth you and wait on you?”
“Yes.”
