“It’s too bad your husband can’t say the same. Phineas does like to spread his favors around.”
Caroline was silent.
“You talk funny.” The opinion burst out of Lady Starling, as if she had been thinking it all along and suddenly, she couldn’t hold back from expressing it any longer.
“Yes.”Yeth.
The alluring woman laughed. “The irony that Phineas with all his talk would wind up with you. How does he put up with your halting baby speech? And you’re so big, like your brother. Height is so attractive in a man but so coarse in a woman. Phineas must hate your size. He has such a sensitivity about his own stature. Thank goodness, his cock doesn’t have that problem, as we both are privileged to know.”
Caroline said nothing, not knowing if she could say anything. Her face burned.
“And despite sounding like you’re stupid, you must be intelligent, Lady Burchester. Or at least conniving. You got your husband away from town and out into the country. Far fewer tempting female distractions for him out here. But I do hope you’ll be understanding when he wanders, because of course he will, eventually. You mustn’t glower as you are doing now, but be kind and understanding to our sweet Phineas. Because he really is so very sweet, isn’t he?”
Caroline stayed silent.
“Far too sweet, in a way, for either one of us. We are bitter women of sense and he is all spun-sugar nonsense. He needs a strong hand, and I hope you have that.”
Lady Starling looked around the room and sighed. “It’s so tatty here. I don’t envy you your responsibilities. To have the burden of both restoring this place to make it tolerable and keeping a leash on Phineas. And,” her eyes narrowed and she got closer to Caroline, “where are your jewels? You’re not wearing any. Phineas loves to give gifts to his women. See my pretty diamond here?”
Her small hand fluttered around her bosom and indeed, there was a diamond pendant hanging between her breasts like a turgid, glistening raindrop.
“A gift only a week after he first bedded me. But I would have thought with you being his wife, he would have covered you in gems. But maybe that’s just a romantic idea I have that men dote on their wives.”
Caroline had seen the jeweler’s bill and stuffed it away in her mind as just one more foolish debt, but faced with the diamond itself and the woman who had received it, the money spent felt like a betrayal.
But it isn’t. Yes, you didn’t know what a spendthrift Phineas was before you married him. But don’t go trying to pretend you didn’t know your husband was willing to swive any woman who showed an interest. You always knew it. You married him, knowing it.
She had no idea how she might exit this room with any semblance of dignity, any scrap of power.
She was rescued, however, by Lavinia colliding with Caroline’s leg and Lady Starling’s shriek.
“Good God, what is that horrid creature?”
Caroline stooped down and hugged Lavinia around the neck.
“Sorry we’re so late, Caro. I got into a chat with Willoughby and you know he says we’re going to get rain again this—”
Her husband had come into the room at a jaunty pace, Lavinia’s leash coiled in his hand, but now he stopped and stared at Lady Starling.
“Lady Starling.” He bowed.
Lady Starling was still looking at Lavinia with terror. “What a monster that thing is. I’ve never seen such a large dog inside a house before. It belongs outside. In a kennel.”
“To what do we owe this questionable pleasure, Horatia?”
“Oh.” Lady Starling went into her reticule and pulled out a small handkerchief. “You must let me recover from my fright, Phineas.”
Caroline stood and made to leave the room, keeping a hand on Lavinia.
“Caro?” Her husband grabbed her arm as she went past to him toward the door.
“I-I-I n-n-n-need t-t-t-o a-a-a-attend t-t-t-to someth-th-thing.”
She could tell he did not believe her lie, but he released her. Reluctantly.
She took the stairs on trembling legs with Lavinia padding beside her. On the landing, Phineas’ voice drifted up to her.
“Darling, what is this—” was all she heard before the drawing room door closed.
