Page 77 of Earl, Enemy, Husband?

What odd behaviour.

Lady Deirdre glanced at her maid, who had stepped back a little. ‘Suzie, we will meet you back here. I will be quite safe with Lady Blackdown.’

The maid dipped a curtsey. ‘Very well, my lady.’

‘Quite safe indeed,’ Mr Redfern said, helping her up. ‘Excellent whip. No need to worry.’ He smiled and bowed. ‘And, if you do not mind, I see an acquaintance I have need to speak with. I shall return very shortly.’

How very odd.

‘Oh,’ Lady Deirdre said, gazing after him has he strode away. ‘I should not have taken his place.’

‘Nonsense. And besides, I was hoping I might see you today,’ Florence said. While she had not in fact given the young woman a thought, she really should have; after all, she had promised her a drive.

Lady Deirdre beamed. ‘I am so tired of dawdling along with Suzie when I could be driving. I would love a phaeton of my own, but Papa has absolutely refused to countenance my driving myself yet. I shall be the envy of all the girls when they see us in the park.’

Her artless chatter made Florence feel homesick. She could imagine her sisters responding exactly like this and their father saying no to a request that they have their own carriages. Emotion welled up in her chest and she blinked away a sudden surge of moisture. Fortunately, Lady Deirdre did not notice.

‘You will no doubt have your own carriage in due course, Lady Deirdre. You would not want to be thought fast in your first season, however.’

The girl turned towards her with laughter in her face. ‘That is exactly what Mama said. Please, call me Deirdre. We are friends, are we not, Lady Blackdown?’

‘Yes,’ Florence said, feeling her heart grow lighter. ‘We are friends; and of course, you will please call me Florence.’

Deirdre sat back with a smile of satisfaction. ‘A lot of the other girls my age don’t seem to care for me very much. Mother says it is likely jealousy, because Papa is a duke and rich, but she is sure they will change once they get to know me better. I do so hope she is right.’

‘I am sure she is,’ Florence said comfortingly. How she wished she had a mother to offer her advice. Even at the grand old age of near twenty-five, and in charge of her own sisters’ welfare, she felt as if she needed someone to guide her. For some reason, she did not always quite trust Lady Blackdown’s opinion.

‘One can see so much more from up here,’ Deirdre said. ‘Oh, there is Mr Redfern. My goodness, he seems to be in a hurry.’

Florence followed her gaze. But it was not Mr Redfern that caught her eye, but the couple he was clearly hurrying towards.

There was no mistaking the man—it was her husband. With a woman. Not just any woman, but Lady Standish. Who rose up on her tiptoes, grasped his shoulder and kissed him.

Frozen, numb, Florence could only stare for one long horrible moment, numb, cold, frozen.

Breaking free of the awful sight, she turned and put the horses into a trot.

‘Oh,’ Deidre said. ‘We really aren’t supposed to go this fast in Hyde Park.’ She giggled.

‘Aren’t we?’ Florence hadn’t heard such chill in her voice since the day she’d caught Albert Campbell caressing Primrose. ‘How can one exercise the horses if one is always walking? And besides, there is no one in front of us.’

She slowed the horses when she felt sure she was clear of the sight of Lady Standish and her husband.

‘Shall we go back and find your maid? Ah, there she is. I hope you do not mind if I leave you now. I have an appointment at home I must not miss.’

‘Of course I don’t mind. Perhaps I shall see you again another day.’

How sweet she was, how innocent. All Florence could feel was betrayal.

Her husband had failed to join her for breakfast in order to meet the woman he loved.

It was as if the earth had fallen away from her feet.

Chilled to the bone, she drove home.

Graydon stepped back. ‘What the devil do you think you are doing, Eloise?’

She shot him a defiant glance. ‘Showing the world you are mine, Gray. You have always been mine.’