had
just happened?
She stumbled back, her happiness dying like a rose in
winter. A wave of heat rushed through her. She could not believe she had begged
him to love her. The man was throwing her love back in her face.
A second later, she lifted her chin, hiding her hurt. She
may be wilting inside, but she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
“I will make one thing perfectly clear, madam.”
“Madam?” she replied, her lips quivering into a forced
smile. “Is this some kind of jest?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stared back at her,
his slash of black brows dipping into a deep “V”.
He looked ridiculous, she thought. It was as if he were trying
to act like a pompous duke. Well, she was going to have none of that! He could
try his haughtiness on someone else who was not his wife!
Her lungs felt as if they would burst. “What?” she asked
defiantly.
“There will no longer be any more attempts at having a baby.
Do you understand?”
A bubble of hysteria rose in her throat. Little did he know
that any attempts at having a baby would not have to be made now. There was a
baby!
“And why is that?” she snapped.” Is it because you have
grown tired of me? Or is it because you don’t want your pride hurt? Oh, wait! Is
it because you have someone else waiting in the wings? Or do you still love
Cecile? Oh, yes. Do not think I didn’t hear you talking about her. I always
wondered if there was someone else.”
His jaw clenched, and she thought she detected a flash of
pain crossing his face. “Devil take it, you are my wife! Will always be my wife!”
So, she thought sadly, he had loved the lady after all. Her
hope died along with her heart.
She straightened her bodice and skirt, as if their kissing
had no effect on her at all. “Ah, well, let me set you straight on that little
fact. I may be your wife, but you, in essence, are no longer the husband I
married. I will see you at the ball, Your Grace. I will be leaving with Emily
and Jared.”
His face turned dark, but she refused to let him have the
last word.
“Of course, Agatha will be with us as well,” she said,
letting her blue eyes slice through his battle hard stance. “But you, Your
Grace, may go alone! Or better yet, you may go...well, you know exactly where
you may go!”
And with a swish of skirts, she fled past him, and left her
bedchambers, slamming the door in her wake.
Chapter Four
“ O h, hello, Uncle Dukie!”
Roderick stopped in the hall at the sound of Gabby’s voice
in the drawing room. He turned and peered inside at the sight of his niece
dressed in a beautiful lavender silk gown belonging to her mother. Although his
emotions were still in turmoil after his encounter with Jane a few hours ago,
he found his lips tipping into a smile. The little girl was wearing one of
Emily’s best gowns. His sister had worn it to the last soiree at Brighton to
see the prince, who was now the king.
He swallowed a chuckle as he strode into the room. Emily
would be livid. Gabby knew no bounds. “Hello, princess.”
The little girl smiled, her blond ringlets bouncing over her
blue eyes. “Shhh.” She crooked her finger toward him. “Mama and Papa are
looking for me and Richard.” She pointed to her younger brother who was fast
asleep on the sofa.
Roderick pursed his lips, trying to keep the smile from his
eyes. How old was the boy now? Three? Four?
“You are in hiding then?” Roderick asked calmly.
“Well, yes and no.” She grabbed her cat, a skinny black and
tan feline that looked back at him with big green eyes. “Mr. Picklehammer
and I wanted to have a tea party, but Mama said it was too late and we had to
go to bed. Do you know, I like parties?” She lowered her voice into a mere
whisper. “But they think we are upstairs.”
Roderick wanted to laugh every time he heard the cat’s name.
The child had rescued the animal from a garbage pile only yesterday. “And where
is your
just happened?
She stumbled back, her happiness dying like a rose in
winter. A wave of heat rushed through her. She could not believe she had begged
him to love her. The man was throwing her love back in her face.
A second later, she lifted her chin, hiding her hurt. She
may be wilting inside, but she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing it.
“I will make one thing perfectly clear, madam.”
“Madam?” she replied, her lips quivering into a forced
smile. “Is this some kind of jest?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stared back at her,
his slash of black brows dipping into a deep “V”.
He looked ridiculous, she thought. It was as if he were trying
to act like a pompous duke. Well, she was going to have none of that! He could
try his haughtiness on someone else who was not his wife!
Her lungs felt as if they would burst. “What?” she asked
defiantly.
“There will no longer be any more attempts at having a baby.
Do you understand?”
A bubble of hysteria rose in her throat. Little did he know
that any attempts at having a baby would not have to be made now. There was a
baby!
“And why is that?” she snapped.” Is it because you have
grown tired of me? Or is it because you don’t want your pride hurt? Oh, wait! Is
it because you have someone else waiting in the wings? Or do you still love
Cecile? Oh, yes. Do not think I didn’t hear you talking about her. I always
wondered if there was someone else.”
His jaw clenched, and she thought she detected a flash of
pain crossing his face. “Devil take it, you are my wife! Will always be my wife!”
So, she thought sadly, he had loved the lady after all. Her
hope died along with her heart.
She straightened her bodice and skirt, as if their kissing
had no effect on her at all. “Ah, well, let me set you straight on that little
fact. I may be your wife, but you, in essence, are no longer the husband I
married. I will see you at the ball, Your Grace. I will be leaving with Emily
and Jared.”
His face turned dark, but she refused to let him have the
last word.
“Of course, Agatha will be with us as well,” she said,
letting her blue eyes slice through his battle hard stance. “But you, Your
Grace, may go alone! Or better yet, you may go...well, you know exactly where
you may go!”
And with a swish of skirts, she fled past him, and left her
bedchambers, slamming the door in her wake.
Chapter Four
“ O h, hello, Uncle Dukie!”
Roderick stopped in the hall at the sound of Gabby’s voice
in the drawing room. He turned and peered inside at the sight of his niece
dressed in a beautiful lavender silk gown belonging to her mother. Although his
emotions were still in turmoil after his encounter with Jane a few hours ago,
he found his lips tipping into a smile. The little girl was wearing one of
Emily’s best gowns. His sister had worn it to the last soiree at Brighton to
see the prince, who was now the king.
He swallowed a chuckle as he strode into the room. Emily
would be livid. Gabby knew no bounds. “Hello, princess.”
The little girl smiled, her blond ringlets bouncing over her
blue eyes. “Shhh.” She crooked her finger toward him. “Mama and Papa are
looking for me and Richard.” She pointed to her younger brother who was fast
asleep on the sofa.
Roderick pursed his lips, trying to keep the smile from his
eyes. How old was the boy now? Three? Four?
“You are in hiding then?” Roderick asked calmly.
“Well, yes and no.” She grabbed her cat, a skinny black and
tan feline that looked back at him with big green eyes. “Mr. Picklehammer
and I wanted to have a tea party, but Mama said it was too late and we had to
go to bed. Do you know, I like parties?” She lowered her voice into a mere
whisper. “But they think we are upstairs.”
Roderick wanted to laugh every time he heard the cat’s name.
The child had rescued the animal from a garbage pile only yesterday. “And where
is your
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