Page 25 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

“Robert,” Xavier said so insistently that Robert turned to look at him. His stepbrother’s deep blue eyes were searching his face intently. “I will only ask this once and only out of concern for both of you. But given that Mr. Hawkins knows your wife better than you do, is there any way that he could be…”

“No,” Robert snapped and felt disgusted that Xavier would even think it. “No,” he repeated and rose without thinking.

The entire table looked at him.

“If you will excuse me, gentlemen. I need some air,” he told them and left the room without looking at any of them.

Robert strode through the back of the house, threw open the French doors in Xavier’s office and hurried over the dark lawn toward the shrubbery in the back. He took deep gulps of air as he steadied himself.

He should have kept calm, he told himself as he walked the path and shook his trembling hands. It was not like him to lose his temper. He knew Xavier had only asked out of concern. Insanity could be well hidden, and he had only been married to Jo for two days. Logically, it was a valid point, and yet he could not control his temper. Not even when it was his stepbrother who asked.

“Robert?” Xavier called quietly from somewhere close by.

“Here,” Robert muttered after taking another deep breath to collect himself.

Xavier came toward him on the dark path.

“I am sorry, Robert. I meant nothing by it,” his brother told him in a sincere voice.

“I know,” Robert said and did not meet his eyes. “I apologize. I should not have left. I should not have let my feelings show.”

He started walking deeper into the garden and Xavier followed him.

“And what are those feelings exactly?” his stepbrother asked tentatively.

Robert felt his stomach stir.

“I… I care for her. She is… I think we are becoming friends.”

It was what he wanted. Friends who slept together as often as possible, of course.

“I hate that Mr. Hawkins almost took control over her life. I loathe the idea of what he might have done to her if he gained influence over her,” Robert continued to distract himself and Xavier from analyzing his and Jo’s relationship any deeper.

“But he did not,” Xavier said gently beside him. “You married her and he will never be able to affect her life again.”

Robert nodded as he sighed deeply. He felt both comforted and confused that he needed the comfort in the first place. This marriage – Jo herself – was much more difficult to navigate than he had initially thought. And it had only been two days. They had a lifetime in front of them. Robert sighed at the thought.

12

“Why the haste though, Duchess?” Lady Clopton asked and looked at Jo with curious eyes. The ladies of the party were gathered around them, all listening curiously as they had retired to a splendidly decorated drawing room. The room was well-lit and had fashionable furniture in dark wood and forest green wallpaper with threads of some sort that shimmered like emeralds in the flickering lights from the fireplace and numerous lamps.

“Yes, depriving us of the wedding of the century,” Lady Thistleworth chimed in with a smile.

“The decade at least, my lady. I dare say that the century is still young. But you could at least strive for it,” Lady Clopton’s eyes twinkled as she spoke. She was in her fifties, Jo believed, a robust lady with dark-gray curls covered by a bright green turban. She was nosy and forward, which was both unnerving and comforting, since there could be no question as to what the countess believed.

“Eh…” Jo said and looked at Helena for help.

She was uncertain of how much to share of the stipulations of her father’s will. She and Robert should have agreed on which story to tell beforehand; instead, Jo had spent the carriage ride here fretting over one day potentially meeting the queen.

It was evident what Lady Clopton believed to be the reason – that Jo was with child – and it was not a rumor she wanted circulating. For her own sake, but especially for Robert’s. He had rescued her, and he did not deserve anyone spreading rumors and besmirching his honor.

“My son and his bride felt there was no reason to wait. When you know, you know, don’t you?” Helena answered diplomatically and led the women to the seating area with the air of a practiced host. She was wearing a beautiful crimson dress and delicate jewelry in gold with rubies. Jo was glad that Beatrice was taking her to the milliner tomorrow. Her dress could not do the beautiful diamonds justice, and she had felt both Lady Clopton’s and Lady Thistleworth’s eyes on her dress.

“I suppose. I became betrothed to Clopton only two weeks after my debut. Poor fellow still believes he chose me of course, but I had had my sights set on him from the moment I stepped in front of the queen,” Lady Clopton said with a knowing smirk.

Jo was uncertain whether it was polite to laugh out loud, but when the other women offered varying degrees of mirth, she opted for a light chuckle as well. She had never thought of herself as sheltered before, but she could see now that she still had a lot to learn in regard to behaving in London society.

In Hampshire, Beatrice had been her only friend her age – and she had moved away six years ago. Jo observed longingly how Beatrice was talking to another young matron about their children across the room.