Page 22 of A Necessary Wife

Lady Phillipa Ashcroft was a friend’s widow, tall, slender like Amelia, but nothing about her would entice him to have proposed. There was a cool calculation in her gaze as their eyes met and he wondered how long she’d been listening at the door.

He bowed stiffly, stifling a curse. “Welcome to Stapleton, Lady Ashcroft.”

Phillipa came forward, blushing prettily. “It is a pleasure to be here again, but I did not expect to see you at all, Milo.”

He knew that was a lie.

Phillipa’s stock in trade was the act of innocence. She gossiped and schemed as badly as everyone else he knew in society. The only reason they were on speaking terms was out of respect for her late husband, whose loss had been a shock to both of them.

They had been partnered together for various dinners and such since, and while many expected a match to be made, the woman was cut from the same cloth as Milo’s first wife. But she hid that side of her nature better than his first wife had so father unfortunately remained oblivious.

“I’m afraid I must excuse myself,” he murmured.

He inclined his head to the duchess and headed out the terrace door in search of his wife and children. The rest of the family had better be kinder about the marriage and more considerate of Amelia’s feelings when they finally met her. Otherwise, their stay would be a damn sight shorter than usual, and perhaps his last visit for a good long while.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Amelia was glad for any excuse to escape Stapleton Manor and the glowering duke, who clearly disapproved of her marrying his heir. She had expected the family to be prickly about their quick and private wedding ceremony, but not so incensed about the absence of love between them as to speak so bluntly about it.

So many women in their society made similar matches, often for money and power alone. Amelia did not believe her decision to wed, to have children was all that shocking, really.

But things were different here, it seemed, and Amelia was not sure what she could do about ever winning the duke’s approval.

Stapleton seemed intent on placing blame on her shoulders for the decision his son had made.

Chatham joined her, out of breath and his face red, but he threaded her arm through his own and smiled. He dismissed the servants, silently urged her and the children away from the manor, and she was glad when he said nothing immediately. She was at a loss for the right words, and she would prefer the children not know of their problems. They danced ahead of them, ignorant of the turmoil gripping her heart.

Finally, Chatham sent them off to look for the pond frogs, promising to catch up soon.

“Your father is vexed about us,” she whispered, as soon as they were out of earshot. “You should have warned me.”

“I’m sorry. I’d hoped he would have calmed down overnight. Papa has always believed love should be the primary reason anyone chooses to wed. He never once stood in the way of our choices, even when there was room for doubt with some of them. Father married for love both times, you see. I really thought the duchess’ acceptance would sway him toward a more open mind.”

She looked at her husband, curious about his first marriage. “Did he approve of your choice? Your first wife.”

“Yes. Because he could see I adored her,” Milo admitted.

Amelia faced forward, considering the future. She could not and would not compete with a ghost for the duke’s favor, but nor could she step aside now. She really would be ruined this time if their marriage was annulled, as the duke had hinted it should be. “I must be a great disappointment to him.”

“There’s no reason for him to be difficult about you or about our marriage. We have been honest about our reasons for it, while my first wife entered the marriage with an ulterior motive.”

The last thing Amelia wanted was to hear about his first wife’s betrayal, but curiosity stirred. “It was a difficult time for you.”

“I loved her, but she…” He sighed. “All she wanted was to become a duchess. The jewels. The riches that came with a title. My father’s affection for her soured considerably once he discovered how badly she wanted him out of her way.”

Amelia gaped in shock at the news. “How did she give herself away?”

“Gossiping about Papa, at first, delaying going home so she could act as his hostess, arranging parties for her friends here without his permission. Bestowing false affection on him just to discover his secrets. She desperately wanted to live here, so much so that she was hardly ever in Devon. She even started to plan a grand redecoration of the manor and grounds behind my back, even consult an architect.”

Amelia glanced around them. “I would not change a thing here. At least the duke can rest easy on that score. I’ve no desire to stay at Stapleton Manor longer than necessary. I am glad that we will be on our way to Devon tomorrow.”

Chatham cleared his throat. “About that. We must extend our stay.”

She stopped abruptly, shocked by his decision. “Why would you want to stay? The duke can barely look at me without scowling.”

“I want to give him time to get to know you, and you him, and to change his mind about our marriage.”

“How much time?”