Page 25 of A Necessary Wife

Amelia winced. There wouldn’t be much to tell. “I hope only for their acceptance.”

She glanced back for Chatham, but he was no longer there. Nor was Whitfield or the children.

Jessica urged her toward the house, escorting her into a bright and sunny parlor, where tea and biscuits had already been set out by a pair of giggling older women. “Milo mentioned our father is being difficult. I am so sorry. He’s not usually such a grump.”

Amelia nodded but said nothing critical of the duke.

“I’m sure it is not you that he disapproves of,” Jessica said quickly. “It is always Milo who vexes him. I still remember the rows they used to have when he misbehaved.”

“It’s because he married a woman he does not love this time,” she said, accepting a cup of freshly poured tea.

Jessica’s eyes widened. “I hoped my brother was making a jest.”

“He will never love me,” Amelia warned her sister-in-law. “I do understand that.”

Jessica gulped. “It is difficult for me to understand how anyone could agree to such a cold arrangement. You deserve more.”

“Your father believes your brother deserves more, too. You were lucky, Mrs. Whitfield, but some of us have to compromise to get what we want in life,” Amelia murmured.

“What is it that you want?”

“A home, a family, a garden, and children. That’s all,” she answered. “I care little for the title I gained.”

Jessica reached over and squeezed her hand tightly. “Then that is what you will have, and it is Jessica, not Mrs. Whitfield, to you, sister.”

She sipped tea, and they talked of London, Jessica’s one and only season, marriage to Whitfield, and the plans for the Quigley Hill estate.

“I can’t wait for winter. The whole family comes together for two whole months. Father will grumble the whole time, but he secretly loves the fuss we all make when we are together.”

“I’m not sure of our plans for the winter.”

“Oh, but Milo said he’d be here for Xavier’s next Christmas, so you and the children will be here, too, of course.”

Amelia blinked, wondering if Chatham had made plans for the future without telling her.

“Amelia?”

She startled, realizing she’d not been paying Jessica the proper attention for several minutes. She hastily put down her cup. “Forgive me. I was woolgathering.”

“I’m told I did that a great deal during the first year of marriage to Giddy.”

“Giddy?”

“Giddy is my nickname for my husband. I was so in love with him that I hardly knew the dread of my first season was due to leaving him.”

Amelia couldn’t imagine feeling that way about anyone now, or giving her husband a nickname.

“You started without us,” Mr. Whitfield complained as he strode through the open door, leading the way for her children and husband.

Jessica only laughed. “Well, I knew what you two were doing. Plotting how to get Papa on side about Milo’s marriage.”

“Father will get used to us,” Chatham insisted.

Amelia glanced down at her hands and fiddled with the wedding ring on her finger. That remained to be seen. Her own family didn’t approve of her.

Young Xavier began to fuss, and Whitfield handed the boy over to his mother immediately.

“Isn’t he the most beautiful baby that was ever born?”