Page 38 of A Necessary Wife

“Well, yes,” Milo admitted. That was what he’d done fairly often—until he’d reconsidered marriage and noticed Amelia’s potential.

“I promised my wife a home, and I failed her while she lived. Now, I intend to put my time and knowledge to practical use. Use the skills I possess to build the things that I need for my sons.”

“What you need to do is come back to the manor and explain this decision of yours to Father. He is worried.”

“Father should worry about you more.” Samuel was suddenly right next to him. “You are the one who married without love,” he hissed. “But I know you better than anyone, brother. You swore never to make another rash decision based on emotions but it seems you have.” He glanced toward Amelia. “But it’s her I feel most sorry for. She doesn’t know what you did, does she?”

Milo froze. There were some things in his past that Amelia didn’t need to hear about. Especially the drunken confessions of an event that Samuel had been privy to.

He glared at his brother to silence him. “You hold your tongue.”

Samuel scowled.

Milo glanced toward Amelia, but she was leaning down to hear Adam.

“Yes, dear,” Amelia said, patting his back. “It is almost time to go back to the manor to get you something to eat.”

Milo exhaled in relief that his wife had been preoccupied just then.

She glanced his way and smiled. “Chatham, the children wish to return to the manor.”

“Of course,” he said. “You go ahead and I’ll catch up in a moment.”

He wanted a few words in private with his brother first.

Amelia and Adam turned away. “Come along, my dears.”

Milo let out a relieved breath as Lucy rushed after them a moment later, calling for Adam to wait for her.

Milo held his tongue until they were all far enough away not to hear him speak. “Come back or don’t. But if you’re going to stir up trouble for me, stay the hell out here in the woods for all I care.”

“For God’s sake, Milo. You can’t go on like this.”

“Go on like what?”

“Pretending you were always a loving husband,” Samuel warned.

Milo stiffened. “I did my best, just as you did.”

“My conscience is clear, unlike yours,” Samuel said. “You hated her by the end. You talked to me about divorce. Then your wife conveniently fell to her death, and no one else saw how it happened but you,” Samuel noted, one brow raised. “What am I supposed to think?”

“It was an accident,” Milo swore, but he broke out into a sweat just the same.

Samuel pressed his lips together a moment then shook his head. “She’s prettier than I remembered. You always did prefer blondes.”

“Her looks are not why I married her.”

“Are you sure? You chose your first wife based on looks alone. She was lively and popular and pretty, had the dowry you wanted, and she made your head spin with the impossible dream.”

Amelia hadn’t done that for him. But it was true—for his first wife, he had made a great many rash decisions where she was concerned. He had not done so with Amelia. “I was in love then,” Milo said firmly.

“But not this time? For some, attraction alone isn’t enough to make a marriage work. Be careful, she could look for affection elsewhere. If I hadn’t seen you two together, I would have laughed at the idea of you marrying again.”

“What difference does it make, seeing us together?”

“I saw that possessive, suspicious gleam in your eye when I said we spent a night together. You hang on her every word.”

Milo scoffed. “Her words are new to my ears, that’s all. We have only just begun to get to know each other. Yesterday, we argued. Brother, this will never be like my first marriage.”