Page 54 of A Necessary Wife

But they could not be a family if Chatham ran away over a ridiculous misunderstanding he’d created. It wasn’t as if she had any means to chase after him, either, and she would not do that, even if she could. She did have some pride. Yet, right now, she was smarting and lashing out at the only people around.

The duchess excused herself and headed back to the manor, leaving her alone with the duke, who would only blame her for his son’s disappearance. Yet what else was she to do but wait here for Chatham to realize his mistake and come back?

If he ever did.

Her cheeks grew warm when she realized he might not. The party guests could lap up her humiliation and the scandal with their hot chocolate over this morning’s paper, when the servants whispered of it.

“I’d like to be alone.”

“I think not,” the duke replied. “Come back to the manor and to the duchess, now.”

She could not refuse the duke—but she wanted to, very much.

The duke marched her back to the residence at a brisk pace, hand under her elbow. He was silent for a while…but then he cleared his throat. “I… I would like to explain my reaction to your marriage to my son better.”

She shook her head. “There is no need to explain, Your Grace. It is understandable that you would be upset your son chose so poorly.”

“I never expected him to ever wed a second time of his own free will. My son was grievously wounded by his first wife’s betrayal. When he expressed disinterest in making a second marriage, we argued about it. But in the end, I admit I was relieved that he would be spared further pain. He needed time to forget that it all went so terribly wrong before he returned to the marriage mart.”

“And then he married me. A virtual stranger without any courtship.”

“But you are not quite the stranger I first believed you to be, are you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You understand my son better than most.”

She sighed. The duke was fishing for information and she couldn’t see any reason not to answer his questions. “He was my brother’s friend for a long time. We have met, dined together, and even spoke during my one and only season. But that was before he met her.”

“And married her so quickly,” the duke finished.

“Yes.”

“Forgive me for being indelicate…but had there been anything between you then?”

She looked at the duke with complete astonishment at the question. “Your son was good company, pleasant and charming. But there was never any hint of romance between us at any time. There was no ‘us’ then. Nor is there now, it seems. We were simply…near each other. His first wife had, and still has, his complete attention.”

“And she had the attention of many others, too,” Stapleton replied darkly.

“I’m sorry for that. No one in love should be so betrayed.”

“But you were betrayed, too,” he said.

“Yes. That was why he chose me, and why I accepted. We both knew what it felt like to not be enough.”

“Do you still regret the loss of your beau?”

“No, I don’t. He was everything a beau was supposed to be. Charming, and attentive. He flattered me but I was not the only recipient of his false praise,” she confided. “He was not a good man in the end and I am glad to be spared his company now.”

The duke walked on a few more steps in silence, pondering what she’d just confessed. Then he said, “Marriage takes work. Do not give up on my son so easily. And do not make excuses for him, either.”

“I cannot give up on someone who has already given up on me, can I?”

“I’m sure he’ll be back.”

She shrugged. “For his children, at least.”

“For more than that,” the duke told her. “He only gets upset like this when his emotions are involved.”