Page 48 of A Bride for the Rakish Duke

“Where is Lydia today?” William asked, opening the door wider.

He had not seen his wife at breakfast and had assumed she was simply trying to perpetuate the aloof part of her temptress act, so he had gone about his day as usual.

The dining room was too bright, the mid-afternoon sunlight glaring off the starched white tablecloth. A few flower-filled vases and decorations adorned the table at random, hiding the stains beneath, for there was no money to buy new cloths. Not yet, anyway.

Anthony looked up from the papers, his luncheon half-eaten in front of him. “What do you mean?”

“It is not so difficult a question, is it?” William wandered over and stole an apple slice from his brother’s plate.

Anthony frowned and set the papers down. “She has gone, Brother.”

“Excuse me?” William stopped chewing, staring at Anthony. His heart seemed to stop too.

“She said you had instructed her to go on to Bruxton Hall ahead of you—that you would meet her there,” Anthony replied, his voice suddenly anxious. “You did not, did you? Oh goodness, I should have known you would not have permitted such a thing, but she was so convincing!”

A sharp curse escaped William’s lips. “Yes, you should have known.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, bracing the other against the back of Anthony’s chair. “Was she accompanied, at least?”

This cannot be happening.

It was all too reminiscent of bygone days he had tried to forget, yet, in that instant, it was like history repeating itself. A shudder ran through his chest.

“Her sister came for her,” Anthony replied. “Her brother-in-law too.”

William nodded, clawing back his air of unbothered calm. “Well, that is something, at least.” He paused. “Indeed, it is understandable that she would want to spend some time with her sister and her friends before I arrive. I have too much to attend to here in London. Now, I shall be able to attend to everything without distractions. Why, I should say she has done me a favor.”

He could not let his brother see how truly disturbed he was, nor how hard he was fighting to maintain an even temper.

“Are you quite all right, Brother?” An amused smile played on Anthony’s lips. “You appear to be trying to convince yourself that you do not mind a jot, though you are not convincing me.”

William sniffed. “I do not mind in the slightest. I told her she could do as she pleased, and she is in good company with the Duke and Duchess of Bruxton, as well as her sister and her sister’s husband. Why should it concern me?”

“I do not know—that is what I am hoping you will tell me,” Anthony replied. “Whyisit concerning you?”

William had a faint inkling of why it was so concerning to him, but he would not admit it to Anthony. If he did, he would be confirming what his brother had said the previous day—that he was afraid his wife would turn out to be like his mother. Andhe would not allow anyone—or himself—to believe that he was afraid of anything.

So, he rolled his eyes instead. “You are far too fanciful, Anthony, and I have a mountain of correspondence to get through. If you will excuse me.”

He stole another apple slice from Anthony’s plate and headed out of the dining room, chewing with a vengeance. It was one thing for her to be defiant at Stonebridge or the townhouse, it was quite another for her to let her defiance take her out of his sight.

This is what you wanted…

Lydia’s words came back to haunt him as he marched down the hallway to his study and slammed the door shut behind him.

“I cannot walk in this gown,” Lydia whispered to her sister, who held tightly to her arm as they descended the stairs of Bruxton Hall. “I am going to trip and fall on my face.”

Emma laughed. “I have you. You will not fall.”

Lydia jolted as if she had trodden on a pin, for those were the exact words that Will had said to her when he had ushered her into that glorious waltz. Yet, she doubted he would want to waltz with her that evening, even if it were to be permitted.

“Do you think he will be angry with me?” she asked, chewing on her lower lip.

Emma frowned. “Your husband?”

Lydia nodded.

“It is not unusual for a wife to journey ahead of her husband, especially if there is a gathering at a friend’s residence,” Emma replied gently. “Silas does not want me to venture anywhere alone, but that is understandable, considering what happened to him. Still, he is an exception. Joanna and Nancyalwaysarrive ahead of their husbands, and no one is ever angry.”

It was easy to forget that things had not always been rosy for Emma and Silas. Dire events had brought the couple closer together but had undoubtedly left scars that were not yet entirely healed. Indeed, due to that recent, unpleasant history, Silas was likely more protective of his wife than most.

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