Page 33 of Vanquished By A Viscount
“No, no, not like that,” Robert said, half exasperated, half alarmed. “We were discussing the failures of the day.”
“Failures that are not in any way my fault,” Barbara hurled at him, “but which I am certain you hold me accountable for.”
“Barbara, as I have said numerous times, I do not hold you accountable for the rain,” Robert said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But you must admit, rushing out of the dining room before supper was concluded was?—”
“A necessary action to preserve my dignity,” Barbara interrupted, bursting into tears once more. “You humiliated me in front of my guests.”
“And you did not humiliate me in turn?” Robert demanded.
“Please, please,” Gray said, stepping to the side and holding his arms out, as if he were keeping two street urchins at bay. “Clearly, emotions are high. None of us will sleep until these matters are resolved.”
“Agreed,” Charlie said. Gray was surprised enough by the bastard’s agreement that he turned to face Charlie with wide eyes. But there was no time for whatever feud remained between the two of them, so Charlie went straight on with, “Barbara, are you certain you are not just overly tired and sensitive?”
“So you do not believe I have been wronged as well?” Barbara squeaked, pulling slightly away from Charlie.
“Not at all,” Charlie said, somehow managing to keep his voice calm and even. “But we both suffer from that unfortunatetendency to make things bigger than they are when we have not slept well.”
A smile twitched at the corner of Gray’s mouth. Charlie was clever indeed to reflect what was very likely the cause of Barbara’s upset back upon himself so that his sister did not feel singled out.
Barbara’s shoulders dropped, but her tears increased. “I do not want to do this any longer, Charlie,” she wept. “This is not what I expected of married life. I no longer wish to be anyone’s wife.”
Robert sucked in a breath. Even Gray was alarmed by the statement.
“Well, now, sweet,” Charlie said, still managing to sound calm and steady, “you know that it is too late for that.”
Barbara wailed and twisted to throw herself against her brother once more.
Gray had never felt so awkward in his life. Between inadvertently ending up in the middle of his brother’s marital dispute and being caught nearly in the act with a lover he should not have been dallying with in the first place, the entire situation felt as charged as the sky before a lightning storm.
“Have I married a child instead of a woman?” Robert complained, making matters worse. “How am I meant to tolerate this sort of behavior?”
“Robert, really,” Gray scolded him in a whisper. “You are not making this easier for her.”
“I have done nothing other than pointing out the obvious,” Robert sighed.
“Take me away from here, Charlie,” Barbara continued to cry. “Take me back to Downham Manor.”
“Darling, I cannot do that,” Charlie said. He kissed his sister’s forehead, then glanced pleadingly up at Gray.
Gray shoved a hand through his hair, feeling the weight of responsibility lashing at him.
And then an idea struck him.
“Clearly, Barbara cannot leave Hawthorne House,” he said, “but could she not find a night or two of respite in the gamekeeper’s cottage? It has been empty these last six months, since Maxwell took that position at Swanmore Glen?”
Barbara and Charlie both glanced hopefully at Robert.
For a moment, Robert looked as though he wanted to argue. He stared at Gray for a moment, then at Barbara, before meeting Gray’s eyes once more. Gray silently pleaded with him not to be a stubborn arse and to give Barbara the benefit of the doubt.
Finally, Robert sighed, his shoulders dropping, and said, “Perhaps that would be best. I believe we could all do with a few nights of peace to calm our spirits.”
Gray wanted to shout in triumph. Finally, some sense in the madness that surrounded them all.
“Barbara, do you agree?” he asked.
Barbara sniffed, hiccupped, and wiped her streaming eyes and runny nose on Charlie’s shirtsleeve before nodding. “I agree. I happen to know that the cottage is in order and the linens are clean because Winifred, Patience, Suzanne, Cary, and I took our tea there three days ago so that we could discuss—well, never mind.”
Gray was grateful for the private nature of close friends with gossip to discuss. “Very well, then. Why do you not have Charlie escort you there at once and Robert will send your maid with clothing and other things shortly.”
