Page 109 of The Earl's Bluestocking Bride
“Because some of the things we need to talk about aren’t meant for delicate ears,” he said.
Kate looked between the two of them. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Andrew sighed. “Just that there is a reason this rumor has spread now. You don’t need to trouble yourself with the details, but Mother has experience that might be useful, and her ears are not as innocent as yours.”
Kate pouted. “Mother, can’t I stay? I’m old enough. I’ll be out next season.”
Lady Drake pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m afraid your brother is right. He and I have things to discuss that are best said in private. We will let you know what we decide to do as soon as possible. You don’t need to worry about being left out.”
“Fine,” Kate huffed. “You had better be telling the truth.” She stood and, reluctantly, walked out of the room.
Lady Drake handed Andrew a cup of tea. “Here you go,” she said. “I added plenty of sugar. I know you like it sweet.”
“Thank you.” He took the cup from her, blew across the surface of the tea, and raised it to his lips to sip. “Just how I like it.”
“Tell me more about what happened with Miss Giles,” Lady Drake said. “You gave me the general details, but I want to understand exactly why she feels like she needs to punish you.”
So Andrew explained how he had ended his arrangement with Florence when he received news of the change in his financial situation. He told his mother how she’d hoped their relationship would resume after he married Amelia and how he’d disappointed her by turning her down.
When he was done, his mother studied him over the rim of her teacup, thoughts whirling behind her eyes.
“I can see Miss Giles’s point of view,” she said. “Her pride has been injured. But it was wrong of her to do something that hurts other people just because she has been hurt herself. After all, it isn’t as if you meant to upset or offendher. You had a financial arrangement that you could no longer continue. She made it personal.”
“It can be difficult not to take things personally, considering the kind of relationship we had,” Andrew admitted. “But I won’t tolerate her disrespecting Amelia. Amelia is innocent. She doesn’t deserve this.”
The corners of Lady Drake’s eyes crinkled as she smiled. “You’re rather fond of that woman, aren’t you?”
“I am.” He wasn’t embarrassed by it. “So, back to the matter at hand. What do you suggest we do to combat the damage that’s been done to our family’s reputation?”
Lady Drake leaned back against the chaise and pursed her lips in thought. “We are already planning a ball, so I say we throw the biggest, most elaborate ball we possibly can in order to show the world that we aren’t hiding. We aren’t ashamed. And once we’ve done that, we retreat to the country house for Christmas.”
He frowned. “But that would be cutting our time in London short.”
“I know.” She tapped her chin. “But if we throw our ball and then leave, we leave on our own terms. The ton will remember our ball and not whatever comes after. Because we can be certain that we will be a hot topic of discussion among the ton as soon as the ball is over. It’s best to be gone for that.”
He agreed, but he also wasn’t sure that fleeing to the country would solve anything.
Apparently seeing his uncertainty, Lady Drake added, “I don’t know about you, but I’d rather whisk Amelia away from here before she has to deal with a second round of gossip.”
She had a good point. He didn’t want Amelia to suffer more than she already had.
“Are you sure they won’t say we are running?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I’m sure some will. But if we depart withflair, then hopefully that’s what they’ll remember next season. There will be a new scandal before we return to London, which will dim their memories where we’re concerned. Perhaps another duke will marry his former fiancée’s twin.”
Andrew laughed. “Wouldn’t that be nice? But do we even have any more twins among the ton?”
“I doubt it, but I digress. All we need to do is make it through the season with our heads held high, and then we can recuperate in the country where no further gossip can upset your wife. Don’t forget, there is a possibility she is with child, isn’t there?”
Andrew startled. There was. Why had it not occurred to him that Amelia could be carrying his child at this very moment?
He’d thought about the possible birth of his heir in the abstract, but it had never quite struck him that his son or daughter could be developing even now. He and Amelia had certainly had enough sex for that to be true.
“Has Amelia said anything to you?” he asked, wondering if she’d given his mother any indication she might be pregnant.
Lady Drake shook her head. “I’m sure that when she knows, you’ll be the first one she tells. But she’s new to this, so she may not know what symptoms to watch out for.”
And she was out there on her own, without his protection.
