Page 35 of The Marriage Debt
The kiss was a firm but chaste pressure on both cheeks and Katherine found herself smiling up at him gratefully as he held her at arms’ length to study her. In the same way as Theo had made her feel safe in Newgate this young man, so like him, was making her feel less unsure in this equally frightening place.
‘Theo always had the best of good taste. Welcome to our home. I hope–’
The voice that cut across Robert’s was calm, beautifully modulated and reduced the small crowd to immediate silence. ‘Heron, it appears that I have received visitors of whom I wasunaware. How could that be, I wonder?’
‘Your Grace, I was just coming to announce them.’ Katherine saw the stain of colour on the butler’s cheeks and turned to regard the newcomer from under level brows. It did not take Heron’s words to tell her who was standing in the open doorway regarding the scene, a book in one hand. She had imagined her new father-in-law as Theo in forty years’ time and had not been mistaken. But this was not the patriarchal farmer she had imagined.
Theo himself had gone quite still, except to reach out a hand and take hers. She squeezed his fingers briefly and drew her hand away. She needed all her wits for this encounter and the touch of Theo’s warmth was more a distraction than anything.
Robert appeared immune to the prevailing atmosphere. ‘It is not visitors, Father, it is Theo, safe and sound.’
Around them servants were melting away, leaving only Heron and Jenny standing behind Katherine.
‘We will retire to the library. Heron, some refreshments if you please.’ The duke turned on his heel and re-entered the room behind him leaving Katherine with an impression of immaculate and fashionable tailoring and an air of precise elegance.
‘Kat,’ Theo began, ‘I will explain later.’
Katherine regarded him levelly. ‘You certainly will,’ she said with feeling, then put up her chin and concentrated on making her entrance through the door, which Robert was holding for her, with as much poise as she could conjure up.
She found herself standing directly in front of the duke who regarded her with no sign of emotion. ‘Good day, madam. You are welcome. No doubt one of my sons will have the courtesy to introduce you presently.’
‘Sir, I have the honour to present to you my wife Katherine.’ Theo addressed his father for the first time and, to her lasting admiration, managed to sound both unapologetic and perfectlypolite.
‘Your Grace.’ Katherine dropped her very best curtsey and rose to meet the older man’s eyes calmly. It appeared that she had met with some approval, for he bowed slightly in acknowledgment and stepped forward to take her hand. To her amazement he kissed her cheek, a chilly touch, but still more than she had expected.
‘Then I must welcome you both to the family and to this house,’ he said gravely. ‘Am I to thank you for my son’s return?’
‘Thank you, Your Grace. I understand that Theo was already planning to return before we met.’ She should say something about the status of their marriage, she knew it, but a cowardly reluctance dragged at her tongue.
‘Please sit, Katherine. Have you had a long journey?’
‘Your Grace, you are most kind.’ No, she could not sit, could not be accepted by this terrifying old man under false pretences. ‘But I must tell you that you should not be welcoming me to your family.’ Beside her she heard a sharp hiss of indrawn breath from Theo and hurried on. ‘I married your son because he was gallant enough to do so to save me from very difficult circumstances. We intend to seek an annulment at the earliest opportunity.’
‘Indeed?’ The dark brows, so in contrast to the steel-grey hair, rose in exquisitely controlled surprise. ‘Am I to understand that my son is unable to perform his marital duties?’
Chapter Thirteen
Katherine felt the hot blood rise in her cheeks and bit the inside of her lip. She wasnotgoing to be cowed by this terrifying old man.
‘Sir!’ At least she now knew what it took to break Theo’s control.
Her blushes under control, Katherine shot him a quelling look and sank into the chair the duke had offered her, glad of the moment’s distraction to recover her poise. ‘I have no information on that subject, Your Grace,’ she replied icily. ‘From the beginning this has been a marriage of convenience and one intended to be of short duration.Veryshort. You will, doubtless, wish to know with whom Theo has made this temporary contract. My name is Katherine Cunningham. My late father was Philip Cunningham of Ware, in Hertfordshire.’
‘I see. My son appears to have exercised a surprising degree of good judgement in his choice, however temporary. You are naturally most welcome to remain here for as long as it is convenient to you to do so, Katherine.’ He appeared as unsurprised by the news of the annulment as he was by that of the marriage. Katherine began to realise where Theo had learned his formidable self-mastery.
The duke swung round to study his elder son. The sight did not appear to afford him any great pleasure. ‘So, Theo, you have decided to return after – what is it? – six years?’
‘You dismissed me. Sir.’ Released from the duke’s steely regard Katherine watched Theo. Under the circumstances he was maintaining an admirable composure. It was news to her that he had been dismissed by his father, the impression she had received was that he had walked away after a disagreement. Her anger with him at having concealed his true identity began towane and in its place returned the unwelcome, uncomfortable, tug of love at her heartstrings. It must be so hard, so very hard, to come back to such a cold reception.
‘So I did. How amazing that for once you chose the path of obedience.’ The duke took the chair opposite Katherine and studied his sons. ‘Robert, stop hovering and sit.’
Robert did so and, to Katherine’s surprise, Theo followed suit so that the four of them formed a circle. It was far from a cosy conversational group.
‘Now, let me see, whydidI tell you to remove yourself?’ the duke mused. ‘Ah yes, the final straw, that highly unsuitable woman.’
Katherine looked at Theo. He stared back haughtily at his father and she was suddenly put in mind of two stags she had once seen in Richmond Park. The old stag, his head heavy with antlers, his muzzle white; the younger, with a less impressive spread but all the stature and arrogance of powerful youth and the pair of them at a stand, eyeing each other for advantage.
‘You made little allowance for young love,’ Theo said eventually, his tone light, and the older man laughed shortly, a harsh note of grudging acknowledgment.
