Page 70 of Her Tiger of a Duke
“Different. I liked horse riding, and sports. I was also partial to art.”
“And now you like to bake. Marriage seems to have changed you.”
“It has,” he chuckled. “Beatrice, I– I do not want you to think that I do not care for you. I do, as much as I can care for a person.”
It was nice of him to say, but Beatrice was not happy when she heard it. If this was the best that he could do, it meant that she would spend the rest of her life unfulfilled, and there was no changing that.
“Will we be arriving soon?” she asked, instead of continuing the matter.
“Indeed. I planned for them to have one of our smaller homes, and given that the weather has improved, I assume that we shall arrive within the hour.”
He was correct, and as they arrived Beatrice could not keep her eyes from the small household that they were visiting. It was what could only be described as quaint, and she loved it. It was almost like a cottage, far warmer than her manor house had been when she first arrived.
“It is lovely, is it not?” Owen asked. “It is one of my favorites.”
“I must admit, I like our home, but I envy them a great deal.”
Owen got out of the carriage and helped her down, and in spite of their disagreements Beatrice knew it was for the best that they put it all aside and enjoyed their visit.
Helena had already felt enough guilt about what had happened, and she did not want her friend to feel even worse knowing they were unhappy.
Helena answered the door without them needing to knock. She opened it with a warm smile, and Beatrice saw her rounded stomach at once. She looked away, but of course her friend had noticed.
“It appears I am further along than expected,” she explained, her smile not fading. “Come in, we have been most excited to see you.”
Beatrice embraced her friend, albeit rather warily, and looked at her surroundings. It was, indeed, a beautiful home, and perfect for the new couple and their child. She turned to Helena with a look of approval, but as she looked at her friend she faltered.
For the first time, she noticed something in Helena’s face. It was bizarre, for she had looked at her friend so many times in the past, but now there was something more…something different.
CHAPTER 28
Owen could not look at either lady in the eye.
He could not look at his wife, for every time that he did he was reminded of his failings. Beatrice did not deserve to be pushed away like he continuously did, but he did not know how else to be.
And that, he knew, was partly because of Lady Helena. He could not look at his host either, for every time he did, he remembered the worst time of his life, the very time that he was trying to run from.
“It is so nice to see you, Your Grace,” she greeted. “George is in the study, but he will be joining us promptly. He has found work, you see, and he must keep on top of it all.”
“That is excellent news,” Beatrice replied as they made their way to the drawing room. “I have been thinking of you both a lot.”
They took tea, and Owen looked around the room. It was the smallest of his properties, but also his favorite. He liked it so much because of its size, as it had been the perfect place to hide away. That was why he had offered it to his friend.
“I cannot thank you enough,” Lady Helena said softly. “It is the loveliest home, and though we hope to have our own one day–”
“It is yours as long as you need it,” he assured her. “There is no need for you to hastily find your own.”
Beatrice nodded, and Owen was pleased that his wife was not selfish about it.
“Now,” Beatrice said, her eyes flashing, “why is it that you have chosen to invite us here? Were you not supposed to marry first?”
“Well… as it transpires, George and I visited Gretna Green, and we thought we would make the most of our holiday.”
She showed her ring finger, which wore a small golden band. She seemed almost ashamed, but Beatrice embraced her tightly and congratulated her, which helped.
“Are you not furious?” she asked. “I did not invite you to the wedding.”
“All that I care about is that you are happy, and that you are protected. I am so pleased to see that you have what you wanted.”
