Page 71 of A Gentleman's Wife

Chapter Thirty-One

The marriage was safe.

Thomas could rest easy knowing there was nothing his grandfather or anyone else could do to take Marianne away from him. After traveling to James’s estate and reviewing the marriage contract, which included signatures from her father and his grandfather, it had been confirmed by both the lawyer and the solicitor that the only people who could apply for annulment, or divorcement for that matter, were the man and wife themselves, should they wish to pursue such options. Even if the Taylor’s or his grandfather took the marriage contract to court, only Thomas or Marianne would have the final say. Thankfully, Thomas would never seek out such a thing for himself, and he didn’t think Marianne would either. From the way she’d responded to his kiss and the look in her eyes since their evening together, he was confident she returned his feelings. Now he just needed to go home and confirm it all.

Rain pounded on the roof of the carriage, which at times tipped to the side due to holes in the road, but it didn’t matter. Every second, he was closer to home, closer to his wife. He longed to hold her again, kiss her lips, hear her voice. The last few days had been long and stressful, but knowing she would be there when he returned was worth the wait.

The carriage pulled up to the front of Primrose House, and a footman held out an umbrella for him. Thomas hurried to the house and shook the rain from his arms, before looking around the foyer. “Marianne!”

But instead of his wife, Collins appeared.

“Welcome back, sir,” he said. “Was it a success?”

“It was. There is nothing to fear where our contract is concerned.”

“And thank heaven for it. Though I’m afraid you return to not the best of news.”

Thomas blinked, his chest constricting. He looked around the foyer, noticing his wife still had not arrived. “Where is Marianne?”

“She’s gone missing, sir.”

“Missing?” Thomas breathed, his heart sinking into his stomach.

“Her parents arrived today, insisting that your grandfather disapproved of her and would insist on an annulment, so they had come to take her away. She refused, but now she’s nowhere to be found.”

Thomas’s head spun with all the information. Her parents? And his grandfather? He eventually shook his head, pressing his hands to his temples. “I may never speak to that man again, Collins.”

“I would not blame you, sir.”

The front doors burst open again, one of the stablemasters soaking from head to toe.

“The mare, Lavender, is missing, sir. Gone from the stables.”

Thomas glared out the front door at the onslaught of rain. “She couldn’t have gone out in that,” he whispered to himself. Where would she go? Or had they managed to take her against her will?

“I have to go find her.” Thomas put his coat back on, trying to think quickly. He’d come from the north, visiting Wynnwood Park in Berkshire, but hadn’t seen any others on the road. Perhaps she’d taken the path east, headed for London.

Summoning the driver again, they headed out into the rain, Thomas keeping a trained eye out each carriage window. His heart pounded with fear, hoping she was all right, praying he could find her and bring her back. He would do whatever it took to explain, even beg. Anything to not lose her.

After nearly an hour of searching, the driver finally called out, “There’s the horse!” and the carriage pulled to a stop. Without waiting for an umbrella, Thomas burst through the door, barreling out into the rain. The horse was walking nervously under a tree, so the driver hopped off the carriage seat and walked carefully toward her in order to catch her untied reins.

“Marianne!” Thomas shouted over the storm, for he didn’t see any sign of her.

“I’m here,” she called, appearing around the back of the tree, hiding from the rain beneath the wide-reaching branches.

He was at her side in an instant. “Are you all right?” he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders and examining her face. “Did you have a fit? Are you hurt?”

“No. My arm cramped in the rain, so I stopped the horse and lowered myself down to wait out the storm under the tree.”

“Thank heaven,” he breathed before pulling her close to him. He pushed her bonnet back and rested his lips on her head, closing his eyes to relish the reality of her in his arms. She rested one arm at his waist, but she did not return his embrace, which made his satisfaction incomplete.

He pulled back and looked down at her forlorn face, her tired eyes. Something was still wrong.

“Collins mentioned your parents, and I thought maybe they…”

Marianne shook her head. “No. I refused them, and they left.”

Thomas swallowed. “Very well. Then would you mind enlightening me and explain what the hell it is you’re doing?” He said it gently with a smile, but she did not return it. She shuffled her feet and looked down.

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