Page 36 of The Quiet Wife
“How does he intend to do that?” Lizzie asked with a puzzled look.
“Well…” Frances wasn’t sure herself. “It involves… cabinetry.”
Lizzie raised her eyebrows and appeared to be trying not to smile. “Cabinetry?”
“Cabinetry,” Frances’s own lips twitched. “And the centrepiece will be one of Jemie’s pictures. I don’t know if he’s decided which one yet, but it will be one of them.”
Lizzie bit her lower lip. “I’ll wager it won’t be your portrait!”
She looked at her sister and they both burst into peals of laughter.
***
For once, Frances was alone in the breakfast parlour the next morning. She poured tea and applied a liberal coat of butter and gooseberry jam to a piece of toast before biting into it with a satisfied sigh.
As she ate, her thoughts turned to Jemie.
She hadn’t seen him since his impassioned speech about her portrait a few days earlier. She was glad of it. She needed some time to gather her composure and her wits.
No-one had ever spoken to her like that. Not Frederick nor any of the passing beaus that had drifted her way over the years. Nobody had been so… so… terrifyingly observant. She had never seen herself that way, but his words touched something deep inside her and,frankly, it terrified her. How was she supposed to carry on as normal knowing he saw her in that way?
Perhaps he was as surprised by his outburst as she was because ever since, he’d been curiously absent which was unusual.
She put down the teapot, propped her elbow on the table, and sank her chin into her hand.
It was all a bit much.
She was still deep in thought in the same pose when the door opened, and her husband walked in. She sat up immediately, straightened her shoulders, offered him a warm smile, and then groaned inwardly as she thought again of Jemie’s words about how she had to change when he was around. Would she ever be able to be herself? Say what she thought instead of having to constantly placate her husband?
He frowned. “Is something amiss?”
She swallowed and wanted to say something like – you savagely attacked our son; you belittle me at every opportunity; you bought a house without telling me, but no, nothing is amiss.
Instead, she pushed Jemie’s voice away with the sad realisation that no good would come of it if she attempted to stand up for herself.
“Nothing at all, my dear. What can I do for you?”
“I came to see if you would like to…” Frederick cleared his throat. “To see the new house.”
Frances’ eyebrows raised almost to her hair. She was sure of it. As olive branches went, it was poor, but from a position of telling her that her opinion was utterly worthless to inviting her to see the house, she could see how his offer would make him feel magnanimous.
“That’s very kind of you. Would you wait a moment whilst I fetch my coat?”
He grunted, not happy to be delayed. Frances dabbed her lips, put her napkin down, and went to dress for the excursion.
Frederick met her in the hallway when she arrived in her newest dolman in a fetching shade of spring green with matching bonnet. It had a fine feather trim, with which she was quite taken. She pulled on her gloves and set her reticule on her arm.
He handed her into the carriage even though the new house was but a few streets away. He sat opposite her and looked out of the window.
Frances watched the view of the beautiful, white town houses from the other window, the immaculately dressed people walking along the pathways, and craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the French Embassy.
They drove up Exhibition Road, and the carriage pulled up by the house at Prince’s Gate. Frederick handed her down and stood beside her, gazing up at the house nestled among the others that looked suspiciously like the one at Queen’s Gate that they already owned.
“It’s one of the largest in the development,” he boasted with a look of extreme satisfaction. “I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
The white stone, caught as it was in the sunshine, seemed to glow. “It’s lovely.”
He almost set off up the steps, leaving her to follow, but he bethought himself and gestured for her to lead. Frances offered a gracious incline of her head and stepped up to the door, which immediately opened wide.
