Page 23 of The Marriage Debt
‘My father, and my brother perhaps, although Robert would forgive me anything I sometimes think.’
‘And where do they live?’
‘Northumberland.’
Katherine stared at him. Northumberland. That was almost Scotland. ‘What will they say when you come home with a wife who isn’t a wife and a debt of such proportions?’
‘Robert will adore you. My father will be not in the leastsurprised at whatever I do. He and I have never seen eye to eye.’
‘Is that why you left all that time ago?’
‘Yes,’ he said shortly. She waited, but he did not add anything.
What to do? Travel hundreds of miles to a family she did not know who would have every reason to resent her and the debt she brought with her? They would be happy to know she had helped Theo escape death, but the thought that this might somehow cancel out the debt she had saddled him with, or the fact he had married without his father’s blessing or approval, was not one that sat comfortably with her. A life was not a commodity to be bought and sold.
‘Very well, on one condition.’ He raised an eyebrow and she added hastily, ‘I know, I should not be making conditions when you are trying to help me, but you must promise me that we will have this marriage annulled as soon as possible.’
The quizzical eyebrow stayed up. ‘Very well, if you still wish for an annulment by the time we have been in Northumberland for one month, then you shall have it. Or, at least, start the process.’
‘One month?’ Katherine regarded him, suspicious. ‘Why one month?’
‘To allow the charms of my family to grow upon you, perhaps.’ He smiled and her heart did a little flip. ‘Well?’
‘Yes, I agree. I suppose it will take that long to arrange an annulment anyway, don’t you think?’
‘I should imagine so. It is not something I have any experience of.’ His voice was sounding painfully hoarse again and Katherine poured brandy from the decanter which always stood on the end of Philip’s desk.
‘Try sipping this. I wonder if drinking it hot with lemon would be soothing.’
‘This will be fine.’ He broke off to cough, then drank some more. ‘Now, we must plan for the trip.’
‘No, you must stop talking and rest. I will plan and you can nod or shake your head.’
With a flash of white teeth he sank obediently into an armchair and sat watching her with such an expression of meek obedience that she laughed. ‘Oh for goodness sake, stop looking like that. I know perfectly well that you only do what I ask when it suits you.’
‘I am enjoying being ordered about,’ Theo rasped, his grin broadening. ‘Are you always so managing?’
‘Yes,’ Katherine said, somewhat shortly.
‘Do you enjoy it?’ He steepled his fingers and regarded her over the joined fingertips. It made it hard to read his expression, but it drew her attention forcibly to how beautiful his hands were. Hastily she dropped her gaze to the desk and turned over the piece of paper she had been using for her sums.
‘Not particularly, but I found I had no choice.’ It sounded abrupt but she did not want to explain any more about the chaos her life would have been if she had not taken charge of the household.
‘Then you shall manage me, Kat, and I will look after you,’ Theo said amiably. ‘You make your lists for the journey and I will add anything that occurs to me.’
Half an hour later they had a plan. ‘So, tomorrow I pay off all the tradesmen’s debts and Jenny and I will pack. John will check over the carriage and harness and the horses and you will rest.’
‘I will buy some linen,’ Theo interjected. ‘Or John and I between us will run through his stock of shirts within days.’
‘Very well, but you need not purchase neck cloths, Philip has left some. Then we set out on Friday and go by easy stages to rest the horses. How long do you think it will take us?’
‘It depends on the horses, but a week at least. We are going to have to balance the cost of rooms and food against the risk of pushing them too hard.’
‘And John. It is a long way to drive.’
Theo got to his feet and stretched. ‘Aah. It is so good to be able to do that.’ He rolled his shoulders luxuriously. ‘John and I can share the driving.’
‘No, you cannot.’ Katherine got to her feet too and marched over to stand toe to toe with him. ‘Have you no sense? You should be resting, not driving a coach for miles.’
