Page 16 of The Seductive Love of a Lady
‘Not mine…’
‘At this moment in time, Lord Framlington, you have gained everything in your marriage, and Mary nothing. I think you have enough to be happy.’
His instinct was to stand up and leave, and to take Mary with him. But her family were important to her, and her Aunt Jane was right, he had gained everything; the least he could do forMary was sit here and drink tea. ‘Mary has gained one thing,’ he said, though, unable to stop his indignation. ‘Me. I know you think me lacking, but Mary does not.’At least I hope that is true.
His gaze returned to Mary. Her father held her hand as he spoke.
Lady Barrington touched Drew’s arm. ‘I hope you prove us wrong.’ She stood and walked away.
Anger kicked his gut. No one cared about his happiness. Was it any wonder he had become a selfish, bitter man?
Mary’s sister offered him a cake with an almond paste decoration. ‘No, thank you, Helen.’
A moment later, one of the young boys, who Drew had a suspicion had been dared, stood in front of him with a pack of cards. ‘Can I show you a trick I know?’
‘Certainly…’
His next half an hour, until Mary returned to him and said they would leave, was spent with the boys who drifted closer and talked to him about horses and carriages, and other boyish things.
On their walk home, he tucked her arm under his and she held the sleeve of his coat at his forearm. He did not ask what her father had said, and she did not say. Before they left, he agreed to accompany Mary to a ball her family were attending, so whatever Marlow had said had changed nothing.
When they reached The Albany, he asked Joseph to order them a good dinner from Gunter’s, then led her upstairs. ‘Shall we play a few hands of cards or a game of chess?’
If he could learn to fit in among her family, their marriage might yet work…
6
Mary watched Andrew move the bishop across the board and take her knight.
She had discovered many elements of him, yet there seemed dozens more. He was like a puzzle – he could be gentle, kind and tolerant, but most of the time he was stubborn and defensive, and foolhardy with his friends.
Her father thought Andrew selfish, though pig-headed was the word he used. He asked if Andrew’s friends came to the apartment. Then asked if Andrew was rough and touched her neck where Andrew had sucked her skin and left a bruise.
She swore Andrew was gentle and respectful and told him about their ride in the park, only to make her father annoyed that Andrew let her gallop on the wet grass.
She sighed. Something had disturbed Andrew this afternoon, though. He seemed confused among her family, as though he had no idea what to do or say.
Perhaps he did not know… The only thing he had told her about his family was that he neither liked them nor visited them.
‘Have you spoken to your parents since we married?’ She lifted her bishop, moving it from the path of his. The marriageannouncement was in the newspaper yesterday, so they must have seen it.
The muscles about his jaw tightened. ‘My parents…’ His pitch soured. He leaned to the side, grasped the neck of the bottle of champagne that had been delivered with their meal, and topped up her glass then his.
She guessed he filled their glasses to avoid answering.
‘Will you introduce me?’
He looked at the board and slid a castle across the squares until it faced her king. ‘Mate. No, I will not introduce you. Our marriage is nothing to do with my parents. Make your move?’ He sipped champagne.
She moved her bishop to defend her king. ‘I would like to meet them.’
‘You would not.’ He also made a defensive move.
‘Let me decide.’ She moved her queen in between two pawns. ‘I do not want to bump into them and not know them; that would be embarrassing. Are you ashamed of me?’
His eyebrows lifted. ‘I am ashamed of them.’ He moved a pawn closer to her king.
‘But we are married, I should at least know them.’
