Page 73 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman
‘Yes, and please say you do not care.’
‘I do not.’ That was such a lie. That woman had borne him the child Caro could not, and envy flowed deep within her blood.
‘Do you ever speak to your parents?’ Rob asked, looking at them both, posing the question to them both.
Caro smiled – Rob had waded onto ground that should not be traversed where Drew was concerned.
‘I never speak to my mother,’ Drew said, pointedly marking the fact that the Marquis was not their parent. ‘I gave up trying to gain her notice years ago.’
‘I do not remember ever wasting my time trying to obtain her notice,’ Caro responded.
‘I only asked because you have been so long away from town, Caro, I am surprised they have not spoken to you.’
‘We are not surprised,’ Drew answered, in a petulant tone.
‘Will your mother speak if you walk past her?’ Rob’s eyebrows lifted.
‘She would cross a room or a street to avoid it,’ Drew answered.
‘I see,’ Rob stated.
‘I am sure you do not,’ Drew said.
Mary reached over and held Drew’s hand, then leaned about him. ‘We do not speak of them, Rob, they are naught to do with us.’
Caro did not care what they did either. When she had married Albert at a young age, she had left that family behind, physically and emotionally.
After supper, she had no further opportunity to speak to Rob. If they were to dance again, or if he stood beside her and talked to her, rumours would begin, and they would likely be unpleasant. So, she danced with Drew and John again, and the other members of Rob’s family.
When it came time to leave, it was Rob who lay her cloak on her shoulders and held her fingers as she climbed up into the carriage. He sat beside her, his thigh against hers as they travelled. The inside of the carriage was lit by an oil lamp, and it had been warmed with hot bricks on the floor, but even so she held her cloak tightly about her to fend off the cold.
John had agreed to drop Rob at his rooms, to save him walking back through dark streets. When the carriage stopped, it rocked as the footman jumped from a step on the back. Rob reached to open the door himself, but the footman reached it first.
‘Goodnight,’ Rob said before he climbed out. He could not look at her particularly, his departure was too quick and closely observed.
The footman shut the door.
She could not even wave as the carriage drew away.
Her thoughts clung to the moment of their waltz.
‘Will you wait until I am able to offer, then?’
‘Yes.’How could she remarry, though, when she could not carry a child?
39
The day after the Earl of Pickford’s ball, after the family had eaten luncheon, a stream of unexpected visitors began calling on the Duke and Duchess of Pembroke. Caro positioned herself on a window seat, so no one could choose a chair near her, and observed them arriving. Carriage after carriage came.
They had not really called to see John and Katherine, they called here to stare at the fallen Marchioness.
Drew had shown her an article in the newspaper that morning.
It was noted last evening that the cast-off Marchioness of K dared show her face in town and all eyes were upon the Marquis, yet his were upon her.
Caro’s skin had warmed with a blush, but she was glad Drew showed her. It was better she knew what was being said about her.
She nodded as their callers talked, but her thoughts were not in the room with them. She smiled at that thought, because it wasnot her nerves revolting, she simply had no interest in these nosy people. She was just enduring this afternoon in ordered to reach tomorrow’s, when Rob would be here.
