Page 88 of Secrets of the Marriage Bed
With a huff of impatience, Percy bowed and departed.
The moment he closed the door, the Dowager lowered her voice. ‘My dear, once this information becomes public I fear what Alistair may do. Gossip is already spreading that he is tiring of you.’ She pursed her lips. ‘You would not be the first woman he has cruelly cast aside.’ She shook her head. ‘Though you would be the first wife.’ She patted Julia’s hand. ‘Perhaps you have nothing to worry about, after all. I cannot imagine Alistair going through anything so crude as divorce. Until death do you part.’ She inhaled a sharp breath and her eyes widened. ‘He wouldn’t. Not even he would dare such a dastardly deed.’ Sympathy filled her expression. ‘I am sure of it.’
Chilly fingers walked across Julia’s skin. Her stomach roiled. Her heart clenched. She could not believe it. Would not. ‘What did you mean about him casting a woman aside?’
The Dowager frowned. ‘You did not know that before Luke married her, the woman he got with child was his fiancée?’
‘They were engaged?’ This was not exactly what she had imagined. From the way Alistair had spoken she had assumed he’d had a fling with his brother’s wife, not that he had abandoned her before she was married.
‘If my honourable Luke had not stepped in, I cannot think what would have happened to Jeffrey or his mother. Alistair simply walked out and disappeared.’
‘He returned.’
‘Too late to be of any use. Oh, he promised Jeffrey would inherit, but the man is a rake. As debauched as they come. The title of dissolute Duke is well deserved. How can anyone trust such a man to do the right thing? And... You and he...’ she waved a hand ‘...have not been celibate, I assume?’
‘You can set your mind at rest.’ Bitterness scoured her throat. ‘There can be no children from me. The doctors have confirmed it.’ Admitting being barren left her feeling raw. Useless. Empty inside. Tears welled. She blinked them away.
The Dowager’s expression tightened. ‘Your first husband was a man of declining years. He might have been at fault, not you.’
‘The doctors say not. He has three daughters.’
The Dowager got up and prowled the room. The smile on her face when she turned to face Julia seemed less than sincere. ‘I dread theton’s reaction when they learn who and what you are. And they will. Alistair will not be able to face down the scandal this time. It is too bad the rest of us will be forced to suffer as well.’
‘Suffer how?’
‘None of us will be able to show our faces in town. This scandal will haunt us for years. We will be lucky if the King does not take an interest and make him forfeit the title.’
Julia’s blood ran cold. ‘He cannot do that, can he?’
‘What the King giveth, surely the King can take away. Whatever the case, Alistair will bepersona non grata. All of us will be ruined. Poor Luke. And Jeffrey.’
Poor Alistair, too. For all his faults, he had tried to help her. ‘There is nothing I can do. We are married.’
The Dowager tapped her chin with her forefinger and looked thoughtful. Her face brightened. ‘You could leave the country. Before anyone else has a chance to guess at your identity. I will pay Percy off. Besides, when I explain the damage that would result to his family, he will keep his mouth shut.’
‘Where could I go?’
She shrugged. ‘America. Ships leave from Portsmouth every day at this time of year. I will even give you the money for your fare if you need it.’
The thought of bringing shame and ridicule down on so many people made her feel ill. She’d known marrying Alistair was wrong. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him harm. She nodded. ‘If I leave, you promise not to tell anyone what you know? You will stop Percy from speaking of it?’
‘Why would I want to bring scandal down on my own head? Of course I promise. Much as I despise his morals, Alistair is the head of my family.’ She touched Julia’s arm. ‘It really is the best for all concerned.’
It was. Alistair didn’t want a proper marriage, so why should she live a lie that could cause innocent people trouble and heartache?
‘I’ll leave right away.’ But would Alistair let her go? Of course he would. Why would he not?
It would make things a great deal easier for them both.
* * *
Alistair opened the front door and somehow managed not to drag his wife over the threshold. When he got her inside, he shut the door with a rapidity that had her blinking.
‘Where the devil were you?’ The question came out more forcefully than he intended. ‘Did you not recall I specifically told you to go nowhere without proper escort?’
‘Why? Am I a prisoner?’
Her words made no sense. ‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
