Page 18 of A Widow's Perfect Rogue
“Good afternoon, Lady Gallwey,” Thomas’ mother said. “We are delighted to have you, your lovely daughter, and this well-behaved dog as our guests this afternoon! Thomas said she seemed to be housebroken, and I concur. As he predicted, the staff here is besotted with her.” She introduced Thomas’ sister Katie, cousin Paula, and Aunt Jane.
“The same thing happened at the Hertford’s,” Frankie said. “Everyone wanted to keep the dog.” She hadn’t decided what to do with the dog and was glad Thomas had taken it home. She could see Maggie had already developed a fondness for it.
“I don’t believe there’s a chance of that. The dog has clearly chosen her favorite,” the viscountess observed, looking down and seeing the dog already snuggled against Maggie’s feet.
Everyone laughed. “I fear you may be right.”
Frankie marveled at the ease between the family members. Everyone laughed and related stories about Thomas’ exploits as a youth. Even Thomas kicked in a few stories.
Lady Latham withdrew a folded paper. “I saved this to share with you. I believe it will entertain you as it did us.” She winked in her son’s direction. As Lady Latham read the gossip piece in the paper, attributing the entire debacle at the duke’s ball to the Widow Deville, A snort of laughter escaped Thomas, sending them all into fits of giggles and laughter.
“I confess I haven’t laughed so much at anything in this paper, as I did this,” Frankie said, dabbing at her eyes with her handkerchief. “I can only wonder what the crimson widow thinks of it. It was quite clear she’d set her sights set on Thomas.” Frankie glanced at Thomas, who reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“I’m afraid I cannot see that happening,” Thomas drawled.
“I had a few toys from the nursery brought to the drawing room, thinking we could spend some time getting to know Maggie,” Lady Latham said, changing the topic.
Thomas cleared his throat. “Mother, I wonder if you and the girls would watch Maggie for a little while. I would like to take a walk in the garden with Frankie.”
“What a lovely notion. We would be happy to watch Maggie,” his mother readily agreed.
“I stay, Mommy,” Maggie added to everyone’s delight.
* * *
“If anyone had predicted I would one day be walking the gardens of Berkley Square with you, I would have labeled them a fool,” Frankie said a few minutes later.
“It is a most welcome turnabout,” Thomas replied. “Even as recently as a week ago, I would have thought it impossible. Yet here we are.” Thomas’ heart soared with hope. He’d spent five miserable years traveling and nursing a broken heart for much of the time, spurning all but mindless, brief encounters. Never had he imagined the woman of his dreams would be back in his life. Out of habit, he rolled the ring box over in his pocket.
“I had a hard time sleeping last night, turning over all that has happened. But when I thought of you, my anxiety seemed to go away,” Frankie said, reaching for his hand. “I am indebted to you, Thomas. I…”
She seemed to hesitate, but Thomas waited.
“And I owe you so much…”
“Nonsense,” he said.
“No. There is more I must tell you,” she insisted.
“I would like that, Frankie,” he said. He tugged her hand and led her to a bench shielded by a small alcove of trees. “This will give us some privacy.”
They sat, and he gave her time to gather her thoughts, anticipating what she might say.
“Perhaps the best way is to just say it.” She expelled a deep breath. “Maggie is George’s child…with his mistress. The poor woman died of consumption. George became frantic at the loss and asked me if I would agree to adopt her. She was just a month old, and I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her. I instantly said yes. We had no children together, you see, but it was no difficulty for others to believe the child was mine.”
His mouth opened and closed. “She has your hair and blue eyes…”
“Her mother had blonde hair and blue eyes, as well. I supposed that was one of the reasons why he agreed to marry me. I resembled the woman he loved.”
“You mean to say that he continued his liaison with his mistress after your marriage,” Thomas surmised. It must have been heartbreaking for Frankie. Unfortunately, it was common for married men of thetonto keep mistresses, it was not a practice that Thomas agreed with.
“Yes, b-but there is more…” She halted and took another deep breath. “You see, he considered me more of a daughter than a wife. He was good to me, but his mistress held his manly affections.” Her words came out halting and slow. “I—I am untouched, you see.” At those words, she hung her head. When she raised her face and looked at him, her blue eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s been a secret that I’ve been unwilling to share with anyone…until this very moment.”
God’s teeth!How could Gallwey have been so callous, so uncaring? Anger exploded at the late earl for doing such a thing to her and sadness for what must have been Frankie’s precarious well-being. Her feelings of security in her marriage must have been tenuous at best. The servants would have surely known, and that would have contributed to Frankie’s feelings of rejection and alienation. First, to have been forced into a marriage she didn’t want by her father, to a much older man no less, then to have been rejected in the marriage bed by her husband while he continued to cavort with his mistress.
Even though his heart ached for all that Frankie had gone through, Thomas could not help but feel a conflicting sense of relief and, yes, even happiness bubbling within him. Frankie had remained untouched her entire marriage, and he could be the one to bring her the love she deserved. For Frankie did deserve to be loved deeply and completely. His heart squeezed at how she must have felt, trapped in a marriage with a man that loved his mistress and had nothing for her.Why would he have married her?Gallwey could have simply forgiven her father’s debt if he had no genuine interest in Frankie.Had she only been a possession…a trophy?
“You love Maggie…” he started.
