Page 44 of Bedding the Marquess
A small laugh of relief welled up from his chest. “Nowthatis all the truth. Let them say what they wish; they know nothing about what happens between us. Not once have they managed to get anything right in all the times we’ve been mentioned in those rags. Pay no mind to their drivel.”
“I know…” Caroline said with a hiccup after she managed to regain most of her composure. “And I know I am being overly sensitive about it, but I cannot help it. Our child has done nothing to deserve this, and just because of my past, he is coming into a world that is prejudiced against him.”
“We won’t allow that,” Gideon said with all the confidence of generations of good breeding. “He will have adoring parents, a loving extended family, and the Swanleigh title behind him. No doors are closed to the Swanleigh heir.” Then, he had an idea. He pulled a fresh handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. “Why don’t you consider taking Emily and Oliver up on their offer for a visit?” Swanleigh House had already been inundated with well-wishers and curiosity seekers since their return from Kent. The streets of Mayfair were littered with gossipmongers. Everyone wanted a piece of Caroline. If he couldn’t wipe out the whispers in one fell swoop, then he would find a place where Caroline could escape. “I still have a great deal of business tocatch up on. You will be safe with them and somewhat removed from the evil lurking in this part of town.”
She released a watery laugh. “Are you sending me away?”
“Not like that,” he reassured her. “I do not want you alone right now, and, unfortunately, I need to spend most of the coming days in meetings. I set aside my duties for our honeymoon—and I don’t regret a minute of it,” he added the last when she seemed about to complain, “but it must be done. In the meantime, I think it might be a relief for you to spend some time with them. You are not so far away that we will not see one another, but you will be a bit farther from everything here in Mayfair.”
“Won’t it look odd?”
“I don’t give one flea-bitten rat’s arse what it looks like to anyone else; I care only for you and your wellbeing. Staying here in Mayfair is doing nothing for your nerves.Wewill know the truth andthatis all that matters.” He pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, breathing her in.
Her hand cupped his cheek as she did the same. “I will go,” she whispered.
A tide of relief began to flow within him. Even if it did not entirely extinguish his rage over the despicable treatment of his family, he felt better knowing Caroline would be in a place where she could be safe. In her absence, he vowed to do what he could to quash the gossip. He would tell anyone and everyone how utterly, hopelessly in love with his wife he was. He would scream it until there wasn’t a single person who doubted that Gideon could not have chosen a better wife and partner for himself. And, one day, he knew they would see Caroline as the wonder she was.
Only two dayslater, Caroline was comfortably ensconced in Oliver and Emily’s townhouse. Three stories in height, the narrow brick building was cozy and tidy, and it overlooked asmall, well-kept park. Upon her arrival at the address, Emily had apologized that their home was not well-equipped for hosting a marchioness. Caroline had pulled her into a hug and reassured her that she was not at all snobbish and had made do with much less for a long while.
She was utterly charmed by the floral papering and simple furniture, the elegant little paintings so lovingly chosen and carefully hung throughout the home. There was just enough decoration to make it feel like the home of someone who lived comfortably.
The home had three bedchambers, and Caroline was shown into one papered in creamy, buttery yellow with dark wood furniture and robin’s-egg blue details. It was utterly delightful and she told Emily as much. Sitting on the bed, Caroline experienced a wash of relief and peace. Gideon had been right; she already felt much lighter now that she’d escaped the prying eyes of Mayfair. It pained her to be away from Gideon for such a ridiculous reason, but she saw the logic in his suggestion. The stress of it had been making her ill; she’d cried far too much, far too often. Now, she could be more herself. It wasn’t long before she would enter confinement for the rest of her pregnancy; she deserved to enjoy these last few weeks of freedom. Cupping both hands beneath her belly, she gazed down at the curve in her gown. She was less than three months away from giving birth, and she needed to focus on that. The baby gave a powerful kick, and she rubbed at the spot. “Not too much longer…” she whispered.
The rest of the week was rather much the same. Emily had been worried that Caroline would be bored in their home, but it was a delight. Caroline learned how to chop carrots and stir a stew so it did not scorch or boil over. She hadn’t been able to stomach preparing the beef for the stew, but Emily didn’t so much as bat an eye. She gave Emily another task, plucking theherbs from their stems. It was a novel experience for a woman who had only ever stepped into a kitchen to pilfer treats.
Emily and Oliver spent their evenings reading. Caroline often joined them by the hearth and brought along her embroidery. She was working on decorating a christening gown for her baby. The project caused her an equal mixture of joy and sadness because she thought of Gideon each time she used the scissors he’d gifted to her years before. Her heart ached for him and she struggled to sleep without him holding her, but, other than that, her time with Emily and Oliver was pleasant.
Shortly before luncheon one day, Emily told Caroline she needed to make a trip to her mother’s place of business, the notorious brothel of Lady Night. “I must balance the books and ensure enough supplies are ordered for the week. I should return well before supper, though.”
“Oh! May I go with you?” Emily’s eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Caroline’s enthusiasm. “That is, if you don’t mind. I shan’t be in the way. I would love to be able to say I’ve been to a brothel.”
“You are certain?”
“No one will know who I am. I will be unobtrusive and merely observe.”
“It is not as exciting as you think it is—just a great deal of numbers.”
“I don’t mind.”
“And how do you think Gideon will react when he finds out you’ve been to Lady Night’s?” Oliver interjected flatly.
“He has been to the brothel; why shouldn’t I?”
Oliver cleared his throat and averted his eyes, unwilling to touch that argument.
“Please?” She looked back at Emily and pressed her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.
“Very well. If you are certain—”
“I have a meeting with an associate in an hour. I can escort you to Lady Night’s after,” Oliver said.
“That will be too late,” Emily sighed. “We will be there well after dark if we have to wait for that.”
Oliver’s mouth was set in a grim line of displeasure. He and his wife seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes before he released a small sigh of resignation. “I will take you to Covent Garden before my meeting, deposit you there safely, and you will be escorted home by one of Lady Night’s guards.”
“Guards?” Caroline reared back in surprise.
“To keep the employees safe,” Oliver explained. A frisson of excitement danced down Caroline’s spine. She couldn’t wait.
