The Duke's Divorce (The Reluctant Grooms Series Volume IV) (9 page)

William looked at his cousin for a long
moment. “It seems you have thought this out very carefully. What
grounds will you use to annul?”

“Fraud and then non-consummation as a
secondary complaint.”

William laughed. “You plan on not sleeping
with your beautiful wife for six months?”

“It seems to be the wisest course. It will
not damage either of our reputations overmuch, the gossip will die
down as soon as Fiona marries again, and I may continue to search
for my perfect bride.”

“I believe your reasoning may fail you,
Robby. One cannot help what one may do when he is in close
proximity to a beautiful woman.”

“That is the beauty of this, Cousin. Although
she is exquisite, emotions are not involved.”

*****

There was a light tap at her door. Fiona,
having cried herself out, rose from her chair and checked her face
in the small mirror on the dresser. Her cheeks remained blotchy and
her eyes puffed. There was no help for it. She went to the door,
opened it, and found her mother-in-law.

“Lady Joanna, please forgive me for ruining
your lovely breakfast this morning,” Fiona said in a rush.

“Nonsense, child. After that display from my
son, it is a wonder you have not packed your bags and fled. I would
like to apologize for his behaviour. May we talk?” Lady Joanna
walked across the bedchamber and opened the door to the sitting
room.

Settling herself in one of the rose velvet
chairs, she waited for Fiona to do the same before she spoke.

“Fiona, there are facets of my son I should
like to share with you. Perhaps that will explain his obvious lack
of manners.”

Fiona doubted it would make any difference.
He was a brute, plain and simple.

“Robert has always been interested in
beautiful women. Quite frankly, what man is not? When he came of
age, naturally the marriage minded mothers of the
ton
practically threw their daughters at him. His charm allowed him to
turn down several ladies his father and I thought would clearly
make a wonderful wife. He refused them all. However, there was a
young lady with whom Robert became completely smitten.
Mary-Elizabeth was her name. He was all of four-and-twenty, still a
young man, but he loved her deeply. Stephen and I gave our
blessing, she was a delightful creature, and we could not have been
happier. Unfortunately, right before the wedding Mary-Elizabeth met
a young man who turned her head with pretty lies, and they eloped
to Gretna. Robert was beside himself, for months it seemed.” Lady
Joanna heaved a heavy sigh.

“I watched him suffer cruelly. He drank in
excess to overcome his sorrow and humiliation and I was helpless to
ease his torment. He became bitter and remained angry for a long
time. I ached for my old Robert to return. It took a long time, but
finally he found himself again, and he is the man you see today.
Only he has lost the will to love.” Lady Joanna sighed.

“Over the years, as his friends married and
had children, whenever asked, Robert asserted he would never marry.
He knew his quipped answer would allow no more questions on that
quarter for his friends understood the mortification he had been
subjected to. Mary-Elizabeth broke his heart, and time does not
heal some wounds. I despaired of Robert ever finding someone to
love again. ‘Tis an intangible thing in our Society, only very few
have found it, and only the bravest dare seek it.”

Fiona stood up and walked to the window. This
was not what she wanted to hear.

“My son married you out of some arcane duty
to honor. I know this. However, I also know if he did not feel
deeply for you, nothing would have made him take those vows.”

“Lady Joanna, forgive me, but Robert married
me because my father literally held a gun to his head. I’m sure he
has told you the story.”

“Yes, he has, but if Robert did not wish to
marry you, he would not. He is a stubborn man, and exceedingly
rich. I am sure he and your father would have agreed to a financial
settlement.”

“Yes, Robert offered, however, I take
responsibility for the refusal. I’m afraid my pride was hurt.
Nothing happened between us that night at Castle Cornnan and
placing a monetary value on my virtue was extremely insulting to
me.” Fiona paused and spoke more to herself when she said, “If I
had know then what would transpire, I believe I would have asked
for quite a bit more.”

Lady Joanna laughed. “There is no price high
enough on our virtue, my dear.”

Fiona wondered just how far Robert would have
gone.

Lady Joanna continued. “Nevertheless, because
of Mary-Elizabeth, Robert does not trust women. His problem is his
pride. Though he would never dare say it, I do believe, he still
loves her, or rather, the idea of her and their life together. That
being said, I think you are the answer to his prayer. His behaviour
this morning was abominable, however, he is fighting within
himself. Robert knows his own mind very well. What he does not know
are his emotions, especially when it comes to love. There, I
believe, is where you must help him.”

“Help him? How?” Help Robert find his
emotions? Lady Joanna must be mad. Every time Robert opened his
mouth, he insulted her. If Fiona was in a room, Robert left it. Her
husband did not plan to stay married to her one second longer than
absolutely necessary.

“You need to make him realize he does indeed
care for you. A great deal more than he lets on. I’m sure once he
recognizes it, you two will find your way to a very loving
relationship.”

“Lady Joanna, what you propose is, well
forgive me, but it is quite preposterous.” Fiona paused and then
said quietly, “There is something I believe you need to know.
Robert will be attaining an annulment against our marriage at the
end of six months. We struck the bargain after we wed as the only
viable solution to our problem. Robert does not care for me. Robert
does not even find me likeable. In fact, he has told me so on
several occasions.”

“Pish, dearest, he likes you very much. I can
see it in his eyes whenever you walk into a room. And I know all
about the annulment. He told me so on the very first day he brought
you home.”

“You do?” Fiona asked.

“Of course, I do. Robert always tells me the
truth when making important decisions. This was no different. I
hope you do not think he will go through with it.”

“Lady Joanna, I may not know your son very
well, but Robert is resolute on this matter. He will not remain
married to me.”

“Fiona, I am his mother. I know him better
than he knows himself, and I daresay Robert is quite confused by
you. I believe, my dear, he is frightened, and as we all know,
there is nothing more pitiable than a frightened man. What you must
endeavor to do is to make him less frightened of you.”

“And how do you propose I do that? As you
have seen yourself, he cannot even remain in the same room with me
longer than ten minutes.”

“And that, my dear, is precisely the point.
We need a reason for him to remain. And I know just how to do
it.”

Fiona’s eyes nearly popped out of her head
with her mother-in-law’s suggestions, but she agreed she would at
least try. Not to save her marriage; she knew Robert would go ahead
with the annulment. No, she would go along with Lady Joanna’s
schemes because she didn’t want to hurt the woman’s feelings. Once
Lady Joanna realized it was all for naught, she would give up the
ridiculous idea that she and Robert would remain together.

*****

Robert bounced up the steps to Cantin House,
feeling less like the ogre he pretended to be. William had eased
his mind somewhat. Robert would try to get along with his wife, he
knew that he had to, his mother demanded it, and Robert had always
done what his mother asked. He would apologize to Fiona
forthwith.

Edwards opened the door.

“Where is my wife, Edwards?” Robert asked
stepping into the foyer.

“She and your mother have gone to make the
rounds, Your Grace.”

“And when are they due to return?” Robert
walked down the hall to the library, Edwards following.

“I cannot say, Your Grace.”

Entering the room, Robert stopped behind the
desk and looked at his butler. Edwards knew everything about their
family. Surely, he would know where his mother had taken his
wife.

“Edwards?”

“I believe your mother held fifteen calling
cards in her hand when she left the house. She also took the great
carriage, and Lady Fiona was dressed quite splendidly when they
left.”

“Fifteen cards? Are you sure?” His mother
barely made three calls a day. She had never liked to gossip
overmuch.

“Yes, Your Grace. I retrieved the cards
myself.”

Well, his mother was on a mission it seemed.
He looked at his desk. Paperwork sat neatly in piles waiting his
perusal. “Coffee then, Edwards, if you please.”

*****

Fiona sat, quite exhausted, against the
leather seat in the carriage. Lady Joanna had seen them to over two
dozen houses of the grandest architecture and Fiona’s mind reeled.
The matrons preened over her, and wanted to hear all about the
surprising new wedding. Fiona enjoyed it, for the most part. She
had never felt so welcome in all her life. The matrons seemed
especially receptive to her, and it gave Fiona quite a boost to her
ego – she could not be half as bad as Robert said. However, she
also knew much of it was simply artifice. Robert’s mother had
brought her solely for the purpose of staving off the bad press in
the gossip columns. With the Season about to start, Lady Joanna’s
introductions guaranteed Fiona a place in Society no matter who
gossiped about her.

The barouche pulled up to Cantin House.

“Thank you for introducing me to your friends
today,” Fiona said, before the footman opened the door.

“Oh, you are certainly quite welcome, my
dear. Entirely my pleasure. You made a very good impression on them
I daresay. You should have no trouble in the ballrooms now.”

Edwards opened the door and Fiona followed
Lady Joanna into the house.

“Your ladyship,” Edwards addressed Fiona.
“His Grace would like to see you in the library at your earliest
convenience.”

Fiona looked to her mother-in-law who said
nothing, just smiled, and touched Fiona’s shoulder.

Fiona turned and walked down the polished
floor feeling like Marie Antoinette on her way to the guillotine.
What had she done this time?

She knocked once on the door and entered at
his bidding.

“Ah, you are returned,” he said affably,
rising from his chair. “Did you have a pleasant outing with my
mother?”

“Yes, I did. Quite lovely, thank you.”
Surprised by his tone, she watched him warily as he made his way to
her and held out his hand. She took it and he led her to the chairs
in front of the long windows.

She settled in a chair and waited nervously
for him to speak. Obviously, he had something on his mind.

“Fiona, I would like to apologize for my
behaviour this morning.”

Fiona sat stunned. This was not what she had
expected.

“However, if you wish to walk in the early
morning,” Robert said softly, “I would like you to take a maid,
perhaps a footman, as there are unscrupulous people roaming the
city at any time of the day or night. As you are so new to the city
there is no telling what could happen to you.”

“Yes, of course, my lord. Forgive me for not
realizing this. I’m not used to being told what I may and may not
do, and imposing such a, well, such a ridiculous demand of me first
thing in the morning, I’m afraid I could not help but defy it.”
Fiona hoped that was enough of an apology.

“Yes, it was rather ridiculous of me, wasn’t
it?” Robert mused. “But I should like you to heed my warning. Being
the Duchess of Cantin, you will be recognized, and although I do
not wish to scare you, London is not all that safe.”

“Yes, of course, my lord. I shall take my
maid with me from now on.”

Robert smiled. “Good girl. Now, tell me, how
did you find my mother’s friends? I’m surprised she introduced you
to the lot of them all in one day. Quite overbearing for you, I
trust.”

Fiona smiled and relaxed. She spent the next
twenty minutes relaying her impressions on those she had met, and
found him agreeing with her assessments of his mother’s friends. He
seemed to enjoy her conversation, and she was quite loathe to leave
him when he implied he needed to finish his paperwork.

He walked her to the door. “I shall see you
at dinner then.” He took her hand and patted it, as a beneficent
parent might.

As Fiona walked upstairs to her bedchamber,
she wondered if it were possible they would get along after
all.

Two weeks passed and Fiona settled in to the
routine set by Robert. Every morning she joined him for breakfast
and then went for a walk with Merry. Lady Joanna took her about to
the shops, or made appointments with her modiste, and in the
afternoons, calls to more friends, or at-homes at Cantin House.
Sometimes Robert joined them for lunch, other days Fiona did not
see him until dinner. Then he would go off and leave her at home –
alone.

Until tonight. Tonight was the first official
ball of the season. Lady Berringbourne’s invitation had arrived the
day after her first outing with Lady Joanna and Fiona was quite
overwhelmed. Her first ball. Would it be all that she dreamed? Her
gown hung in linen in her bedchamber, and every night before bed,
Fiona undid the ribbons and gazed at it. Dark green silk, with a
daring neckline, which had made her gasp when she saw herself in
the mirror at the modiste. What would Robert say? Would he even
notice?

She doubted it. His polite reserve suggested
that he wanted nothing more than to keep her at arm’s length. She
had been married exactly one month today. With only five more
remaining until their annulment, she hoped the companionship she’d
found with the few friends she’d made in Society to be enough to
sustain her after the end of her marriage.