Part 28 (1/2)

Ava stewed, all right. And she paced.

When Middleton returned to the room an hour or so later, she was sitting at the hearth, a book in her lap.

She glanced up as he entered and smiled thinly. ”Did you enjoy your hunt, my lord?”

He gave her a quick once-over as he yanked roughly at his neckcloth. ”Not particularly.”

”Oh?” she asked, turning her gaze back to her book. ”Didn't you find your fox? Or perhaps your fox found you?”

He stared down at her as she flipped the pages of her book, but she refused to meet his gaze. Without a word, he walked into the dressing room. But he returned a moment later, standing over her once more. Again, Ava refused to look up, waiting for him to speak. Except that he didn't speak. He just stood there, staring down at her, as if he expected her to speak.

She shut the book, put it aside, and looked up. His expression was full of strife, but more than that, as his eyes locked on hers, she realized that she was seeing pity in his eyes. Pity for her. Pity, no doubt, that she 'd seen him with his lover and was hurt by it.

The realization knocked her off her feet and sent her mind reeling. It was a disgusting feeling, to be pitied, and she quickly stood up, managing to look him square in the eye without the help of her heart, which was staggering about in her chest, drunk with despair. ”I want to go home,” she said quietly. ”I can't bear to be here a moment longer.”

”We will leave at dawn's light,” he said, surprising her. He turned and walked to the bellpull. ”Ask for a bath when the footman arrives. I should like to clean up before supper.”

Ava watched him disappear into the dressing room.

Something was wrong with him. Something was different, something that made her feel even a twinge of pity for him.

But for only a moment, until she realized how absurd that was. He didn't deserve her pity-she wasn't the one with a lover. He was. Yet he still seemed deeply troubled, and at least she could empathize with him, for she was no stranger to the torment of being deeply troubled. Not of late, anyway.

True to his promise to leave early, Jared made sure the Middleton party was in the drive by eight o'clock the next morning, much to the dismay of their host.

”Are you certain you must go?” Harrison asked again as a footman settled the last bag on top of the coach.

”I'm sorry, but we must,” Jared said. ”I've a meeting in Marshbridge to buy some cattle and I dare not miss it.”

He could tell from Ava's expression that she knew it was a lie. He'd told her himself when the cattle had come weeks ago that it was all the cattle he'd purchase this year. The land could not sustain more grazing than that.

”Ah, well...if there's nothing to be done for it,” Harrison said, and smiled at Ava.

”We'll be in London in a fortnight,” Jared added.

Again, Ava looked at him, her displeasure clear. Jared raised a brow and returned her look. He owed her no explanation-it was his prerogative to move his household to London. Furthermore, he was quite certain that no matter what he did, his wife would be sorely displeased.

That annoyed him to no end, primarily because he realized he actually cared that she was displeased. He cared.

At least Harrison seemed overjoyed by the prospect. ”Capital news! I've missed you at the gaming tables.”

”Not as much as I have missed your purse,” Jared added with a thin smile as he handed Ava up into the coach.

As he moved to shut the door behind her, Ava suddenly put a hand out to stop him. ”Wait...what are you doing?”

”Closing the door so you do not fall out during the course of the journey,” he answered curtly.

Her eyes narrowed. ”Do you mean to stay behind, my lord?” she asked, her voice cold.

Jared consciously curbed his reply. ”No,” he said quietly. ”I will ride alongside on horseback. I thought that this arrangement might allow us both to find a bit of peace on the journey home.”

Ava glanced at Harrison, then at Jared, and without a word, she moved back against the squabs, out of his sight.

Jared clenched his jaw tightly and closed the door behind her. He took the reins of his horse from the stableboy, and when he had mounted, Harrison called up, ”G.o.dspeed,” and slapped the side of the coach, signaling the driver to go.

As the coach pulled away from the house, Jared paused to say good-bye to Harrison, and caught sight of Miranda standing in the drive in the company of Stanhope. They were dressed to go riding, but as the coach rolled by, Miranda's eyes were on him.

Jared spurred his horse and caught up to the coach without looking back.

When they arrived at Broderick Abbey, Middleton went directly to his study, closeting himself there for the rest of the day. That was just as well with Ava. She wanted to bathe, to wash the entire weekend away, and to write a letter to Phoebe.

In fact, it was the following afternoon before she saw her husband again, as he was returning from some sort of work that had soiled his clothing and put a bit of mud across his face. She was walking along the path when he rode up and began to trot alongside her.

”It's rather cool,” he said as he slowed the horse to a walk. ”Are you certain you ought to be about?””I'm quite all right.””Mmm,” he said, and he swung down, took his horse by the bit, and began to walk with her. ”We are to London at the end of the fortnight,” he said.”So I've heard,” she responded sarcastically.He ignored her tone and said, ”I should like to be in London before the rainy season. With enough rain, these roads are impa.s.sable.”

Actually, that sounded quite nice to Ava-so far away from his b.l.o.o.d.y mistress and all the speculationabout her marriage-but she remained silent.”And if, by chance, you are with child,” he said, slanting a look at her, ”then it would be best if we were in London.”

Ava stopped midstep. That angered her. It was all he cared about, whether or not he got his precious

heir. After days of feeling like a forgotten wife, of wis.h.i.+ng for something more, she lost her patience andcomposure. ”That's all this is to you, isn't it?” she asked hotly. ”I'm only a vessel to you.”Her remark obviously crawled under his skin, because his eyes were suddenly hard and cold. ”You are a vessel, Ava. We are both vessels, you and I-I carry the seed to put in your womb. And lest you forget.i.t, you agreed to be a vessel, so please do not take issue with my inquiry! I have a right to know!””I will take issue!” she cried. ”I never agreed that the only thing you would care about is my womb.”

”Madam, you knew very well what game we played-to pretend otherwise is beneath you.””Did I really know what game we played? I certainly didn't know you had a mistress on our weddingday!”

”Oh dear G.o.d.” He sighed impatiently. ”There is no mistress! I did not have a mistress on our weddingday, or now for that matter-””Perhaps you shouldn't leave your love letters lying about, my lord.”He paused; his gaze narrowed dangerously as her words sunk in. ”You have been through my mail?” he asked incredulously.”Yes!” she cried, throwing up a hand and marching on. ”And I don't want to hear your pathetic lies!””My lies?” He caught her roughly by the arm and jerked her around to him. ”I have never lied to you,” he said through gritted teeth. ”Let me never hear you say so again! I have been frightfully honest with youfrom the beginning, Ava-you cannot deny it.”

”Honest? That's a lark!” she said disgustedly. ”You pretended to esteem me!””Don't pretend your innocence! You wanted my t.i.tle and my fortune, just like every other woman I haveever met in my life,” he said through gritted teeth. ”You were desperate for a match!”

”And you were desperate for an heir!” Ava retorted hotly. ”Apparently, the only way you might sire a

legitimate heir is through a deceit of feelings, for you are incapable of any real feelings.”That turned his expression so dark that she thought for a moment she might have gone too far. ”Youknow nothing-”