Part 29 (2/2)
driver, and gave him the direction of Ava's stepfather's house.And he continued to stare at her until the coach pulled in front of the Downey town house. As a footmanjumped down from the coach and ran up the steps to announce Ava's arrival -it was part of the protocol surrounding her new status as a marchioness-Middleton's frown darkened. ”You are making a rather grand mistake, wife. Have you no care for the scandal this will cause?”
”It can be no worse than the scandal in marrying you,” she said briskly. ”The mistake I made was in a.s.suming that marriage was somehow prescribed by a set of rules. In believing that if I followed those rules, I would have all that I need.”
”And don't you have what you need? Do you want for anything? Your sister and cousin-do they want for anything?”
”You know very well what I mean. I do not have what I need to be happy. I can't possibly be happy in your house. I am rattling an empty cage.”
His face darkened and he suddenly leaned forward. ”Ava...there is something I need to tell you.”
The door swung open; Ava heard Phoebe's squeal of delight and reached for the door opening. Thank G.o.d! She didn't want to hear how conflicted he was, how he hadn't come to love her, but he hoped to in time. ”Good-bye, my lord.”
”For G.o.d's sake, if you will just listen-”
”I believe we've said all there is to say,” she said, and took the footman's hand and climbed down.
Phoebe instantly accosted her, throwing her arms around her, pressing her face to Ava's bonnet, jumping up and down. ”You're home, you're home!” she cried happily, then reared back, grabbed Ava by the shoulders, and peered closely at her. ”You don't look the least bit different. Lucy said you would look quite different somehow.”
Ava forced a smile. ”I haven't changed in the slightest,” she insisted. ”I'm still the same Ava.”
Sally snorted at that as she lugged a couple of bags past Phoebe and Ava.
Ava wrapped her arm around Phoebe's shoulders. ”Come, then, I want to read Greer's latest letter,” she said, and tried to force Phoebe to walk inside.
”But what of Middleton?” Phoebe asked with a laugh, pulling back. ”I should like to meet mybrother-in-law now that he's been forced to live with-”
”Lady Middleton!” Lord Downey called sternly from the door, his hands on his thick waist. ”I would have a word with you if you please!”
”He's going to Middleton House,” Ava said, and ignored Phoebe's cry of alarm as she went to greet her long-absent stepfather.
She never saw the carriage roll away, but she heard it, and in Lucille's arms, she closed her eyes tightly shut to keep the tears from falling.
Middleton House was, Jared thought, quite empty and cold. There was not a redeeming thing about it as far as he could see-each room seemed stark and lacking any warmth. Just like him. Just as he was missing Ava, so was every room. She'd removed herself from him, and just like that, pieces of himself were removed from him, a little more every day until he worried there'd be nothing left of him at all.
He'd known for a while-days, maybe-that he loved her, truly loved her, and that he couldn't be without her. Unfortunately, she wouldn't listen to him. He'd waited too long, had allowed the hurt to boil over and seep into her bones.
Once he'd spoken to his father-who was in Scotland hunting at present-he would tell Ava everything. How he'd not been able to sleep because he missed her so, how he didn't care if she ever bore him a child as long as she stayed close to him. How he'd wanted to tell her what was in his heart, but given the circ.u.mstance of their marriage and some unfinished business, he'd not believed he could. How he would do anything-anything-if she'd only come back to him.
He'd already sent a note to his father requesting an audience when he returned at the end of the fortnight. He'd already bought the expensive diamond bracelet he would give Ava when he went to fetch her from her stepfather's house and bring her home. He'd done everything he must to commit himself fully to Ava and their marriage and their life together. He was ready. He was ready to love her, completely, unconditionally, solely.
Phoebe had questioned her endlessly as to why she had not returned to her husband's house while Lucy flitted around preparing for the soiree that Lord Downey, having determined he owed no dowry to Middleton for having taken Ava from his hands, insisted on hosting to welcome the happy couple back to London. That, and to begin the husband search for Phoebe.
”I can't possibly understand why you are not in his house,” Phoebe said. ”There is bound to be talk.””I don't care,” Ava said flippantly as she read the morning Times.Phoebe thumped her on the shoulder.”Ouch,” she exclaimed, glaring at her sister.”What happened?” Phoebe demanded.”Best you sit for it, mu'um,” Sally sighed as she flipped through the pages of a fas.h.i.+on plate, sprawled along the divan.
”As for you, Sally, I think there is a bit of dusting in the library that requires your immediate attention,”Phoebe said with a strength Ava had never really noticed in her sister before now.”Dusting!” Sally exclaimed. ”That's for the chambermaid to do!””Precisely. And as you may recall, we do not have chambermaids, so any maid may be required to do it.
” Phoebe pushed Sally's feet off the divan. ”And I would like a private word with my sister, if you please.””All right, all right,” Sally said grumpily, and went out.
Phoebe shut the door behind her and locked it just to be safe.
Ava tossed the newspaper aside and dug a gown Phoebe was working on from its hiding place in a cupboard. She held up a beautiful gold brocade glittering with tiny sequins-perfect for Parliament's reduced autumn season and all the festivities that went along with it.
”Do you like it?” Phoebe asked, wrinkling her nose.”Like it? It's beautiful, Phoebe.””I thought it was perhaps overly adorned.””No, it's beautiful.””Put it on,” Phoebe said as she picked up her sewing basket.Ava squealed with delight, turned her back to Phoebe so that her sister could unb.u.t.ton the gown she wore, then slipped out of it and pulled the gold one on.
”Now,” Phoebe said, as she fussed with the shoulders of the gown. ”I will have your answer-a truthfulone. Why have you abandoned your husband?””You know why,” Ava said as she admired herself.”No, really, I don't, and I am quite perplexed by it.”Ava leaned down, picked up the Times, opened it to the society page, and read aloud: ”The hunter becomes the hunted: A certain bit of hunting that began at the country estate of a popular viscount two weeks past has continued in town. Now it would seem the hunter has been caught in a zoo by the hunted, a lord of the highest order. The widowed hunter never had a chance of escaping, according to reliable sources.”
Ava tossed the newspaper aside. ”There you are, Phoebe. He has a mistress.”
Phoebe snorted. ”As do most of the married men in this town. Why should that have you so overwrought? You expected no more or no less when you married him.”
”Why? I will tell you why, Phoebe. Because I simply cannot bear it.”
”Why on earth not? Everyone does.”
Ava jerked around, knocking Phoebe's hands from her shoulders. ”I'm not everyone, Phoebe,” she snapped. ”I can't abide it.”
Phoebe replaced her hands firmly on Ava's shoulders and forced her around to the mirror above the hearth. ”You love him,” she said, and yanked the dress so tight that Ava wheezed. ”Don't you? For all your talk of convenience and fortune, you love him,” she said, and yanked the gown even tighter.
A tear slipped from Ava's eye, slid down her cheek, off her jaw, and landed on the flesh of her breast. ” Yes,” she whispered.
”Good,” Phoebe said with a smile, and put a little slack in her dress. ”Do you remember what Mother used to say? That a marriage is made for convenience and fortune, and rarely is it inspired? Well, Ava, darling, your marriage is inspired. You are a fool if you don't grab it and hold tight.”
”And if I hold on to it, he will wound me endlessly. Were it a true marriage of convenience, I'd not be slighted in the least. That is what Mother meant for us to learn.”
”Rubbish,” Phoebe said as she attempted to b.u.t.ton the gown. ”I rather think even Mother would have been quite happy to think that perhaps, just once, love might conquer convenience.” She pulled the dress again and sighed. ”The country air must do you well. I can scarcely b.u.t.ton you,” she said with a bit of a grunt as she struggled to fasten the dress.
When Phoebe had managed to b.u.t.ton Ava, she looked at her sister's somber reflection in the mirror, slipped her hands around her, and hugged her tightly. ”If you love him, Ava, then you must go to him.”
”No,” Ava said, tears in her eyes. ”He doesn't love me.”
Phoebe sighed wearily. ”You've always been uncommonly stubborn, haven't you? If he doesn't love you now, he will in time. How can he not?” She squeezed her sister affectionately and let her go. ”Wait there while I fetch a bit of chalk,” she said, and walked across the room to dig through her sewing basket.
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