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“Why? Did you expect me to languish abed so soon after my marriage?” she retorted.

The Earl of Southford looked properly abashed. “You are cross with me.”

Who would not be cross with a brother who tried to marry her off to a man she did not even remotelylike? And not just once, buttwice.

It would be quite some time before her relationship with Alexander could be mended. Add to that his extreme lack of awareness when he sent her an invitation to the opera and she was looking at maybe a score or more years before she could properly forgive him.

“You cannot be holding a grudge against me.” He looked truly appalled. “I only had your best interests at heart, Scarlett, and so did Mama. You know that.”

Her mama, she could believe that. But Alexander was an entirely different story.

“Youpromisedme,” she told him, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “After Father died, you promised you would not betroth me to someone not of my own choosing.”

“But we both knew George for quite some time?—”

“Then perhapsyoushould marry him instead,” a low growl came from the door.

Scarlett craned her neck to find Hudson leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. He regarded Alexander with barely restrained anger, his eyes as dark as a stormy sky.

“Your Grace…” Even her brother was rendered speechless by the sight of him.

Scarlett sighed inwardly. Her husband seemed to truly enjoy frightening people with his mere presence.

“Husband.” She smiled, walking up to him and pressing a gentle kiss to his stubbled cheek. Goodness, but he looked wild enoughto tear a dandy like her brother apart. “I thought that you had business matters to attend to.”

He looked surprised for a moment, but his answering smile was cutting. Absolutely wolfish.

Undeniably heart-stopping.

“I was made aware that family was calling,” he told her, his voice warming by a few degrees. When he looked at Alexander again, his eyes turned frosty once more. “Your sister and I meant to stay in the country for an extended period after our wedding.”

Her brother looked visibly chagrined at having to be reminded of that particular fact.

“But seeing as you could not wait for us to return to Society—” Hudson’s grin flashed cold and dangerous. “I could always make an exception for family, especially where it concerns mywife.”

Scarlett nearly rolled her eyes at that. How many times did he have to hammer in the point that she was married tohim? For a man who refused to come to her bed, he seemed to enjoy the title ofhusbanda little too much.

“W-Well, yes,” Alexander stammered. “Glad to see that, Your Grace. I shall, erm, let Mama know that you will be attending the opera, too.”

Hudson gave a subtle nod like a monarch granting a mere peasant his favor. “Do tell the Dowager Countess that she may visit Wolverton Estate anytime she wishes.Ourdoors are always open for her.”

Alexander flashed a nervous smile. “She will be pleased to hear that, Your Grace.” He nodded to Scarlett. “Very well, Sister. I shall be off.”

Scarlett looked at him in concern. He had turned from pale to red and then back again so quickly that it was a miracle he had not swooned on the carpet.

Hudson did not even bother to offer to see him off.

“Well, that was not very nice of you.” Scarlett frowned. “Alexander was also visiting.”

“Your brother seems to have conveniently forgotten that you are not just his younger sister anymore,” Hudson bit out. “You are my wife. The Duchess of Wolverton.”

His eyes flashed with a possessiveness that caused desire to pool low in her belly, coiling like a viper poised to attack.

“You aremine, Scarlett,” he snarled at her. “Mine to protect—even from your idiot of a brother.”

“Alexander is not an idiot!” she protested. “Well, not all the time.”

It took her a moment to realize that she had not objected to his possessiveness, merely his opinion of her brother’s intellect.