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Every time he opened his mouth, he made things worse. He knew he was behaving like an arse and yet he couldn’t seem to do otherwise. So he took refuge in being the Duke of Troubridge and continued to behave like an arse.

*

Madeleine was informed by the duke’s servants that he wasn’t in residence at Berkeley Square—he was at his country seat. She decided to make the journey into Leicestershire. It was not her preferred option, but perhaps she could contrive to send word to him and seek an interview in private?

*

On the third day, Robert’s mother bailed him up and demanded that he repair the situation.

“I have received several letters from my acquaintance in town, asking if it is true that your new bride was caught in flagrante with Viscount Ashford! I cannot return to town with Ava until you fix this! You must do something, Robert. You know as well as I there was nothing in it, yet you are punishing Sarah unmercifully! What is the matter with you? I thought you loved her!” He had seldom seen his mother so furious.

He paced to the fireplace, his back to her. “I do!” he admitted wretchedly. “But she doesn’t love me!”

“Doesn’t she?”

“How could she, after the way I have behaved?” he turned back toward her, his eyes stinging.

“I’ve made a mess of it, Mama. I don’t know what to do!

She won’t speak to me! I pressed her to offer me an explanation, and she turned me off, said I should apply to Ashford for an explanation.

” He couldn’t admit that the real problem was Lannister and his own behavior, that he had made only one meager attempt to speak to his wife about it before giving up.

He had never loathed himself so much as he had in the last few days.

“Perhaps you should. The rumors are that Caroline has left him.”

“What?” He stared at her aghast. My God have I destroyed Emrys’s marriage with my intemperate behavior?

Is there no end to the damage I have caused?

“Then Caro must believe there is something in it! Why would she—?” He stopped, reflecting on the little that Emrys had let fall when they’d spoken in his study.

Guilt sent a spike through him. Emrys was his friend, and he had done this to him!

He chewed his lip. “You’re right. I do need to talk to Ashford.

” He bent to kiss her cheek and strode to the door, feeling a bit better now he had some sense of direction.

He turned back at the door. “Will you tell Sarah where I have gone and why?”

“You would be better to speak to her yourself,” Mama looked at him with a frown.

“I know, but—Mama, I fear she won’t talk to me, and I feel so horribly to blame for this. I feel I must set things to rights before I try to speak to her,” he confessed, feeling like he was five years old again.

His mother’s expression softened, and she rose from the couch and gave him a hug.

“I’m glad you’ve realized it’s your fault. All the same, you should hurry back, or you may find she has left you !”

He swallowed. “Please don’t let her leave before I get back! I shall return to beg her forgiveness, which is what I should have done days ago.”

“I still think you should speak to her now, but I understand why you feel you need to settle things with Ashford first. You were always one for taking responsibility. I’ll tell her that.”

“Thank you, Mama.” He kissed her cheek again, and she patted him with an awry smile.

“You’re very like your Uncle Ingram by all accounts. I never knew him, but your father always said so. It’s why he admired you so much.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Your father loved you, Robert. He thought the world of you, he was so proud. He loved all of his children, but you were special. To both of us.” She blinked and swallowed.

“Oh, Mama.” He hugged her. “I must go, but thank you for telling me that, it—it means a great deal.”

*

Sarah received the news of Robert’s leaving for London with mixed feelings. She was glad that he was going to talk to Emrys, for only then would he surely understand that he had blown everything out of proportion. But she was sad that he hadn’t come to see her before he left.

The afternoon dragged, and she put on her bonnet and cloak to walk in the grounds. Returning to the house an hour later, she found a dainty carriage with two horses drawn up to the front entrance.

Entering the front hall, Sarah put off her bonnet and cloak and asked, “Who is our guest, Jardin?”

He looked uncomfortable, flushing faintly. Since Jardin never looked discomposed, this alerted her that something wasn’t right. Just then the dowager duchess’s voice, raised in indignation, came to her through the door of the ground floor front parlor.

“How dare you come here with your lies, you strumpet! Leave at once or I’ll have you tossed out!”

Alarmed, Sarah crossed the hall and flung the parlor door open. The duchess stood quivering with indignation before a vision of loveliness. Sarah was struck breathless by the other woman’s beauty.

She was petite and garbed in an expensive green pelisse trimmed with fox fur over a matching green walking dress.

She had dark, glossy ringlets beneath a fashionable poke bonnet and her heart-shaped face featured a perfect nose and rosebud mouth, creamy skin and the most unusual violet eyes, large and fringed with long dark lashes beneath beautifully arched brows.

“Sarah!” the duchess changed color from the red of indignation to pale alarm.

“My dear, this is nothing you need to be concerned about. Miss Kinsella was just leaving!” The dripping scorn with which she uttered the name made Sarah blink, and she didn’t miss the young lady’s flinch, nor the faint tremor in her bearing under the lash of the dowager’s tongue.

The young woman directed those large violet eyes at her and said in a sweet, winsome voice, “You must be Robert’s duchess.” She curtsied as she uttered these words, and Sarah’s heart flipped and a sick feeling stole into her stomach.

“I am,” she said slowly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

“My apologies, I would have much preferred to speak to Robert about this privately, but I’m informed he is not here. Is that the case?”

“It is.” Sarah gripped her hands together tightly, willing herself not to fall apart. “How may I help you?”

“Sarah, my dear, this doesn’t concern you. Please leave, now!” said the dowager, trying to shepherd Sarah to the door.

Sarah evaded her and said quietly but firmly, “I believe it does. Miss Kinsella, is your name Madeleine, by any chance?”

The other woman colored faintly. “You’ve heard of me?”

“I have.”

Behind Sarah, the dowager groaned and tottered to a seat. Sarah ignored her, her heart thudding hard.

“What did you wish to speak to my husband about, Miss Kinsella?”

For the first time, Miss Kinsella—Madeleine!—seemed a little discomposed. “I am sorry to bring this to you, Your Grace, but I am with child.”

Sarah had been braced for it, but the words still hit her like a lash. She stiffened her legs to prevent them buckling and breathed rapidly to stop the wave of faintness that threatened her senses.

“Sarah, don’t believe her. It’s all lies!” urged the dowager.

Madeleine stiffened, her face turning pink and sudden tears starting to her eyes. “I assure you, it is not!”

“Then why have you waited until now to come forward with this tale, you wicked girl?” snapped the dowager.

“To be truthful, I had hoped that Robert would come back to me. And then I learned of his betrothal and marriage and”—she stopped, her voice choked by a sob—“I was so cast down I didn’t have the spirit.

But when I learned of the scandal—!” Her large eyes flashed at Sarah and a look of derision flickered across her face.

“I thought of his hurt, and I wanted to comfort him!” She uttered this with a kind of defiance that Sarah, through the miasma of her own pain, found strangely touching. This girl loves him?

Sarah swallowed, drawing on all her self-possession, and said calmly, “You were right to come.”

“Sarah!”

“The duke would wish to be apprised of such a circumstance; I am confident he will do the right thing by you.” Sarah clutched her hands tightly in front of her.

She had to believe he would, or everything, absolutely everything she believed about him, was false.

Her head was too thick at the moment to work out when this could have occurred.

Daphne had warned her he had a mistress. Sarah had hoped he had ended things with her, and Miss Kinsella’s words indicated that he had. I had hoped he would come back to me... So, it must have occurred before they’d parted ways.

“The duke is in London. I am sure if you return there and ask to speak with him, he will hear you out and—and make all the suitable arrangements,” said Sarah. “Should that not be the case, please apply directly to me. I give you my word you will not be abandoned.”

“You are most gracious, Your Grace,” Miss Kinsella bobbed her a curtsy. She glanced at the dowager, bobbed her a curtsy, too, and left the room.

“Sarah, have you run mad?” the dowager wiped her face with her handkerchief.

“Mama Duchess, do you know Robert so ill that you think he would abandon someone he was responsible for?” asked Sarah.

“No, of course not. But we have no way of knowing if what she says is true.”

“No, but Robert will,” said Sarah doggedly.

“Women like her make their living by lying.”

“I don’t believe she was lying; I think she truly cares for Robert.” Sarah swallowed and blinked. “If you will excuse me, I—think I need to lie down.”

“Oh, of course, you poor child!” said the dowager, rising and rushing to Sarah’s side. She put her arms round her. “Such a shock! You took it very well. I’m extremely proud of you. And Robert would be, too.”

Sarah smiled weakly and hugged her back. “Thank you, Mama.”

“I’m just thankful Ava didn’t appear. That would have been disastrous! Go and rest, you poor girl. I think I will need a little rest myself.”