Page 25 of His Unexpected Duchess (Hearts of Whitmores #2)

CHAPTER 25

T hat evening was worse than the night before her wedding. Tossing and turning in her sheets, Joanna thought the ribbons of her nightdress might twist around her neck and choke her.

Sleep took hours to come, a hasty and unfortunate friend.

If it even came at all.

Still, she awoke at dawn damp with sweat, her chest heaving with labored breaths. She groaned, clapping her hands over her eyes.

“Goodness me, Your Grace, are you ill?” Aileen cried worriedly as she came into the room.

Opening her eyes just in time to see her maid stumble lightly with a tray in her hands, Joanna forced herself to rise. It was better to be seated, she thought, though her head hardly agreed. Her skull ached awfully, and her eyes felt dry and gritty.

“Not ill, perhaps, but not particularly well,” she admitted with a sigh.

Aileen frowned as she drew closer. Pausing at the side of the bed, she looked her over, concern etched on her face. “It is a good thing that I have brought you a tray. I think I shall prepare some willow bark tea and a posset. Only lavender, perhaps, but we must do something about your eyes.”

So they look just as dreadful as they feel. Wonderful.

“I appreciate the sentiment, Aileen, truly. But there are matters I must take care of this morning. I could not sleep because there is trouble at home. My father’s home, I mean,” Joanna added hastily when her maid hesitated to set the tray down on the small table by the window. “It’s what kept me up for most of the night.”

The worry gnawed at Joanna. One moment she feared for her father, the next she thought she must have imagined the whole thing, and the next she worried that she had missed a very important detail that would surely ruin everything. Ruin everyone.

Fear clawed at her throat as she tried to swallow.

“Aileen.” Joanna pushed back her tray. Her stomach churned. She’d managed only four bites, and now she felt like she might explode. “I’d like to dress now.”

She could hardly wait another minute to talk with Nicholas. Though her maid urged her to take it slow, to stay in her bed for as long as she needed, Joanna refused.

Wringing her hands, she made her way down the stairs. She feared that if she spoke, her greatest worry would materialize. All she could do was nod to the servants she passed.

A quick glance in the breakfast room showed her that Nicholas wasn’t there. The hour was still early. Usually, he would be enjoying his morning ride, but Joanna couldn’t imagine he would do that after last night. She hastened over to his study in the hopes of finding him there, busily drafting up a plan. But her knock went unanswered. When she poked her head inside, she found the space as empty as the breakfast room.

Her heart dropped. Where could he be?

Her nerves were getting to her. Biting her tongue to hold back what she feared would be a scream, she tried to think.

She started toward the hall. She had to find her husband. Nicholas had to be here somewhere.

“Oh, good morning, Joanna.”

She had just rounded the corner, thinking to go to the stables, when she heard Eleanor’s voice. She spun around too fast and stumbled backward. Ignoring her sister-in-law’s startled expression, she grabbed the wall to steady herself before hurrying toward her.

“Eleanor! Have you seen Nicholas?”

“Do you mean this morning?”

Joanna resisted the urge to strangle her. She clasped her hands tightly and mustered a thin-lipped smile. “Yes,” she forced herself to say. “Now, where is he?”

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen him for some time. We both were awake at dawn,” Eleanor confessed. She sighed and then frowned at her. “Dear me, is something wrong? What is it?”

Dread washed over Joanna. Her blood pounded in her ears.

“So you don’t know where he is?”

“Not exactly, I’m afraid. But he said he would be busy. I know he left some time ago. I think he took his horse for a ride.”

A shaky breath escaped Joanna. The panic was beginning to set in. Her heart rate quickened.

Eleanor’s eyes widened in alarm, as though she might faint.

Perhaps I will if I do not find Nicholas at once. He couldn’t have gone out riding at a time like this!

“A ride?” Joanna echoed, hearing the shrill tone of her voice. It pained her, but she couldn’t help it. “But that could have been some time ago. Why would he do that? You don’t know where he rode off to?”

“Why don’t we take a seat?” Eleanor tugged her down the hall, clearly much stronger than she looked. “I think you need to sit down, Joanna. You’re clearly distressed. What is it?”

Joanna tried to break free but then saw little point in it. But she knew she couldn’t confess everything to Eleanor. The household couldn’t have them both in hysterics. Besides, Nicholas wasn’t in danger. Was he?

Oh dear Lord, what have I done?

“No. No, I’m fine,” Joanna managed to say. “But I must find Nicholas.”

“Are you certain you don’t wish to take a seat? You look like you’re about to faint.”

“I would if I had the time.”

Now, Joanna did break free. Eleanor let her go, though her worried gaze lingered on her.

Joanna couldn’t look her in the eyes. She sucked in a deep breath, holding her ribs as though they might fracture. It certainly felt that way. “I must find him at once.”

Her sister-in-law hesitated. “Is he in danger, Joanna?”

“I will find him,” Joanna promised in reply.

She turned back to make her way to the stables. Her body, her soul, her very essence quivered with fear. And she itched with worry over what might have happened in her absence.

What if she had made a mistake? What if something had happened to her father? To Nicholas?

I cannot bear it. I must find him at once.

“You wish to ride?” the stableboy, Tony, asked her doubtfully. He was one of the new hires, and yet he could already tell that she wasn’t an experienced rider. He hesitated. “I shall ready two horses and find you a groom, then.”

“No, no groom. We haven’t time. I’ll do it myself if I must.”

Alarm flashed in his eyes. The others appeared to be busy, leaving him to deal with the lady of the house on his own—who now looked like a mad woman, Joanna thought.

She was breathing hard as she ordered him once more to saddle a horse for her. At last, he ran off to obey, eventually bringing out a horse after she’d worn a hole near the open doors.

“Thank you,” she muttered as he brought around a step for her to climb into the saddle.

She clutched the reins, and a shiver of trepidation went through her. She faltered. Riding still made her nervous. Especially without Nicholas. Did she really know what she was doing?

Doubt crept into her thoughts, making her second-guess herself.

“No,” she said aloud. “I must do this.”

“Your Grace?”

She jerked her head up, both hands on the saddle, and froze when she spotted her husband up the path through the mews. Hardly able to believe the sight, she watched him steer his horse in her direction.

With windblown hair and a loosened cravat, Nicholas looked nearly as undone as she felt. Her stomach clenched when he slowed his horse to a stop.

“Put them away,” she murmured to Tony.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

She moved off the step just in time to catch her husband’s gaze. His brown eyes gleamed in the early morning light. He ran a gloved hand through his wild black hair before sliding down from the saddle in one easy move. It was as graceful as a man stepping off the dance floor.

Her heart nearly stopped when he nodded.

What he meant to reassure her about, she didn’t know, but warmth flooded through her body nonetheless, and she felt the tension leave her shoulders.

“Joanna. Shall we go inside?”

She nodded, saying nothing as he glanced at the horse she had been prepared to ride to chase him down.

Tony grabbed the reins of their horses and led them to the stables, leaving them alone.

Nicholas took Joanna’s hand and tugged her back inside the house.

“I was coming to find you,” she said as she tried to catch her breath, unable to take the silence any longer. Her relief turned into frustration. “How could you leave me, Nicholas? You know how worried I am. Where did you go? Why would you go anywhere at this hour?”

“Come with me.”

She opened her mouth to protest but then grudgingly followed him inside and down the hall. His study was rather close, she supposed, but her impatience grew. Even with his steady grip on her hand, she wanted nothing more than to continue scolding him and demanding answers.

Then, they were inside his study, and the door was closed.

Turning around, Nicholas met her eyes. “I hired a few fellows to help us investigate. Take a seat, Joanna. Please.”

He didn’t wait for her to choose before he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her down into the chair across from his desk.

“One can’t very well point and shout out murder at the beau monde , after all. The ton would never allow it. But I needed to find out the identity of the man you saw.”

“I didn’t have very much to share,” Joanna remembered dimly. “He was simply another man.”

“Somewhat rough and wide and strong with short brown hair…” Nicholas repeated her description of the man.

She nodded slowly, noticing a curl falling over his forehead.

“He stood out to you in a quiet way. That’s what you said. He didn’t seem to be one of us.”

There was such a serious expression on his face. She feared that something had not gone well. Was that why he had forced her to sit down? Because he had awful news to share?

She swallowed. “I could have been wrong. I was, wasn’t I?”

His strong hands remained on her shoulders, and he gave her a comforting squeeze. “I need to tell you something.”

Putting her hands on his forearms, Joanna inhaled shakily. “Something did go wrong. I knew it. Oh, I knew something dreadful would happen. What was I thinking? What if––”

“I found the man,” Nicholas spoke over her. His voice was calm but firm—demanding even. He was a duke, after all. She watched him through wide eyes as he gave her a level look. “He’s staying in town at a nearby boarding house. His name is Edward Corner, and he’s the son of Lady Ely’s eldest brother—he’s Madeline’s cousin.”

Stunned, Joanna opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t find the words. This was not what she had expected. She closed her mouth.

Pressing her lips together, she tried to think. But her thoughts were jumbled up. It felt like an odd dream that she couldn’t wake up from. She couldn’t even pinch herself, since she couldn’t seem to let go of Nicholas. His arms were strong and warm and solid. She used that fact to ground herself.

She heaved a sigh as she felt her world shifting beneath her feet.

“Edmond Corner—that’s his father’s name,” she said in a small voice, not certain this was any better. She dropped her arms to her lap. All her strength had left her. “Beatrice hasn’t spoken to her brother for years. She wouldn’t speak to his son unless… unless Madeline was involved. Edward and Madeline grew up together, and she always said they were very close.”

Not missing a thing, Nicholas gently ran his hands down her shoulders and her arms. “Then you think your cousin could be involved.”

“I can’t. Not truly. But it’s the only thing that makes sense, I’m afraid,” Joanna confessed.

The thought broke her heart. Could she have misjudged her stepsister after all these years? Although they had never been close, she had thought they agreed on several matters.

But she had hardly seen Madeline since the wedding. Since she had met Nicholas, really.

“That would make sense,” Nicholas said. “They had to be careful not to raise any suspicions. Involving another party who was trusted by everyone would be ideal.”

As he spoke, Joanna thought back to that day Beatrice had first mentioned Nicholas. A rakish duke whom Madeline wanted nothing to do with. After the Countess had left the room, Joanna shared a rare hug with Madeline. She’d felt close to her then. They had suffered together, and she had thought they would find strength in each other.

Except that never happened, did it? I stole her chance to escape her mother’s clutches. I noticed how uncomfortable she had been of late. I must have misunderstood…

She thought back to her last meeting with her stepsister, trying to find a clue. She wanted to understand. She wanted to know what would push Madeline to endanger her father.

“Maybe I… Maybe it’s not…”

Nicholas let out another loud exhale, almost wincing. “I saw a physician enter the house when I passed by.”

Joanna’s breath caught. His words echoed in her mind, and she wished he hadn’t said them. Wished they weren’t true.

Why would a physician be needed at her old home? It had to do with Beatrice’s nefarious plans for her father.

Suddenly, the world was much too overwhelming for her. She rubbed her eyes and groaned. Was she in Bedlam and simply didn’t know it?

“I must leave at once.”

Nicholas nearly fell over when she jumped to her feet, forcing him out of the way. He stumbled back a step before he caught himself. She turned to the door when he reached out a hand to her.

“Wait,” he called.

“I can’t. I must go at once. If it’s my father––”

Joanna couldn’t say it. She didn’t dare. Her heart pounded, and she put a hand over her chest, silently begging it to calm down. She couldn’t bear this any longer. Especially not if she was about to lose her father.

What if she was too late? She had to go to him at once. She’d deal with the consequences after.

“I have to see my father immediately,” she declared as she strode toward the door.

Nicholas huffed. “Joanna, wait. We don’t know for certain. It could have been about anything. We need to stay here and make a plan before we race about town.”

“Race about town? Is that what you think this is?” she hissed. “This is my father!”

He met her at the door, frowning. “Yes, I know it’s your father. I know he’s your family. But I also know he’s not a very good man.”

That made her pause. “What did you say?”

“In fact, I would say he’s downright awful. He married a dreadful woman who had tortured you for years. He did nothing. He hardly cared about the marriage contract. He did one thing right, I’ll give him that, but the rest of it was about getting you off his hands. He’s a miserable, old fellow who made your life miserable as well,” Nicholas argued.

“He isn’t––I wasn’t––You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered. “That is, I didn’t mind.”

Nicholas’s gaze darkened. “I do.”

Joanna paused just long enough to admire his strength. Though he preferred to either tease her or disappear, she did like this about him. Her husband could be protective. Perhaps it meant he cared.

But she couldn’t linger on such thoughts right now, especially since she knew she was about to do something he wouldn’t approve of.

Wrenching the door open, she stepped into the hall. She quickened her steps when he reached for her, evading his grasp. Though she’d noted his hand out of the corner of her eye, she thought she might have sensed it more than seen it.

“Joanna––”

“There is nothing you can say to convince me to stay,” she insisted. “I shall take the carriage at once. I must be certain.”

He followed after her, offering apologies when she stormed past bewildered servants. “Joanna. Joanna, wait! Stay put. Won’t you just listen to me? Stop and listen. We should talk before you do anything rash.”

“I don’t think so,” she said as she stormed out of the house.

Exhausted from the lack of sleep and tired of doing nothing, Joanna had made a choice. It didn’t matter how awful her father had been to her. He could have been worse. And he didn’t deserve whatever her stepmother might do to him.

Several scenarios raced through her mind as she climbed into her carriage. Nicholas had followed, but instead of climbing in, he went to saddle his horse. He told her to stop, ordered her to stay put.

“We must be careful,” he said, among other things.

But Joanna was done listening. She took off, and he was left in the dust, calling after her and pulling at his hair.

I’ll have to apologize later.

Not now, she told herself. She had to think about her family. She needed to know what had happened that required them to send for a physician. She needed to be certain that her father was alive. And if anything had happened to him, if he had so much as a cut on his hand, then she was going to do something drastic.

“I don’t know what,” she vowed to herself, “but I shall.”

The ride to Crampton Manor felt terribly long. But at last, she arrived, and she bolted up the front steps. She pounded her fists on the door several times, knowing that she needed to get inside at once.

Trying to think of everything she had to say to her family, she exhaled loudly as she pushed the door open. She couldn’t wait for the butler to do it.

“Joanna?”

She stopped short. She was certain she looked just as surprised as Madeline did. Her stepsister stood in the foyer, dressed in a pale pink day dress, cradling her embroidery basket in her arms.

The two stood only a short distance apart, staring at each other.

Realizing how odd this had to look, Joanna tried to muster some semblance of propriety. She forced a smile. Perhaps if she was polite, she might learn something more. There was a saying about honey and flies, wasn’t there?

“Good morning.” She tried to smile wider. “I thought I would surprise you with a visit. The knocker is up, after all. And I heard about a physician making a call?”

“You are always welcome here. Come in, Joanna, and sit with me.” Madeline’s face split into a welcoming smile, and she immediately ushered her to the nearby parlor. “Shall I order biscuits? Tea?”

Here she was, pretending to make a call. Temporarily thrown off, Joanna awkwardly took a seat. All the thoughts she’d gathered were falling apart as if they had only ever been held together by a loose knot.

“No, thank you. I’m… I wanted to see you. To speak with you.”

“Oh?” Madeline asked cheerfully as she finally took a seat after setting her basket on the side table. She turned to face Joanna fully, and her smile faltered. “Is something wrong?”

Inhaling, Joanna nodded. She tried to think of Nicholas. He would handle a situation like this properly, with boldness and fortitude. Trying to act as he would, she said in a low voice, “I know everything.”

Her stepsister blinked several times. “Everything? I beg your pardon, I don’t understand.”

“Madeline!” Joanna hissed and glanced around. “You cannot pretend any longer. I know the truth. Though I might not have all the details, I know enough, and I won’t be fooled by you again.”

“I’m sorry, but…” Madeline murmured, her brow creased into a frown.

Just as Joanna leaned forward to reveal everything and demand to see her father, the door behind Madeline creaked open. Her shoulders stiffened as Beatrice strode into the room.

Shoulders back and lips curled into a strained smile, Beatrice eyed them with mild interest.

“I thought I heard you,” she said to Joanna. “What a rare… delight to have you here. I thought I saw you just last night.”

“Indeed. It was a lovely ball,” Joanna gritted out. “I thought I would thank you in person for such a lovely evening.”

Tsking, Beatrice stepped a little closer. “If it was such a lovely evening, then why didn’t you stay longer? Instead, you slipped away. That wasn’t very proper of you, my dear.”

Madeline shrank in her seat as her mother drew nearer. But she had nothing to fear, as the older woman’s attention was focused solely on Joanna.

As for Joanna, her courage was quickly faltering under her stepmother’s beady gaze. A small lump formed in her throat. She tried to remember how to hold her shoulders up, but she could feel them curving inward. Digging her nails into the cushions, she inhaled deeply.

Her stepmother still managed to unsettle her.

“But of course, I understand.”

Joanna froze. “You do?”

Ignoring her confusion, Beatrice nodded. Her smirk widened imperceptibly. “Dear, everyone understands. You only recently got married, and already you cannot keep your husband by your side. Everyone knows he slipped away and was caught flirting with a maid during the ball. I’ve already excused her, of course. Can’t have the staff thinking better of themselves. But what else is a lord to do? I shall have to provide better entertainment at the next ball we host. Don’t you think, Madeline?”

“I…”

Inhaling, Joanna closed her eyes for a moment to contain her anger. She hadn’t been beside Nicholas during every second of the ball. Had he been discovered flirting? There were a few pretty maids here that might have caught his eye. He could have been with someone while she was eavesdropping on her stepmother, couldn’t he?

That brought Joanna back to the heart of the matter. The woman was simply trying to distract her.

She huffed and glared at her stepmother. “Where is my father?”

“The Earl is abed,” Beatrice replied, before raising an eyebrow. “Where is the Duke?”

Joanna had left him, disobeyed him, to come here.

She blinked and shoved the thought away. She lifted her chin. “A physician arrived here today. Was it for my father?”

“That is hardly acceptable to say in polite company. You’re listening to gossip now? Really, Joanna. Didn’t I teach you better than that?” Beatrice tutted.

Standing up, Joanna crossed her arms over her chest. “My father. I wish to see him.”

Madeline glanced between them in bewilderment. “Is something wrong here? I didn’t know that a physician came to the house.”

“That is no longer your business, and I don’t appreciate you interfering in a household that isn’t your own. I would hardly dare to come to your house, Joanna, and make accusations?—”

Joanna’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t make any accusations!”

“Keep your voice down. It’s hardly becoming of a lady. I taught you to be a proper lady, to be good enough for a duke, but you are hopeless . You listen to no one,” Beatrice hissed as she grabbed Joanna’s arm and loomed over her. “You’re nothing but a weed in my garden, still growing no matter what––”

The sound of someone politely clearing their throat interrupted her rant.

They all turned to stare at the doorway, further surprised by the people standing there.

One butler. One magistrate. One duke. And one cousin.

“Nicholas?” Joanna asked in surprise, hardly believing her eyes.

Her husband had a hand on his hip and was breathing hard. “I’m here.” He used the other hand to usher the men inside. “I fear I have more news. Edward Corner has just been arrested.”

“Edward!” Madeline cried, falling back into her chair. “What has happened? What have you done?”

The young man, large and rough, flushed before hanging his head. “I’m sorry, Madeline. I thought I was helping you escape a dreadful man.”

“Who?” Joanna asked. “My father?”

“Oh, she doesn’t––”

“My Lady,” Nicholas said tersely as he shot Beatrice a cold look, “I would recommend you keep your silence.”

The magistrate—he looked familiar, though Joanna couldn’t quite recall his name—stepped forward. He was the third son of a dying viscount, and his eldest brother would soon inherit the title. She remembered seeing him with her father when she was younger.

“Speak all you like,” he said with a cheerful smile. “I’m thrilled to hear more of what promises to be a very fascinating story.”

“Sir Hammonds.” Joanna recalled his name, at last. “You’re Sir Hammonds.”

He gave her a wink. “Your Grace, a pleasure to see you all grown up.” Then, he turned to Nicholas and patted him on the shoulder, before nudging him further into the room. “This young buck discovered quite an interesting plot. Or, I believe, a certain duchess brought it to him.”

“Plot?” Madeline echoed, glancing around. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Don’t you?” Joanna spoke before she could think.

She turned to her stepsister and searched her bewildered expression before finally realizing the truth.

She didn’t know how it was possible, but Madeline truly didn’t understand what was happening.

“Oh. You don’t.”

Beatrice tsked from beside her as she finally let go of her arm. Joanna glanced down and wondered if her glove had been enough to keep any bruises from forming. She doubted it.

Meanwhile, her stepmother stepped up to the men. “This is all too much,” she announced. “What sort of circus has taken over my parlor? I must ask everyone to leave at once. My husband is unwell, and––”

“What?” Joanna gasped. “Where is he? I must see him at once!”

“I think,” Sir Hammonds said loudly to everyone, “that no one is leaving this room without my say-so. I have four Bow Street runners here, including two in the hall. Edward here has agreed to tell the truth.”

Edward nodded. In the daylight, he didn’t seem half as dangerous as last night. “I promise.”

“Very well then. All I need is our other troublemaker.”

The three men turned to look at Beatrice.

Reddening, she huffed and squared her shoulders. “I don’t know what sort of lies you have been told, My Lord, but I insist that everyone leave at once. No one was invited here. This goes beyond the bounds of propriety.”

“Stuff it!” Nicholas snapped.

Madeline gasped loudly.

“Oh, I never!” Beatrice cried, putting a hand on her forehead and collapsing on the nearby settee.

“I don’t think so, My Lady.” Sir Hammonds strode forward. “You’ve never fainted a day in your life, and you won’t start now. I knew the day Ely brought you home that you didn’t belong here. And now I have proof. Your nephew has already confessed to everything.”

Though her heart was pounding against her ribcage, Joanna was beginning to piece the story together. As Nicholas moved closer to her, she reached out and grabbed his arm for support.

“It was her, then. She plotted to kill my father?” she asked, needing confirmation.

Madeline gasped again. “What? Who?”

“She tricked me, Maddy.” Edward winced, his shoulders slumping even further. He was a large fellow, but now he looked terribly small. “She told me that you were unwell. That the Earl was hurting you. I thought I could protect you. It made me so angry that I was… that I tried…”

But he didn’t have to finish, for what he had already said was answer enough.

Madeline ran over to the large fellow and put her arms around him. “You poor thing. I wish you would have talked to me. I know you meant well.”

“He still does.” Sir Hammonds waved a sheet of paper in front of Beatrice’s face as she tried to swat him away. “I have it in her handwriting that she wanted her husband dead and was willing to pay for it.”

“Edward,” Madeline groaned.

Sir Hammonds crossed his arms over his chest. “Well? Are you going to walk, or are my men going to have to carry you out of here?”

“Oh, you wouldn’t dare!”

Joanna would never be able to describe the emotions she was feeling as she watched her stepmother be dragged out of the house by several Bow Street Runners, kicking and screaming so loud that several neighbors came out to watch. It would be in the gossip sheets for days.

“Tsk, tsk.” Madeline sighed on the doorstep. “That is so unladylike.”

She and Joanna stared at each other for a moment before they burst into laughter. Joanna wrapped her arms around her stepsister and clung to her. She should have known better. She wished she had better faith in Madeline.

“I’m sorry I suspected you,” she whispered.

“It’s all right,” Madeline murmured, before pulling back. “I’m sorry I have been distant. Mother has been more erratic of late. If I smiled at the wrong person… But I should have known she was up to something.” They glanced at the departing carriage and horses. “But to kill my stepfather… I would never have thought that she had it in her.”

“I’m only glad she’s been stopped,” Joanna said, before her eyes widened. “My father!”

They’d forgotten all about him, with everything that happened. The two of them hurried back inside, only to find a stranger on the stairs, speaking with Nicholas.

“Ladies.” Nicholas smiled when he saw them. “Meet Philip Carmichael, your father’s private physician. Ours as well,” he noted to Joanna. “Your father is doing well and is now resting.”

She could hardly believe it. “He’s alive?”

“It was merely indigestion,” the doctor reassured her with a smile. He was a tall and lanky fellow who had a youthful face and thick white hair. “I gave him a tonic and instructed him to avoid meat for at least two weeks.”

Knowing her father, that would not go over well. But Joanna nodded in relief, nonetheless. She could barely believe how the morning had gone. It all felt like a strange dream. But it was ending. Finally, it was ending.

“That is wonderful to hear.”

“Indeed. Do send for me if you need anything. Nicholas, it was good to see you again.” The doctor turned to Madeline. “Take care, My Lady,” he added politely and then left before proper introductions could be finished.

Efficient, however, and I like that. I like him. And I like that my father is safe and Beatrice is gone and Madeline is still here.

“What do we do now?” Madeline asked hesitantly, looking between Joanna and Nicholas.

Walking over to them, Nicholas offered a tight smile. “Now, we all get some rest. Then, I’ll see about quashing the gossip. Everything will be sorted by nightfall, ladies, I assure you. I promise,” he added when Joanna bit her lip.

She nodded. The trouble was over. It had to be.

Though she trusted her husband, Joanna noted the way his brown eyes bored into her. Just because her family’s problems were over didn’t mean their problems were over.

She still had to fix her marriage.