Page 180 of Rogue of My Heart

She slowly sank back down upon the settee. Her entire body was shaking and she knew her legs wouldn’t be able to support her any longer.

She put a trembling hand to her mouth, too distraught to even let any tears fall. She hadn’t imagined it, she knew that much. She had overheard Michael speak of another woman — Petranella — had even heard him mention that Albina couldn’t know about her.

So what other conclusion was she supposed to arrive at?

But after that explosion, now she had to reassess everything. Michael had seemed so… adamant, so brutally honest in his innocence, that now she began to doubt where her imagination had led her.

She put her face in her hands.

Unfortunately, it had been too easy to think that her husband was keeping sordid secrets from her. Even after the night where she had dared to dream that they were finally going to be able to get past their differences and make amends, she had dared to see him in the worst light come morning. She claimed that she loved Michael, but would she condemn him so easily if that were true?

Maybe he was right and they should just petition the church for a divorce. But not only would it be a trying and expensive ordeal, just as he claimed, but then they would truly be alone. As it was, she still felt that tenuous thread of affection between them, that connection, but after today, she might have very well severed that last tie, where there was no going back.

Or moving forward.

In spite of her doubts, she might have very well just broken her own heart.

“Oh, my lady! There you are!” Mrs. Humphrey burst into the library with a harried look on her face.

Albina instantly got to her feet, but something told her she already knew why the housekeeper was so upset. “Has something happened?”

She nabbed a handkerchief from her dress pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “Oh, in all my years I’ve never even heard of such a thing!” She

* * *

turned her weathered face to her mistress and cried, “The master is leaving!”

The blood drained from Albina’s face. She knew Michael was mad, but she never expected this. “Leaving? Where does he intend to go?”

The older woman threw up her hands in exasperation. “He said he would be taking rooms at the local inn until the St. John’s Eve celebration.” She shook her head. “I just don’t know what’s brought this on, my lady. I can’t imagine why he would suddenly leave his own estate in order to seek… lodgings in the village! Oh, it’s just unheard of!” she wailed. “What will people think?”

That his wife is a beast to live with… “I’ll see if I can talk to him.”

Mrs. Humphrey reached out and grasped Albina’s hand. “Oh, my lady, that would be ever so kind if you could convince him to stay.”

Albina wasn’t sure she’d have much luck, but she went upstairs to Michael’s chamber. There, she found that he was, indeed, packing a bag to depart, his towering form hunched over the bed. His valet wasn’t in sight, having likely run away in horror at the way her husband had just thrown clothing asunder.

At a loss of what to say, she cleared her throat delicately, finally gaining his attention. He shot a dark look over his shoulder. “What are you doing here?” he snapped. “I thought we’d already said everything there is to say.”

Since she didn’t know how to reply to that, she thought of the dear housekeeper and said, “You don’t have to do this. Mrs. Humphrey is beside herself.”

This caused him to pause. “That is regrettable. I never wanted to upset her.”

She sighed heavily. “Look, Michael. We are two, responsible adults.

Surely you can manage to put up with my presence in this house until Wednesday.”

“And what might change then?” he asked with a snort.

“I’ll be returning to London, of course.” Again, he hesitated, but this time he turned to face her fully. She waited for him to speak, but when he didn’t, she went on. “I would leave now if you prefer it, but I have enjoyed working on the arrangements for the St. John’s Eve celebration on Tuesday evening. I promise that as soon as the clock strikes midnight, I will be back on the road to London and you never have to see me again.”

She turned her face from his direct stare, swallowing heavily. “I’m sorry about earlier. I may have reacted… prematurely, but please understand, I never meant to hurt you, nor was my purpose in coming

* * *

back to Beauley Hall to cause you more difficulty. I only wanted to see if things could be… better between us. Now that I know they can’t, I will remain at Baine House.”

She knew the next sentence she uttered would be her undoing, but she also knew that it needed to be said. “I don’t see a cause for divorce unless you are set upon the course, and if that is the case, I won’t contest it.” She held her breath, waiting for him to reply, but when he didn’t, she turned to leave. She paused at the door, saying over her shoulder. “Goodbye, Chael.