Page 156 of Snowbound Surrender

“And how long did it take for him to visit you?’

Scarlett sighed.

“I pushed him away after our wedding. I hadn’t expected him to be so … attractive. And charming, when he puts his mind to it. I was scared by all you had told me. I built up walls around myself so that he couldn’t find his way in, couldn’t cause me to care for him, to hurt me as Father hurt you. But … but Mother, not all men are like father.”

Her mother began to wring her hands together in her lap.

“I understand that, Scarlett, but look around at the couples of theton. How many are happy — truly happy? There are far more men with mistresses than there are men without.” She tilted her head to the side, a sad expression on her face. “You had to be married, of course, and Lord Oxford seemed as good a man as any. I simply hoped you would understand, would have more sense than I did as a newly married woman. I had so muchhope, Scarlett, so much love, and your father … well, it seemed he did at first too. But then.…”

She shook her head sadly, and Scarlett’s heart broke at the fluid in her mother’s eyes.

“I so badly tried not to love him anymore, Scarlett, truly I did, but I just couldn’t help myself. He used that love against me, to keep me with him, to keep me hopeful. Only with age and wisdom did I finally come to understand that it was never to be. I don’t want you to have to go through what I did.”

Scarlett took both her mother’s hands in hers, clasping them tightly as she tried to impart the strength her mother needed so badly.

“I love how much you care for me, Mother, truly I do,” she said. “But Hunter … he loves me, Mother. He told me so.”

Virginia’s eyes roved over Scarlett’s face, and despite the gentleness of her next words, Scarlett could feel the slight rebuke in them.

“When did he tell you this?”

“Last night.”

“What were you doing?”

Scarlett’s face flushed. She certainly couldn’t answer that question, not to her mother. But Virginia smiled ruefully at her, apparently guessing the truth.

“A man will say anything in the throes of passion,” she said. “Scarlett, I am not telling you not to be a good wife, not to be with him, or have a family with him. I simply want you to be careful, all right?”

“All right, Mother,” Scarlett said in order to appease her. “I will.”

Hunter had nearly forgottenabout his promise to Lavinia to attend tonight’s dinner. Now that Lady Halifax had arrived, however, he was more than anxious to get out of the house. Lady Halifax was polite enough to him, but she looked at him as though he were a fox in a hen house. He had to continually remind himself that he was Scarlett’shusband, not a blighter out to deflower her and then leave her behind.

Although, he supposed, that was somewhat the truth of their situation. He would prefer not to leave her, but rather wished she would come with him. In fact, that was just what he wanted to speak with her about before they made their way to Nia and Baxter’s.

He knocked on the door to her adjoining room. At her call to come in, he cracked open the door, finding her struggling to dress.

“When you gave the staff the day off, did it not occur to you to keep more than a scullery maid in the house for tasks such as these?”

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised, and he chuckled as he walked over to her. “Turn around,” he said, tying her stays and then helping her bring the velvet silver gown over her shoulders. For a moment, he thought he should divest her of all her clothing entirely, but they were already running rather late and Lavinia would have his head if he put her off once more.

“Scarlett,” he said as he slowly fastened her buttons. “You know I will be returning to London shortly — likely in the next couple of days.”

She nodded but said nothing.

“I’d like you to come with me. Please.”

Her eyes flew up, meeting his in the mirror. He could sense the panic that registered there, and while he didn’t want to push her to do something she so clearly despaired of, he didn’t want to think of leaving her behind now.

“No!” she exclaimed, shaking her head wildly. “I will not go to London. I told you this months ago, and again when you arrived.”

“Yes,” he responded, needing her to understand. “I remember. But I thought things may have changed, that you may have warmed to our … situation, become more open to the possibilities that may await us there.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You mean the possibilities that awaityouthere.”

“Things have changed,” he said, his voice low and husky.

“We have been together one night,” she said without emotion. “That doesn’t change everything.”