Page 45 of The Secret Love of a Gentleman (The Marlow Family Secrets #3)

In the drawing room after dinner, Rob’s cousin Gregory approached Caro.

He was the complete opposite of Rob; Gregory was brash and bold and laughed easily, at his own humour.

Rob had spent his evening quietly willing himself into the background.

She had not noticed until now, that among his family he was more silent in nature and he did not often engage with his male cousins.

Fortunately, she did not have to endure Gregory’s company for long. He and his counterparts made their excuses and left to go to a gentlemen’s club.

‘Caro, will you be my partner for a game of whist?’ Mary called.

Caro agreed as the group parted.

Some of the men and women talked in a huddle, many of Rob’s female cousins gathered about the pianoforte and three tables of card games were established.

As Mary dealt to their table of four, Caro noticed Rob was not in any group. He stood on his own, to one side of the room, cradling a class of what she presumed was a liquor. He looked as though he were brooding. He had spent the entire afternoon with that gloomy expression on his face.

She heard the conversation at the table that had understandably irritated him. But he had been quieter all day. The confidence and joy he expressed in life when he was with Mary and Drew ebbed away when he was with the rest of his family.

Caro played half a dozen hands of cards with Mary, and they won four, but then she excused herself. ‘I need the retiring room, excuse me, I shall bow out of the next hand.’

‘Eleanor!’ Mary called one of her cousins. ‘Would you join us?’

When Caro returned to the drawing room, Rob was standing in the same place, with the same closed-off expression.

‘A penny for them,’ she said as she approached him.

He looked at her and smiled, with closed lips. ‘Have you come to tell me to stop sulking too?’

‘Are you sulking?’

‘Probably.’ He laughed – at his own expense.

He drained his glass and set it down on the chest, before sliding his hands into his pockets.

‘Who accused you of sulking?’

‘John, this afternoon, and my entire family, I think.’

‘Why?’

‘Did you not hear them at dinner? You do not have your family, so it may be in bad taste for me to complain to you, but on occasion having a family that cares about you is worse than having none. They all interfere and tell me what to do with my life, and if I do not take their advice I am in the wrong. And here I am, yes, sulking, when I have the luxury of John’s gifted income.

’ He laughed at the end of his stream of words, his eyes glittering but not with humour, it looked more like anger. ‘I really am sulking, aren’t I? ’

‘Or perhaps it is just that you have pride, and a conscience.’ She touched his upper arm. ‘You are only one and twenty. There is plenty of time to fulfil your plan.’

‘I hope you do not think that means I am too young to know my own mind.’

‘I did not say that, and I do not think it.’

‘What age are you, Caro? I have no idea.’

‘Seven and twenty.’ She saw no reason to not answer; it was better he knew. She had known the differences in their age from the first. ‘Does it change things between us?’ she said more quietly.

‘No.’ He shook his head vigorously as though she had asked a ridiculous question.

‘Robbie. Caroline.’ Their private conversation was brought to a close as Lady Forth joined them.

‘I am hosting a ball the day after tomorrow, Robbie,’ Lady Forth stated. ‘Will you come? I did not have your address to send an invitation. Your mother will never forgive me if I do not persuade you. They are returning to town earlier than planned to attend.’

‘Thank you, yes.’ Rob nodded, but his expression and voice said he did not want to go.

He was truly out of sorts tonight.

‘The ball is short notice because it is to host a friend from the horse-racing community,’ Lady Forth explained.

‘I had planned for Alethea to make her debut at a ball this autumn, but she had a chill when we left Yorkshire, so stayed at home with Susan. Now Alethea has recovered, poor Susan has come down with a chill.’

‘It is nothing serious, though?’ Rob asked.

She touched Rob’s arm in a gesture of affection.

‘She has a mild fever. If it was serious I would go home, Robbie, dear. No, she will recover soon enough, and I will go home after the ball. At least, I do not have to fret about guests being able to attend at such short notice, it is a given when the Pembrokes are invited that the ball will be a crush. There are so many branches to your family, and so many titles. The influence of your family is significant…’ Lady Forth laughed.

Caro felt the penny she had offered to trade with Rob earlier drop through her thoughts.

She understood. He was a descendent of the Pembrokes through his mother, yet he had no influence.

Rob was his father’s heir but he had no title to inherit.

The weight of comparison must hang over him when he was among his family.

He felt inferior. That was why he felt so strongly that he needed to prove his worth.

You are equal in my eyes. No, you are better.

Now Lady Forth had joined them, a small group grew about him, and he spoke, but unwillingly. Caro remained near him, as he had done for her today, his silent supporter, as his aunts attempted to cheer him.

She wished to hold his hand and tell him she understood. After all, she, as much as anyone, knew how it felt to be the odd one out.