Chapter 22

CHAPTER22

“Your Grace?” Harlow followed Emily to the front door, holding out a thick pelisse and a bonnet for her. “If you are to go riding again, at least put these on, I beg of you. It is growing cold outside. What would the Duke say?”

“The Duke? Pah!” She halted on the driveway and turned back to face the kindly footman. These last two weeks he had followed her around, offering help in any way he could. He was a kind soul, but even Emily was getting to the point of wishing he would turn his attention elsewhere. He was an extremely attentive footman indeed. “I do not think the Duke would notice if I fell off my horse when out riding.”

“That is not true, Your Grace. Of course, he would care,” Harlow pleaded, chasing after her as she turned to the stable once more.

Hurrying into the stable, she asked the groomsman to prepare her mare for her, then turned back to Harlow who still held out her pelisse and bonnet for her. He smiled a little.

“If you put them on, then I will leave you in peace for a short while,” he promised.

“Now that temptation is too much.” She jested and decided to take the pelisse and bonnet from him, catching sight of his smile as she did so. She latched the warm pelisse across her body and pulled the bonnet tightly around her head, turning to wait for the horse to be prepared. “Harlow, why is it that you follow me around so much?”

“It is my duty, Your Grace.”

“Yes, I had noticed, but you must have other duties besides running around after me.”

“I promised to ensure you were well cared for and had everything you needed.” Harlow’s words didn’t settle for a minute.

Emily was too caught up in reaching for the horse and pulling herself into the saddle, taking the reins from the groomsman whom she thanked for his work. As she turned the horse, ready to leave the stable, she registered exactly what Harlow had said.

“Wait…” Slowly, she turned in the saddle to face him once more. “I never extracted such a promise from you. Who would you make such a promise to?”

“Ahem.” Harlow cleared his throat, looking abruptly uncomfortable. He pulled at his cravat, trying to loosen it around his throat.

“Your attempt to hide a truth from me is failing miserably.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Come on, Harlow. What is it you are not telling me?”

“It is of no great matter,” he shrugged, obviously forcing a smile to his lips. “I simply assured the Duke that I would ensure you had everything you needed and were well taken care of. That is all.”

“The Duke?” She raised an eyebrow in skepticism, finding the idea a baffling one. “I think you must be telling me a small lie.”

“No, no, far from it.” Harlow stepped toward the horse, lowering his voice as he glanced over his shoulder, ensuring the groomsman had retreated enough that they could speak quietly without being overheard. “The Duke made me promise such a thing the night before you arrived at the house.”

“You speak as if the Duke cares what happens to his wife.” She supposed it was too brutal a statement to make, and certainly too honest, for poor Harlow’s boyish face turned into a look of shock. “Do not mistake the Duke’s attention toward me. He merely wishes to ensure his wife comes to no harm, but it is not care.”

With these words, she flicked the reins and darted out of the stable. She raced down the driveway and then turned off into the woodland, heading around the park attached to the estate.

The seasons were changing. Summer was gone, with Autumn fast approaching. The leaves had started to turn, with the green hues now changing to rich oranges and scarlets. Some of the leaves drifted down from the trees, covering the ground with their damp sheen. Emily urged the horse to race faster, so the two of them darted between the trees, scarcely avoiding the branches. They leaped over fallen tree logs, and passed a pond that she skirted around, being careful to make sure the horse didn’t muddy its hooves in the water.

When she reached the edge of the parkland, she traipsed up a hill, desperate for a view of the entire estate. She was tired by the time she reached the top, as was the horse, snorting and panting to try and recover its breath. Turning down to look down at the estate, her eyes dwelled on the manor house.

On such a gray day, the house looked cold and no longer as beautiful as it had been on the first day she had arrived. Her eyes darted across the gardens, hoping she would discover some sign of Jacob, but there was nothing.

“He keeps hiding,” Emily whispered, shivering as the wind whistled up the hill and buffeted her.

She’d been certain at some point that Jacob would come to her one morning to say that she would be sent to the country estate. After he had suggested such a thing two weeks before, surely, the eventuality was inevitable. Yet to her surprise, no such word came, and Jacob had not even spoken again of his idea that one of them should leave the house.

When they saw each other at mealtimes or in passing in the house, they no longer spoke. Emily’s attempts the first week had been stifled at every opportunity, so she no longer tried, for what was the point?

Turning the horse away from the top of the hill, Emily urged the animal down the other side, toward the edge of the estate and the London streets. She passed through a gate and into the busy roads, earning some curious gazes from passing tradesmen and horse riders. Choosing not to return any of their looks, Emily hastened down the road, intent on one destination.

It took an hour to traipse through the busy streets and find her father’s home, but when she eventually got there, the long ride was worth it. The butler opened the door and beckoned her inside with a warm smile and she was quickly shown into the parlor where Rachel and Bridget both stood.

“Emily!” Rachel jumped to her feet and moved toward Emily, embracing her warmly. Emily clung to her sister and didn’t pull back. She just kept clinging on, reluctant to let go at all. Rachel was the first to pull back, placing her hands on Emily’s cheeks as she looked into her eyes. “Are you well?”

“Well enough,” Emily replied tightly.

“Come, sit.” Rachel pleaded with her, dragging her across the room. Emily only released Rachel to embrace Bridget too and was soon placed down into the nearest armchair where Joey was deposited into her arms.

Finding comfort in holding her nephew, Emily sat back, her spine relaxing for what felt like the first time in two weeks. She rocked her nephew from side to side, admiring the features of his small face and his hands that made small grappling gestures. She offered him her hand and he clung onto one of her fingers.

I hoped I could have such a child someday. From the way Jacob is with me now, it is a wish that will never be granted.

“How are things?” Bridget asked, leaning toward her.

“Much the same as on our last visit,” Emily answered without looking up. She just focused on her nephew, fussing with him.

“What a sad situation this is.” Bridget sighed loudly and sat back down in an armchair. “This is madness, even!”

“Mad indeed,” Rachel mumbled and creased up the skirt of her gown, fidgeting repeatedly. “I thought the Duke was quite attached to you.”

“Quite?” Bridget repeated with a laugh. “I mistakenly thought he was besotted with Emily.”

“Then we were all mistaken,” Emily mumbled. She closed her eyes, briefly thinking of the night at the concert where she and Jacob stood together at the back of the room, talking intently. It was a remarkable evening, the two of them talking with so much ease, then ending up in that cloakroom together.

That version of Jacob seems a distant dream now.

“Clearly, whatever I thought of him was wrong. After marrying him I have discovered he is a distant man indeed, who cannot care for me at all. We have not said a word to one another for four days at least, perhaps even more.”

In her grasp, Joey wriggled. She adjusted the swaddling around his body, trying to keep him safe and warm in the chilly air.

“What he said still perplexes me,” Rachel murmured, shaking her head.

“Said? When?”

“All this conversation about taking care of you.” Rachel waved her hands in the air. Startled that the words were so like what Harlow had said, Emily looked up from the baby.

“What do you mean?”

“Wait.” Bridget sat forward and placed a hand on Emily’s arm. “Didn’t your husband tell you that he came to see us all two weeks ago?”

“To see you? No. He said nothing of it.” Emily shook her head, looking between the two of them. When Rachel and Bridget exchanged uneasy glances, she huffed. “I am still here, remember? Do not return to that old game now, communicating as if I am not here at all.”

“Of course not, it is just startling. I assumed what he had said to us he would share with you,” Rachel said in a rush.

“Say what? He has barely spoken to me at all!” Emily’s breath caught in her throat. She broke off, having no wish to say anymore in case it made things worse. She shook her head, adjusting her grasp on Joey.

“You tell her,” Bridget urged, addressing Rachel alone.

“Why me? You could tell her.”

“He came to your house and to see your husband too,” Bridget reminded her.

“Must I repeat my request of not talking as if I am not here?” Emily groaned aloud.

“I am sorry,” Rachel murmured and leaned toward her. She helped to adjust the swaddling around the baby before looking up and meeting Emily’s gaze. “He came to see us in a mad rush one day, riding through heavy rain.”

“He was soaked to the bone like a drowned rat,” Bridget added eagerly.

“Yes, my housekeeper was not overawed with the number of puddles he left in our house,” Rachel said with a little levity, but it was brief. “Your husband spoke of you needing to be cared for, protected.”

“From what?” Emily frowned deeply, falling still and stiff.

“He said that if anything were to ever happen to him, we should take care of you. He spoke as if he knew some impending doom was very near,” Rachel explained in a rush. “When I challenged him and said he spoke as if he was about to be run over by a horse and cart, he made no objection to the idea.”

“He didn’t really say anything to that point,” Bridget added slowly. “He just repeated what he’d said before. He wanted us to promise that you would not be left alone.”

“Why ask such a thing? What does it mean?” Emily said, sitting forward.

“We do not know.” Rachel shook her head. “There was only one conclusion we could draw from such a conversation. It sounded as if your husband feared for his health.”

“Did he say those words? Did he openly admit that there was something wrong with him?”

Both Rachel and Bridget shook their heads, adding nothing more.

Emily sat back again, her body going weak as she considered what her sisters had told her. Was it possible that there was something else afoot here? Something that she did not know about, or was Jacob up to more of his games?

“Maybe it has nothing to do with any sickness,” she mumbled, her words surprisingly weak. “He has talked of one of us going to the country estate, so maybe he intends to be the one to leave instead. Perhaps he considers leaving me alone and wants to make sure that I will at least have friends when he retreats from me.”

Emily felt abruptly sick, thinking of what would happen if Jacob left for the country estate. Did he intend to return to his life of being a rake when he was far away from the city and her? Would he bed many women in that country house whilst she was left alone here in London, dwelling on the thought of him, missing him?

“You do not trust him, do you?” Rachel whispered, her voice taking on a sad tone.

“Not for a moment.” The words fell quickly from Emily’s lips. “I suppose he has done nothing to inspire trust at any point, and this strange behavior these last two weeks only suggests that he resents my presence in the house and resents marrying me. That should hardly surprise me though, should it? After all, he never wanted to marry me. Daniel had to practically threaten him to do it.”

The three of them fell quiet, with nothing more left to be said between them.

Emily stayed for the light lunch that was prepared for them, though she picked at it, barely eating anything as she pondered over the news she’d had from her sisters. She set off riding again that afternoon and took a long route home, happy to take hours to return to the house.

It gave her time to think of what she had heard or go over the main possibilities, but she could make no more sense of it than she had been able to the moment she had heard it from Rachel and Bridget.

As she reached the house, she left the mare with the groomsman and walked into the house. To her shock, Harlow was there. He jumped up from the bottom of the stairs and rushed toward her.

“Do not tell me you have been waiting there all day for my return?” she pleaded as she shrugged off her pelisse and removed her bonnet.

“Not all day,” he said with a small smile.

“Hmm.” She wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. She turned, ready to escape across the house when she heard footsteps.

Turning away, she saw Jacob hurrying down the corridor. He had some papers in his hands and was perusing them intently, not looking where he was walking for a second.

“Jacob?” Her voice brought him to a sudden halt, looking up from the papers.

“How was your ride?” he said, the words sounding forced.

“That is what you wish to talk of?”

He didn’t answer for a second. He glanced at Harlow instead.

“Harlow, would you arrange for a drink to be brought to the study, please? I have to work.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” Harlow went in one direction as Jacob went in the other.

Emily rushed after Jacob, following him all the way to the study, though they halted together in the doorway.

“What is it? I have work to attend to?” he asked, blocking her path by placing a hand across the doorframe.

“You have a lot of work to do as of late. Every day and all the hours that God sends as far as I can see.” She stepped forward, intent on going with him into the study, but he did not move his arm, showing he had no intention of backing down. “There is something I must ask of you.”

“What is that?” He gestured to their position, clearly silently saying that they could have this discussion out here.

“Why did you ask my sisters and my brother-in-law to take care of me?”

He flinched, his hand adjusting on the doorframe beside him.

“Jacob?” she whispered, her voice softening. “Is there something wrong? With you, I mean? Something that I should know about?”

“No.” His answer was short and sharp. “I cannot talk about this now, Emily. Suffice it to say, it is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about? Rachel said you turned up at her house drenched to the bone, begging for their assistance—”

“It is nothing.” His voice was sharp. “I am your husband, and I made a vow to protect you. That is all I am doing here, ensuring that the vow is upheld.”

“What about the other vows? You seem happy to ignore them.” At her accusation, he paled, his jaw falling slack. “Jacob—”

“Here you are, Your Grace.” Harlow appeared down the corridor, carrying a silver tray with three different decanters resting on it, so Jacob could clearly have a choice of what to drink.

“Thank you.” Jacob beckoned Harlow inside and went in, showing no sign of continuing the discussion any further with Emily. “If you would excuse me, I have work to do.”

Emily stared at the closed door between them for a minute at least. Eventually, the door blurred and as she backed up, she realized it was because tears had filled her eyes. She hastened down the corridor, but in her effort to dry the tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands, she did not look where she was going. Stumbling against the banister at the bottom of the stairs, the tears wrenched through her.

“Emily?” Catarina’s voice called from partway up the stairs. Emily looked up to see her mother-in-law standing there with the healer woman at her side, Mistress Mayhew. “What has happened?”

Emily didn’t have the words. As she parted her lips, attempting to say anything, she capitulated. Her breath grew jittery as she dropped to the bottom step of the stairs and placed her head in her hands, crying fresh tears.