Chapter 35

Chapter 35

William was glad his mother-in-law was much improved. She was even out of bed and sitting in the parlor with her husband and Louise, but Charlotte had not been with them. To his surprise, she had returned home earlier. He must have missed her along the way, which made him chuckle. She evidently also missed him and wanted to return home, and he had missed her so much that he had come to her parents' house.

"Silly," he muttered with a smile.

They should have perhaps sent each other notes; that way, they would have known their whereabouts. William made a mental note to discuss this with his wife once he returned home. He was almost there and could hardly contain his excitement. He was undecided about how to greet her—with a kiss or a hug.

He preferred a kiss, but he didn't want to overwhelm her. The carriage suddenly lurched to one side, making him bite the inside of his cheek. William immediately tasted something metallic and realized he was bleeding.

"Well, no kissing then," he said.

Not until he rinsed his mouth with salt water and perhaps ate something sweet like a strawberry or pineapple. Charlotte loved both fruits, which was likely why she had tasted so sweet. He stroked his lower lip as he recalled their first kiss. His wife would be shocked if she knew he had wanted to haul her onto his lap and kiss her thoroughly.

That brief peck on the lips had merely whetted his appetite. There was so much more to come—so much more. First, he would let her grow used to little pecks here and there, and then, when the time was right, he would move her into his room. William laughed. He was going to seduce his own wife into sharing a room with him—he didn't know if he was pathetic or a Casanova. Hopefully, the latter.

Finally, the carriage reached home, but he took his time climbing out. William needed to calm his excitement so he didn't overwhelm his wife. All he wanted to do was take her into his arms and never let her go again. She could sit on his lap during meal times, and he didn't mind assisting her with bathing.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, you fool," he muttered with a grin. "Small steps."

Nodding to himself, he entered his house and nodded in greeting at the servants. He frowned slightly, noticing their anxious expressions. Something was wrong.

"Where is my wife?" he demanded, heart in his throat.

However, no one needed to respond because he heard his wife's raised voice coming from the hallways. She was angry—that much he could tell. He just didn't know why, but he was about to find out. He approached his wife's voice, stilling when he heard his brother's voice. Henry was here.

"But you have," he heard his brother say. "You have blushed around me many times and accepted my offer to take you to your parents. I could name many other instances if you wish."

William frowned, wondering what they were talking about. He tilted his head to hear Charlotte's response, but her voice had lowered considerably. He could only pick up a few words.

"...me? Like you?" she said.

William's heart rate picked up until his ears thundered with rushing blood, and he ceased to hear anything. He might have heard wrong, but it seemed his wife had said she liked Henry.

"No," he whispered. "No, no, no."

William breathed in deeply and released it slowly. He needed to calm down and understand the situation before jumping to conclusions. He took another step toward his wife and Henry but paused when he heard his brother's words.

"Your life would be more exciting," he said. "We can travel the world and live a wonderful life. I am a far better match for you than William."

William groaned as his heart ached. He had told himself these very things whenever he considered whether he was good enough for Charlotte. However, hearing someone say these words just made his fears seem worse.

Unable to just stand there and listen to them anymore, William marched into the hallway and saw red as his brother put his hand on his wife. He had no right! The ability to think clearly ceased as he took Charlotte aside and stood before his smug-looking brother.

"You need to get out and never darken the front door of this house again," he hissed, jabbing a finger in his brother's chest. "I have had enough of your disrespect and attempts to seduce my wife. It stops here!"

William's chest heaved. He dropped his hand when the temptation to hit his brother became too strong. He didn't need to resort to violence. Not yet, anyway.

Henry's green eyes were wide with shock. William had never yelled at him like this before, but there would be more to come if he didn't listen.

"You seem to misunderstand me," his brother began. "Your wife is the one who seduced me. Do you think I am without women to entertain me? You know I have dozens of them at my beck and call. Why would I single out your wife?"

William frowned, briefly turning to his wife. Perhaps she would be happier with a younger man, but he didn't want to believe that. Taking his brother by the arm, he dragged him to the foyer and threw him out of the house. Henry struggled and spoke the whole way, pleading his innocence, but William was past the point of hearing.

"I never want to see you again!" William spat. "You are a disgrace to the family name and as my brother. Do not even speak," he added when Henry opened his mouth. "I have had enough of you."

With that said, William slammed the door shut and leaned against it for a moment. If only he had done this sooner. He straightened and adjusted his attire, buying himself a little time before he spoke to his wife. He had seen the look of hurt in her eyes and wondered if he had done anything to cause it. He hoped it had nothing to do with him chasing his brother out of their lives.