She Will Rejoice (9 page)

             
She only made it a few steps before Finn caught up with her.

             
“Naomi,” he grasped her shoulders but didn’t turn her around, “please come back and speak to me.”

             
She shook her head because she could not speak. Finn did not let go.

             
“Please,” he drew her back to his chest. “I am so sorry, Naomi.”

             
Naomi willed herself not to turn in his arms and bury her face in her chest. She took a fortifying breath and stepped out of his grip.

             
She hurried away, determined to gain her room before bursting into tears. Had she heard her husband’s sob, she would have turned and run to him, but Naomi was too focused on her own pain to deal with Finn’s.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Finn watched his wife hurry from him. He knew he had injured her, and it was probably irreparable. He ran back to his study and slammed the door. He dropped to the chair and buried his face in his hands.

             
What was he thinking, allowing Victoria to come into his study? When she turned the key in the lock, he just laughed. Her advances felt good after the way his wife had rebuffed him the last few days, but he should have known better than to give in to that.

             
Finn looked up at the door. Confused, he walked over and turned the key in the lock. Then he tried the door. How had Naomi gotten beyond the locked door?

             
He unlocked it and opened the door.

             
“Dillon!” he yelled as he strode through the house, not caring that he caused the downstairs maid to jump and nearly upend the vase she was cleaning.

             
The butler hurried around a corner, “Sir?”

             
By the look on the older man’s face, he must have thought there was an emergency.

             
Finn forced himself to speak softly, “Have you a key to my study, Dillon?”

             
“Of course, sir,” he frowned.

             
“And did you use it today?”

             
A look that spoke of guilt crossed the man’s face, “No, sir, I did not.”

             
Finn had never known his butler to lie, but the look of guilt coupled with the fact that Naomi, did indeed, enter a locked room made him suspicious.

             
“I was asked to do so, but I refused the request, sir,” the older man looked almost angry.

             
Finn inhaled deeply, “How would a person enter a locked room without a key?”

             
Dillon angled his head, “Sir?”

             
Finn was not going to explain the situation to the butler. The man probably already knew too much as it was.

             
“Never mind, Dillon,” he turned around and made for the stairs.

He was likely going to get a frosty response, and she probably would not give him a satisfactory answer, but Finn was going to ask the lady herself how she managed to bypass the lock.

              His knock was not met by a verbal response. Instead, she opened the door as if she had been waiting for him to seek her out.

             
“What do you want?”

             
Her tone irked him, but he was going to say what he had to say, “May I come in?”

             
She stepped aside so he could enter, but then she took her seat on a settee and picked up a book.

             
“So you will not hear me out?”

             
Naomi lifted her eyes and offered him a look that could only be described as loathing. Finn pressed passed the ache in his heart.

             
“I love you,” he said the thing he felt was the most important.

             
Her answering glare could have frozen the ocean.

             
He knelt at her feet, “I am fully aware what it looked like,” he continued though he doubted she was hearing him, “but I did not intend for it to occur.”

             
Her expression did not alter.

             
“It would not have gone any further,” he hoped she believed him.

             
Her eyes narrowed, “Surely, you do not expect me to believe that. You did not even hear me enter.”

             
He couldn’t resist, “How
did
you come in? I know Victoria locked the door, and you had to unlock it for her.”

             
Naomi looked momentarily surprised, but she soon reverted to the anger, “I suppose you would like to know, so it does not happen again.”

             
He grasped her upper arms, “It will not happen again regardless of what you tell me, love. It is my curiosity not my fear that makes me ask the question.”

             
She looked away from him, “I believed you once.”

             
His heart sank.

             
“I do not think I can do it again.”

             
Finn stood up and left her room, unable to bear her coldness anymore.

             
Naomi spent as little time with him as possible the following two days. Finn was frustrated because he did not know how to prove his regret if she would not remain in the room with him. He missed her, but he did not think telling her would change anything, so he kept his mouth shut.

For a few nights he joined her in her bed after she went to sleep, but she woke one morning before him. His eyes opened to her stare. He sat up and prepared for her questions, but they never came. Instead, she just rose and went to dress for the day.

Finn did not enter her room again.

They went together to her parents’ house for Christmas. Finn had not previously spent much time in conversation with any of her family. Had he been on better terms with Naomi, the experience would have been quite enjoyable.

Her brother, Asa, had a quick wit and was eager to converse on any topic. The younger man held a fondness for his sister that was as evident in the stories he told as in the way he spoke to her. Finn was pleased to see she maintained that relationship.

Before they left,
Asa drew him aside.

“Naomi seems a little out of sorts today,” his intense stare almost made Finn nervous.

“She is,” Finn did not see any good in trying to conceal it.

“Has she been this way very long?”
Asa pressed. “Her letters were so full of stories and hope, I had imagined her happy.”

Finn felt he could safely tell part of the story without completely implicating himself, “I believe she was happy, but I did something rather foolish, and she is not quite ready to forgive me yet.”

Asa nodded as though he expected as much, “What did you do?”

Finn laughed to cover his irritation at the question, “That is between my wife and me.”

Asa shrugged, “I suppose it is, but I’d like to make a recommendation.”

Finn doubted the man could offer him any helpful information, but he listened anyway.

“Don’t do it again.”

Finn wasn’t about to tell him this was already the second time she had caught him in a compromising situation.

“My sister has a memory like a bear trap. Once something is caught in there, it isn’t getting out.”

Finn bit back the groan and went to escort his wife to the carriage.

She seemed slightly more relaxed after seeing her family. Finn wanted to take advantage of the situation to improve their standing, but he feared stirring the waters.

He settled on a safe topic, “Your brother reminds me a bit of you.”

She had been looking out the window, watching the passing scenery. She glanced back at him but didn’t speak.

Finn tried again, “He enjoys conversation.”

“Do you think I talk too much?”

Finn was not expecting her to take that from his statement, “I said no such thing.”

“It was the implication.”

“No,” he tamped down his irritation, “conversation implies speaking and listening. Had I said your brother was a good talker, you could infer I meant you talk too much, but I did not say that.”

She blew an unladylike huff out her nose. It was so incongruous with her appearance and normal bearing, Finn couldn’t help but smile.

She noticed and scowled.

“I like it when you make that noise.”

She looked askance at him, “The noise of disgust?”

Finn’s smile dropped from his face, “Please forgive me for saying I like something about you.”

Naomi did not even accept his hand to get out of the carriage. He was pret
ty sure Randolph noticed, but the coachman was gracious enough to look the other way.

Finn
was pleased Naomi accompanied his mother and him to his sister’s home the following day. After their conversation in the coach, he was not certain she would.

His mother spent the carriage ride complaining about the cold, the ruts in the road, and the fact that Lord and Lady
Dunham could not be bothered to make the journey.

“One would think Theodosia would take my age and position into consideration before requesting we join her,” Diana Haydn spoke through tight lips. “After all, it was I who forwarded her so she could marry the earl.
”

Finn well remembered his mother’s attempts to gain favor with
Lord Nicholas’s family. Despite all she did and Nick’s family’s disapproval, he did fall in love with kindhearted Tessa Haydn.

Naomi did not respond except with a rol
l of her eyes that Diana missed but Finn did not.

“I suppose your own mother was well,” Diana spoke to her daughter-in-law without looking at the younger woman.

Naomi returned the favor by looking out her own window while answering, “She expressed her disappointment at you not joining us, but she is otherwise well.”

“Has anything come of your brother courting Lady
Mardling?”

Finn wondered how his mother managed to gain all the gossip of the county. She rarely left home and even more rarely had company.

A flicker of concern passed over Naomi’s face, “I do not believe they have entered into a courtship, Mrs. Haydn. There have been rumors of it, of course, but they are the kind passed by servants who have nothing better to do.”

Finn’s eyes widened at the implication that his mother was listening to gossip from
her servants.

Diana apparently did not miss what Naomi was suggesting.
She had better sense than to respond to it, however.

Finn was relieved beyond words when the carriage pulled up in front of his sister’s home.

“Finn,” Tessa opened her arms to him, “it is so good to see you.”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “You look lovely. Where is
Nick?”

She smiled as she passed by him and greeted Naomi warmly, “In his study
, but he will be out in one minute. Naomi,” she embraced her new sister, “how cold you must be. Come into the parlor.”

“Do not bother
yourself with me,” Diana had somehow managed to get pushed off to the side in the greetings.

Finn knew his mother was looking for a reason to complain, and he did not know whether to hope his sister would cater to her or hope she would ignore her.

Tessa’s mouth thinned slightly, “Welcome to my home, Mother,” she gave the older woman a peck on the cheek. “Please come in.”

The ladies shed their outer garments and went to sit by the fire. Finn remained standing.

“Was it a terribly cold journey?” Tessa had a tea ready for them.

Naomi shook her head, but she could not get an answer out before Diana spoke up.

“It was beyond frigid. I suppose we should all catch a chill from it.”

“Mother,” Tessa passed her a tea cup, “
were it any warmer, you would complain of the heat.”

Finn coughed.

Even Naomi looked like she was fighting a smile.

“Is your uncle here?” Diana
ignored the rebuke.

“He and Aunt Rhoda are out in the garden,”
Nicholas entered the room. “They thought to take advantage of the warmer weather today.”

Naomi dabbed at her lips, Tessa nearly choked on her tea, and Finn laughed aloud.

“It is good to see you, Haydn,” Lord Dunham extended a hand.

“You as well,
Nick. How was your Christmas celebration with your parents?”

Nicholas
came into the room and took a seat near his wife, “It was blessed. My sister, you know, just had a baby – a girl.”

Naomi looked up the earl
, “What did they name her?”

Tessa
chimed in, “Margaret Henrietta, but they call her Lucy.”

Finn watched his wife laugh. She was lovely when she
was happy, still desirable when she was angry, and heartbreaking when she was sad.

“Would you like to see how the nursery is coming along?” Tessa stood suddenly.

Naomi glanced at him before looking back to his sister, “I would enjoy that.”

“I cannot see how you could be entertained by looking at
an unfinished room,” the senior Mrs. Haydn didn’t move even as Naomi and the men rose.

“You are certainly welcome to remain here and finish your cup of tea, Mother,” Tessa barely looked over her shoulder on her way out.