The Duke's Divorce (The Reluctant Grooms Series Volume IV) (29 page)

Fiona squeezed his fingers. “Thank you,
Greenleigh, but no. You have already done so much just in listening
to me.” She heard the chimes of the church bells ringing in the
distance. “I must go. ‘Tis a journey I do not wish to make, but I
must.” She rose from her seat.

Greenleigh stood.

“I trust I will see you at our ball?” she
asked. “Pray you will reserve a dance or two for me.”

“Of course.” Greenleigh placed her hand on
his arm and walked her out to her carriage.

Fiona found Eammon and Merry already waited
for her.

At the carriage, Greenleigh said, “I am at
your complete disposal, my lady.” He took her hand and kissed it.
“At the ball or whenever you wish it. If there is ever any way I
may be of some small assistance to you, please do not hesitate to
ask.” He helped her into the carriage.

“Thank you, Greenleigh,” Fiona said. “The
measure of your friendship means the world to me.”

Eammon snapped the reins and the carriage
jerked forward. Fiona turned once to wave to Greenleigh and then
faced forward. Her life from this moment on would never be the
same.

Fiona stepped into Cantin House after her
outing, and met her mother-in-law coming down the stairs.

“Fiona, dearest, I’ve been looking for you
everywhere. Tell me, is there anything you wish me to do for the
party tomorrow evening?”

“No, thank you. Edwards has everything well
in hand.”

“Dearest.” Lady Joanna placed a hand on
Fiona’s arm. “Are you well? You look quite done in.”

“A sudden headache, but ‘tis nothing that I
will not get over. If you would excuse me, I wish to lie down.”

“Of course.”

Fiona left her mother-in-law staring after
her with concern in her eyes.

Upstairs in her room, Fiona lay across the
bed exhausted from the day’s tumult. Within minutes, she was
asleep.

*****

It had been a long session in Parliament and
Robert lost his focus several times. Makeby would have taken the
vote had it not been for Ellis standing up. Robert’s accusation of
Fiona had been mindless, a pique of jealousy he couldn’t contain,
and his thoughts were centered on it all day. How could he make it
up to her?

Entering the house, Robert made his way to
the dining room to find the footmen cleaning up the dishes from a
solitary seat. Edwards hovered at the sideboard.

“Where is my wife, Edwards? Whose ball is she
attending this evening?”

“Her ladyship is not attending this evening.
She is abed.”

Was that a
tone
he heard in Edwards’
voice? “Is she not feeling well again?” Perhaps her malaise had
returned.

“She seemed in exceedingly good spirits this
morning until you met with her in the conservatory. She then spent
an hour crying her eyes out. Unbeknownst to me, she left the house
and went for a drive with her maid and Eammon, returned at three
o’clock and has been abed ever since.” Edwards sniffed and turned
his back on Robert.

“She did not come down to dinner?”

Edwards turned around to face him, his eyes
averted. “No, Your Grace. And she did not request a tray in her
room.”

“I see. Where is my mother?”

“I believe her ladyship is in her private
sitting room.” Edwards bowed, picked up the soup tureen and walked
out of the room not waiting to see if Robert wished dinner.

Well, if Edwards was affronted by his
behaviour, Robert could well imagine what his mother would say.

He climbed the stairs and knocked softly on
Fiona’s door. He heard the slight scraping of a chair, and Merry
answered.

“How is my wife?” He looked past Merry and
saw Fiona’s form on the bed.

“She is still asleep, Your Grace.” She bobbed
a short curtsy.

“Why do not you go to the kitchen and find
your dinner. I shall sit with her awhile.”

He saw the protestation arise on her lips,
but she only nodded, and slipped by him.

Robert closed the door, and walked over to
his wife. Peaceful in slumber, she wore no lines of worry or
sadness on her beautiful face. He gently pushed a lock of stray
hair back from her forehead. Fiona sighed, and rolled over,
oblivious to his presence.

Robert took off his jacket, picked up a
wing-back chair from across the room and brought it over to the
side of the bed. He undid his cravat, settled himself and watched
her sleep.

He must have dozed, for when he opened his
eyes, Fiona lay on her pillows looking at him.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I came in to apologize, but did not want to
wake you,” he said. He repositioned himself in the chair. “I must
have fallen asleep.”

“Well, I am awake, there is no need for an
apology, and now you may go.” Fiona thrust the covers back and
climbed out of bed. She padded across the floor to the water closet
and closed the door. She remained therein for what seemed like
hours to Robert.

The door opened. “You are still here, I see.”
She wore a brightly flowered robe over her cotton nightrail.

“Fiona, forgive me. I know you are not having
an affair. ‘Twas despicable of me to accuse you. I have been doing
a lot of thinking today. My actions have been reprehensible and….”
She did not appear to be listening to him, instead looked in
several drawers in her wardrobe.

“My lord, ‘tis late, and I would like to go
down to the kitchens to cadge something to eat. I find I am quite
famished.” She strolled past him and reached under the bed. Finding
her slippers, she placed them on her feet.

“Fiona, please.”

“Robert, you did not seem to think my
explanation of the pearls warranted any discussion. I am only
treating you in kind. I have no desire to listen to anything you
have to say.”

As she walked past him, Robert stood and
grabbed her elbow. The fire in her eyes was back.

“Unhand me, my lord, or I shall scream down
the house.”

“Where did you get the pearls,” he
demanded.

“My
mother
,” she spat. “My father had
a change of heart and sent them to me several weeks ago.” She shook
off his hand. “Now if your conscience has been appeased, I would
like to eat.”

“No.”

“No? How dare you.” She raised her hand to
slap his face, but he grabbed it with one of his and held onto it
tightly. His other hand wrapped around the back of her neck and he
brought his lips to hers. The kiss he bestowed upon her ignited an
uncontrollable need, a desire so fierce he couldn’t contain
himself. He became an unleashed animal, nipping at her throat with
his teeth, undoing her robe and the buttons at her neck. He needed
her, he wanted her and he was going to have her, here, right now.
Tomorrow be damned.

“I love you, Fiona,” he said ravaging her
cheek with his mouth, his hands roaming freely over her body. “I
love you so much I fear I will go insane. I want you. Now. I need
you. I need to feel you naked beside me. You are my wife and I mean
to have you.” He placed both his hands on the side of her face and
looked into her eyes. “I love you so much, it is killing me.”

He kissed her hungrily, pulling her close to
him, wanting to feel her skin on his. He broke away and tore at the
buttons on his waistcoat. He pulled his shirt over his head and
reached for her again. Fiona gasped and Robert finally looked in
her eyes.

“You love me?” she asked quietly.

His frantic heart slowed. “Fiona, I love you
with every essence of my being. I’ve been like a lunatic today
thinking you found your happiness with someone else. Please,
forgive me. I swear to you I will never doubt you again.” He kissed
the tears that streamed down her face. “Oh my darling,” he
whispered, before he kissed her again and brought them both to the
bed.

Fiona woke to the sound of snoring. Laying in
the darkness with her husband’s arms wrapped around her naked body,
Fiona smiled. Robert loved her. Her mind whirled at the thought of
it. She would never get over hearing the words – I love you.

Fiona also now understood why Robert had not
wanted to take her to bed before this. Lovemaking was a powerful,
wondrous event, and it irreparably bound two people together in
ways, she was certain, no other endeavor could ever do. She felt
certain their souls were joined now, that they were truly married
in the eyes of God. Beatrice’s lines from
Much Ado About
Nothing
played in her mind –

And, Benedick, love on: I will requite
thee,

Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:

If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite
thee

To bind our loves up in a holy band

There could never be another man so perfectly
suited to her in every way. Robert’s strength and gentleness, his
uncanny ability to know exactly what she wanted from him even
though she did not know it herself, embedded itself in her deepest
senses. He knew her in the truest sense of the word.

The passion he exuded far exceeded her
expectations. Funny now, when he’d tossed off the words so long
ago, ‘
I did not wish to frighten you with my passion
’ she
thought him nonsensical. How could one be frightened by passion?
But now she could understand exactly what he meant. She
was
frightened.
Petrified
by how much she loved him. Terrified
by how much she
enjoyed
making love to him.

She crept from under the covers and moved
slowly to the water closet. Her body ached in places she had no
idea were even a part of her. Fiona wondered if she would even be
able to dance at the ball.

Finished, she found another robe in the
armoire and put it on. Standing by the window, she looked out over
the treetops at the emerging dawn. Yesterday afternoon driving back
from St. John’s Wood, she had thought how her life would change,
that she would have to live alone, that her life with Robert was no
more.

Here, in this moment, staring at him in her
bed, her life was so dramatically different. She would never have
to be alone again. She would always have him and his family.
Children someday. Perhaps even now the seeds of love were sowing a
miracle inside of her.

Fiona slipped around to her side of the bed
and lay down next to him. Robert moved and Fiona brushed the side
of his face with her fingers. His eyes slowly opened and he smiled
at her.

“Good morning, wife.”

“Good morning, husband.”

“How do you feel?”

“I am well, although….” She couldn’t finish
the sentence.

“That is to be expected. Last night was
exceedingly strenuous for you. It may take a few days for you to
return to normal.” He leaned over and kissed her quickly, then
bounded out of bed. He headed for the water closet.

Fiona lay back against the pillows and waited
for him.

When he opened the door, she marveled at his
naked flesh. Surely carved from one of the great Masters’ hands,
Robert exuded masculinity and power. He walked to her, leaned down
and kissed her gently.

“I must begin my day, dearest,” he said
gazing down at her. “I suggest you rest until this evening.”

“I could not stay abed again today. I have
too many things I must attend.”

“Well then, be careful. Do not overtire
yourself. We have four hundred people expected this evening.” He
kissed her nose. “I do love you, Fee. Remember that today.”

“And I love you, Robby.” Fiona blushed
uttering the name she called out to him as he made love to her last
night.

He kissed her again, ‘for luck’ he said, and
then opened the door to the adjoining chamber. He turned back and
winked and then he was gone.

Fiona lay against the pillows and could not
stop smiling.

As Fiona went about her tasks during the day,
she couldn’t help notice a subtle change in the atmosphere at
Cantin House. There seemed to be a pervasive joy emanating from the
servants. Their smiles were larger, their attitude more helpful, as
if they couldn’t do her bidding fast enough. Edwards seemed
particularly jovial when he came upon her in the ballroom.

“Good morning, your ladyship,” he said
positively beaming.

“Good morning, Mr. Edwards.”

“Is there anything I may do for you?”

“No, thank you. You have already done so
much.” Fiona picked a small piece of dead leaf from a fern.

“Well, if there is anything, please do not
hesitate to ask.” As he walked away, Fiona noticed a slight spring
in his step.

Even her mother-in-law’s smiles were over
large as they sat together at luncheon.

Fiona wondered if giving a ball always
brought this kind of excitement to the household.

During the course of the day, several
messengers arrived bearing gifts from Robert. The first, a large
bouquet of flowers with a note that read –
All my love
. The
second, a box of exquisite chocolate confections. Third, a
two-strand pearl bracelet with earbobs to match. Fiona, although
used to receiving gifts from her husband, was thrilled as these
meant so much more to her. They were sent with love, and not as
form of payment. The threat of the annulment no longer weighed her
down and Fiona embraced her life as Duchess of Cantin as she never
had before.

Tonight with Robert by her side, she would be
able to stand proudly as his rightful wife, now in every way that
mattered.

*****

Robert whistled as he walked down St. Martin
Street. He smiled when he thought how lucky he was, that he was in
love with his wife. His wife! Finally, they were as one, in
thought, word, and deed. It was an extraordinary feeling, and
Robert couldn’t be any more pleased. He mentally kicked himself for
waiting so long to tell her how he felt.

Tonight’s festivities would be the
culmination of their joining. Standing together as husband and wife
in every way. He laughed out loud when he thought of Lady Olivia.
She would be elated.