He turned back to her as she sat gaping at him, not following half of what he said. “I apologize, but I must leave you. I shall pay for the meal and wine, so the landlord doesn’t throw you out. You will find Troubridge in London. If you have any difficulty with him, apply to me in Ryder Street. I should be back in London in a couple of days, although perhaps not. I don’t know. Good day to you, Miss Kinsella.”
He bowed and left the room before she could say anything further.
*
Robert arrived inBerkeley Square after midnight. He was greeted by Em, who had missed him. Truth to tell, he had missed her, too. Her comforting weight on his feet, once he finally crawled into bed, helped him sleep.
The next morning at the ungodly hour of eight o’clock, he was banging on Ashford’s front door demanding admittance. The butler, who knew him of old, was astonished but let him in anyway.
“His lordship’s still abed, Your Grace.”
“Don’t disturb yourself. I’ll wake him,” he said, striding to the stairs and bolting up them to his lordship’s bedchamber. Barging in, he found the room swathed in darkness and rather stuffy. Going to the window, he dragged back the curtains and shoved up the sash to let some fresh air in.
“What the devil?” came the muttered groan from the bed. He turned to eye his friend, who sat up on one elbow, the sheets at his waist showing an expanse of bare, hairy chest, above a slightly rounded stomach and his unfashionably long hair a tangled mess round his stubble-covered face. The bruise round his eye had become purplish-green and yellow. He looked a right mess.
Robert crossed his arms over his chest, planted his feet, and said, “Right. I want the truth! What is going on? Is it true Caro has left you?”
Ashford slumped back onto the pillows with an arm across his eyes. “Fuck off, Layne!”
“I’m not budging until you tell me.”
“Yes! Are you happy now? Yes, she’s fucking left me! For Greathouse!”
“What?”
“They’ve been having an affair for months! I didn’t bloody know until the night of the ball. I found one of his letters to her. Seems she loved that letter so damned much she needed to carry it everywhere with her. It’s the one where he declared his feelings for her.” Ashford swallowed. “They have gone to France. She left the children. I can’t believe she left the children!”
“Oh God, Emrys, I’m sorry.” Robert came toward the bed and sat on the edge of it.
Ashford blinked hard at the ceiling. “She used the kerfuffle you caused by punching me in the face as an excuse to leave. She felt justified then, like it wasn’t her fault. I—” He cleared his throat. “She could blame me instead. I was telling Sarah about the letter when you found us. That was what we were talking about. Neither of us realized the letter dated back several months. I thought there was some hope, that things hadn’t gone too far.”
“If I hadn’t hit you and caused a massive scandal, perhaps—”
“No, it was too late. They’ve been carrying on for months. I just didn’t know. I thought we were having a rough patch, is all. You know the night we were at the club and Greathouse and Lannister asked if we wanted to play cards?”
“The night before I went to Almack’s and met Sarah?”
“Yes. Caro stayed at home that evening because she had a headache.”
“I remember,” said Robert slowly.
“Greathouse was with her before coming to the club himself. While I was at the club with you fellows, he was with her. Do you remember what he said when I mentioned she had a headache?”
“Something about being sorry to hear it?”
“And to give her his regards and his hope that she would feel better soon!” Ashford looked as if he’d tasted something bitter.
“The gall of the man!” Robert let out a breath. “You’ve more self-control than I do, Emrys. Once you found out, what stopped you calling him out?”
Ashford shook his head. “Apart from the fact that I’m a lousy shot,” he said with a wry grimace, “he was my friend.”
“Some friend!” snorted Robert.
“And Caro loves him,” he added quietly.
Robert just stared at him in silence, letting that sink in.That. That right there was real love.He swallowed.
“And besides, even if I was capable of that kind of violence, which I’m not, I’m a father. My children need me. Now more than ever.”
