Hugh had told her to make herself at home. She’d barely seen any of her new home, so she decided to explore it.
Even just the second-floor hallway was clean and elegant. The walls were painted a bright white and a dark-red carpet lined the floor. A huge painting of a country estate hung on a wall near the landing by the staircase. A small plaque at the base of the frame indicated it was Swynford House in Kent, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Swynford.
Slowly, Adele descended the stairs, noting that the railing was sturdy and looked recently polished. Servants buzzedaround below her, likely preparing for the evening meal. As Adele reached the first floor, Hodges, the butler she’d been introduced to when she arrived, said, “Good afternoon, my lady. Is there anything you need?”
“No, I am just looking around the house a bit. Do you know where His Grace may be found?”
“I believe that he and the duchess are in the red room. That’s the third door on the right down this hallway.”
“Thank you, Hodges. Much appreciated.”
“Of course, my lady.”
Hodges walked off to do whatever his duty might be. She walked to the end of the hall and opened the door there. The door opened to a staircase, and based on the sounds and smells rising up from below, Adele guessed this was the kitchen. She noted that and decided she’d take a look later. The door closest to the kitchen was a well-appointed formal dining room. It was masculine and a little dark, with blue walls and a grand mahogany dining table. Across the hall was a morning room, not quite as formal or ornate, but with a huge window that let in a great deal of natural light.
The next door Adele found was an empty sitting room. Adele peeked inside and saw that there was a massive fireplace on one wall with a massive family portrait of Hugh’s parents and Hugh when he was about thirteen or fourteen. The woman in the painting was clearly the dowager, although much younger and with less white hair. The man looked quite a lot like Hugh, though his hair was masked by a powdered wig. The boy was unmistakably Hugh, but a thinner, slightly gawky version of him.
The furniture in the room was beautiful. Adele was starting to feel the extent of Hugh’s wealth and the prestige of his family. The room wasn’t showy, but the quality of the items in it led her to conclude that it had cost a great deal to decorate. Adeleopened a cabinet off to one side and saw it contained several bottles of whisky and wine. There was also a writing desk that had been used regularly, as a shallow box of fine paper lay open, a stoppered ink bottle beside it. Everything here was in good condition; nothing was dusty or worn or scarred the way everything in the Sweeney house was.
When Adele returned to the hallway, she heard voices and followed them.
“I cannot believe you brought her here,” the dowager said. “What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that she needs a place to stay. Sweeney is selling the house, and her father does not own property in London. What would you have me do?”
“You should have left well enough alone. She does not belong here.”
“I intend to marry her, Mother. And I refuse to keep having this argument. Is this not better? You will have time to plan a grand wedding as befitting a Duke of Swynford, which I know you have long wished to do. I could have taken her to Scotland and married her quickly and not given you a say in the matter.”
“But this woman?”
“You do not even know her, Mother. I think that if you get to know her over the next few weeks, you will like her immensely.”
Adele leaned against the wall outside this sitting room and pressed a hand to her chest. She greatly appreciated Hugh’s defense of her, but the fact that the dowager still disapproved bothered her a great deal.
“I could arrange a more suitable wife for you,” said the dowager.
“You will do no such thing. I’ve made my choice. And I do not want to argue this point anymore. You are my mother, and I love you and value your opinion, butIam the Duke of Swynford, and so I have the final word here.”
Adele was startled by the forcefulness of his tone. She’d never heard him use a tone like that before, but it was confident and left no room for argument. Adele imagined he’d be quite intimidating in a fight.
Apparently the dowager did not feel she could argue either. Hugh went on, “Adele will remain in the violet bedroom until after the wedding, and then she will move to my rooms. I ask that you stay here until after the wedding for the sake of propriety, but if you cannot accept Lady Adele, you can remove to one of the country houses. Although not Swynford House, for I intend to go there once the season is over.”
“You would throw me out?”
“No. I’m giving you a choice. Accept Adele or leave.”
“But what will your friends think?”
“My true friends will support this marriage. The rest of society can object all they want. It does not signify. Adele is a wonderful woman and I care about her a great deal. Marrying her will make me happy. The Marquess of Anglesy married a commoner a few months ago and did not become a social outcast.”
“I willnothave the Swynford name sullied by that woman.”
“Then you have a very poor understanding of what it takes to sully a name. And, I repeat, if you do not like it, you can leave.”
Adele heard footsteps and ducked into the nearest empty room. She heard the dowager grunt with frustration as she fled the room. After she heard the dowager walk upstairs, Adele crept into the sitting room where Hugh sat staring up at a portrait of a man Adele did not recognize.
Adele cleared her throat.
