“The answer to both those questions is yes.”
Seger swallowed over his frustration and paced around the room. “That woman I met this morning.... She means nothing to me.”
Why was he explaining himself? The only person who needed to hear his explanation was Clara.
“From what I understand,” James said, “Clara has endured a certain degree of stress since she married you. She is my wife’s sister, and I consider it my duty to make sure that such circumstances do not continue.”
Seger’s whole body tensed. “Clara ismywife, Wentworth, and any duties regarding her happiness are my concern, not yours.”
The duke’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure you are capable of fulfilling that duty. You have not displayed any such tendencies in the past.”
“Maybe not,” Seger replied irritably, “but we all grow, and some of us even deserve second chances. I thought you embraced that idea.”
Tension hung in the air like a thick haze. “I do,” James said, “and you were given that second chance. I’m just not sure you deserve a third.”
“I did nothing wrong. I had to see that woman. She said she had information regarding Clara, and when I realized who she was, I had to speak to her. You see, she was the woman I—”
“I know who she was.”
Seger felt like he was talking to a brick wall. “Then you must understand why I had to speak with her. But it’s over now. I’ll never see her again. All that matters to me is that Clara....”
His voice broke. He couldn’t finish. He wasn’t even sure he could remain standing. “Please,James,” he said, taking an unsteady step forward and pleading desperately, knowing he sounded pathetic. Knowing that his eyes were becoming wet, his voice was breaking. “Ihaveto see her.”
James stared at him for an agonizing moment, then he went to the door and held it open.
“She is with Sophia in the nursery. Third floor.”
Seger regarded his brother-in-law with some surprise, then crossed toward him. “Thank you,” he said, pausing before him in the doorway, before dashing up the stairs to find his wife.
Clara sat in the rocking chair by the window, gazing out at the gray sky and the idle leaves on an old English oak, while she rocked Liam to sleep. She leaned her head back, hugged the soft bundle gently to her breast and closed her eyes, but opened them again, slightly startled, when Sophia bent to scoop the babe out of her arms.
“I’ll take him now.”
“But he was just falling asleep,” Clara whispered.
Her sister almost scolded her. “Clara, I’lltakehim.”
Realizing something was wrong, she glanced at the door.
There stood her husband, filling the doorway completely with his large, masculine frame.
All her senses trembled, and heart fluttered like the wings of a hummingbird. Even after what had happened that morning, he was still the most beautiful man in the world. He made her weak with desire.
“Seger.”
He glanced pleadingly at Sophia, who carried Liam toward the door.
“I think I’ll take Liam to nap in my bed,” Sophia said, “while John is out in the pram with the nurse. Perhaps I’ll just go and... and....” She gazed awkwardly at Seger and Clara. “I’ll just go.”
She left them alone in the nursery. Clara rose from the chair, her body tense as she tried to resist her womanly responses to him—the same sexual responses that had given him the power to take advantage of her on so many occasions, and to talk her into believing that he was the man she wanted him to be.
She didn’t think he really was. He would always enjoy other women. She had simply been denying it to herself all this time.
Seger slowly walked toward her, as if he wasn’t sure if he was welcome, and had to test the waters first.
“Clara,” he said softly, “why did you get in that cab?”
She lifted her chin and wondered how it was possible that he could not understand why she had done it. Or perhaps he was just playing innocent. “Because I couldn’t watch any longer.”
