She sighed. “All right. I promise. I won’t go out to the club again… unless you tell me I can.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath for that to happen if I was you,” he told her. “I’m never going to change my mind and think that’s a good idea.”
“Could you really stand to stay in the house all the time if you were me?”
He raised an eyebrow. “I would do whatever it took to protect my family,” he said. “That’s what got us here in the first place, you know.”
“I know,” she said, unable to keep a note of bitterness from creeping in. “I know that all too well. Am I dismissed?”
“You’re not a servant as you said yourself. You’re free to go whenever you choose.”
“You’ll have to forgive me,” Prudence snapped, rising to her feet. “It’s just a little unclear, sometimes, when I am and am not free to make my own choices as a member of this household.”
She turned and stormed out of the room, more angry with herself than with Leonard.
If only I could have waited until he was gone to try going out like that! But no, I got impatient… and now, everything is ruined.
CHAPTER 15
“Hawkins, will you please bring my breakfast in here?” Leonard asked the following morning.
“Are you certain, Your Grace?” the butler asked.
Leonard looked up from the papers he had been studying. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s just that I believe the Duchess is waiting to break her fast with you, Hawkins explained. “She’s in the breakfast room right now, and she hasn’t begun to eat.”
Leonard pushed aside the twinge of guilt that news made him feel. “You know as well as anyone how common it is for me to take my meals in my study,” he said. “I’m a very busy man. I cannot afford to stop what I’m doing to go break my fast in another room.”
The truth, uncomfortably, was that he probably could have afforded to. The work he was doing this morning was not particularly important, and if he was honest with himself, he’d have had to admit that he was only doing it to take up some time.But that’s my business, he reminded himself firmly.I am under no obligation to explain myself to anyone at all. If I’m only here because I prefer the decor in this room, that is perfectly valid, and there is nothing to argue with.
Hawkins went away, and Leonard returned his attention to what he had been reviewing. He was going over the household ledgers, trying to get a good understanding of where money had been going since Prudence had become duchess. The longer he looked, the more frustrated he felt because he was forced to concede that nothing he could disapprove of was happening. Unless he was to nitpick every expenditure, she wasn’t doing anything she shouldn’t.
There had been no further increases to staff pay since the argument they’d had about that. She had maintained the one small increase she had made, but because he had told her that would be all right, he knew he couldn’t issue any complaints about it. Money had been put into one-time expenditures like new furnishings for a few of the rooms, but that was within her purview as duchess. And besides, though he hated to admit it, Leonard actually liked the changes she had made. The sitting room looked much nicer these days—like a place a person might actually want to spend some time. He hadn’t wanted her to know it, but he had gone in there a few times when she hadn’t been around to sit on the new furniture and had found it as comfortable as it was attractive.
With a heavy sigh he closed the book he was looking through. What was going on here? Why did hewanther to be doing something inappropriate?
If she was, I would have to cancel my plans to go to the country. She’s already done enough to show me that she’s willing to break any and all conventions, that she lives by her own rules. It might be foolhardy to leave her on her own even if she is spending money wisely! So maybe I’m just looking for something to help me make a decision that I already know I might have to make.
He winced at the thought of what Gabriel would have to say if he discovered that Leonard had changed his plans and decided to stay in London with Prudence. He’d take it to mean something completely different from what itdidmean. And he would feel even more sure of himself if he were to learn that Leonard had spent all this time combing over the finances and looking for reasons not to trust his wife.
There was a knock at the door.
“Yes, just bring it in, Hawkins,” Leonard said, opening the book again, though mostly for the sake of appearances. He didn’t want any more comments from his butler about how maybe if he was finished with his work, he might like to go to the breakfast room after all.
The door opened.
He knew immediately that it wasn’t Hawkins. Before he even understood how he knew, he could tell that it was Prudence. He kept his head down for a moment, wondering at how certain he was, and then it hit him—it was her scent. Lavender. When had he become aware that she smelled of lavender? He couldn’t remember ever having noticed this for the first time, but the aroma was definitely familiar to him now.
He looked up.
She had the breakfast tray in her hands. “Where do you want this?” she asked him.
“You aren’t Hawkins,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows. “Well, you’ve got me there.”
“Why are you bringing me my breakfast? I asked Hawkins to bring it.”
