“I was not informed of that,” Lydia said, and a shadow came upon her mind.
If he could mislead her about this, then what else remained hidden from her?
It seemed more likely that this arrangement was never going to end, and she even started to wonder if this was some kind of elaborate scheme to entrap her in marriage.
“I thought it might be easier for us to leave London while the scandal is still wafting in the air. Our absence will give thetona chance to lose interest. I’m sure it won’t be too long before something else draws their attention,” he said, and Lydia had to rethink the matter. Perhaps the Duke wasn’t entirely thoughtless.
“That is a good idea,” she conceded.
“I sense you are close with your family. Should you wish to see them, you can arrange transport whenever you like, and you may invite them to the house as well,” he said.
“That is very gracious of you,” she replied testily. He might have been earnest with his offer, but she was not about to act coy and sweet. She intended to make this marriage difficult so that even if he had a plan to make it last, he would not want it to. The only thing that gave her pause was the baby. Her concern for the infant would outweigh anything else of course, but she did not intend to be trapped forever.
A footman opened the door of the carriage. Victor held out his hand and showed Lydia in. To her surprise, a maid was sitting in the carriage, tending to the baby in the basket. The child’s wide eyes absorbed everything, and when they landed on Lydia, the baby squealed and reached out impossibly small fingers in Lydia’s direction.
“He remembers you, Your Grace,” the maid observed and then looked embarrassed, as if she should not have spoken at all.
Lydia’s heart was touched. The maid rose, and Lydia sank beside the child.
“I wasn’t expecting to see him here,” Lydia said, reaching in and offering the baby her finger. The baby gripped it with his whole hand, as though he would never let go.
“Whether I like it or not, the baby is under my care. I intend to find his mother and reunite them. I wish for all of London to see that when it happens. And you did seem to have a connection with the baby. I hoped you would not mind keeping the child company,” Victor said.
“Of course not,” Lydia said. She smiled for the first time that day and made silly noises. The baby kicked his legs and wiggled, making motions with his mouth as if he wanted to laugh, but he didn’t quite know how yet. “Is there no wet nurse traveling with us?”
The Duke narrowed his eyes, as though offended by the suggestion that such a thing had slipped his attention.
“She will be in a second carriage. We will stop if the baby fusses.”
“When,” Lydia said quietly, knowing that a baby could not make the journey from London to Brighton without feeding. Privately she lamented that she could not nourish the baby herself.
Victor looked at them strangely as he tucked his jacket beneath his legs and took his seat opposite Lydia and the baby.
The carriage was soon underway. The rhythm of the horses was steady, and the audible clop of their hooves was a welcome sound. Lydia focused on the baby rather than her new husband, for she did not have much to say to him. However, the trundling rhythm soon sent the baby to sleep, and the child did not look as though he would wake up for a long time.
“Perhaps we should set out some ground rules for our marriage,” the Duke suggested after the maid closed her eyes too and drifted off into a sound sleep.
“This will be a marriage in name only. I shall not bear you an heir,” Lydia said almost immediately as she had intended to make this clear as soon as possible. Privately, she thought that he might well have an heir already, despite his protestations to the contrary.
“Agreed,” Victor replied quickly. Perhaps she was wrong in assuming that this was some scheme designed to make her his wife. “As you have seen, I am not suited for fatherhood.”
“My brother-in-law thought the same about himself, but he grew into it. I think for some people it comes naturally when it is their own child,” Lydia observed.
“Perhaps, butweshall not find out,” Victor said, craning his neck to peer at the baby.
“You must treat me with respect,” Lydia added, returning to her terms. “I am not a servant, and I do not exist solely to obey your orders. I do possess a mind of my own.”
“Indeed,” the Duke murmured. “More and more women seem to have minds and opinions of their own these days.”
“Do you think that’s a bad thing?” Lydia challenged.
“I think that there should be a balance in the household; that is all,” Victor said. She could not help but think his words were evasive, and she was intrigued to discover how this played out in practice and how he defined ‘balance.’
“And you should not expect affection or closeness where none exists,” Lydia continued.
Victor inclined his head in acknowledgment of her words.
“I shall not demand anything from you other than what is required to maintain appearances. I hope that we can at least be civil with each other. After all, neither of us wanted this. We are both suffering,” he said pointedly, as though he wanted to correct Lydia’s assumption that she was the only one having to endure something she did not want.
