“Oh, they all do,” she told him, surprised he had caught that in a rare mention by Isabel’s father. “Strange, isn’t it? I suppose that’s why the earl married his latest wife. She’s very sweet, though. We’ll need to avoid anything with fish, of course. I suppose we can do lamb, what do you think?”
“A fine choice.”
“But not the onion base we used last week,” she said and paused, realizing two things. Firstly, she had been married eight days now. Over a week.
And secondly, Dominic had very neatly changed the subject from her question without her realizing it.
As they started discussing a few food options for the following evening, Verity realized that her husband did this on occasion. Their walk continued. Twice she carefully attempted to maneuver the topic back to something that intrigued her.
Both times, he politely diverted the topic away.
Instead of continuing the topic of Isabel’s cousin by her second stepmother who had recently gone bankrupt and left for the Americas, Dominic noted something about ships and they spoke for a turn about international commerce.
When she mentioned something about her father and suggested he might search his father’s files for answers in some of his accounting books, Dominic pointed out a child losing his kite.
Three days passed. Verity noted this during the small supper she hosted for Isabel and her parents, plus a few other friends, and then when he took her out for a ride and even brought her sisters along. There were several topics her husband took care to avoid.
She was making a list of them.
Is it because of something I did? Something he did? He always redirects when I talk about someone’s finances. There are at least five names of families amongst the Ton whom he wishes to avoid. While it may not be obvious, it is certainly consistent.
Such a topic left Verity up several nights in a row.
She wrote out the items, wondering if they made sense. If they connected at all. Why didn’t Dominic like talking about some of these people? How could he talk about markets and investments but not a few events from the past that affected many people but not him?
Pacing about with her list in her bed chamber, Verity tried to see what she didn’t already know. She wondered about asking Dominic about all of this. About any of this.
“What does he know?” she asked her reflection. It was a bad habit she had started to develop here.
Then she paused as something came to mind.
The secret. All this time, she thought it had to do with Cassian. But what about Dominic? What if he held the secret?
“Whatever they are hiding, it’s connected to Dominic. Just as much or more to him than to Cassian,” Verity murmured with a slow nod.
They both had secrets. She didn’t like this, and resolved further to continue her quest for the truth.
Within the second week of their marriage, Verity and Dominic attended a garden party. It was a large affair hosted by LadyHemphill, a perfect opportunity to gather secrets and overhear as much as possible.
Dominic agreed to a game that needed another player, a strange version of bowls that Verity didn’t follow. But she let him go with a promise to keep herself entertained.
“How good of you to escape for a moment,” Isabel teased her as they linked arms. “I have been beginning to wonder if you are obsessed with your duke.”
“Obsessed?” Verity glanced back toward her husband. “He is a good man, a good lord. I am appreciative. Is this your way of telling me that you miss your own husband?”
Chuckling, her friend attempted to hide her blush. “Perhaps. He comes next month to take me home. Strange, isn’t it, how home can become some place new?”
“It is,” Verity admitted.
They retrieved punch and moved to stand in the shade on the sunny day. London weather was unpredictable as ever. Yesterday it rained so hard she thought it might hail. And now, it was practically summer. She was glad she had worn a wide-brimmed bonnet and light blue dress.
Fixing the hat, she considered the nearby parties. It was she who had led them to this spot. Isabel had such a soft voice shehoped to overhear anyone else who might be talking at any of the nearby tables or blankets.
“I’m very happy abroad now. It’s so different, Verity, and yet so familiar. But sometimes I am worried I am not taken seriously. They rarely smile, you see. Can you imagine being around people who think smiling is a weakness?” Isabel whispered.
Her thoughts turned to her father. Tightening her jaw, Verity murmured, “I can hardly imagine. How are you handling the house?”
“Firstly, it’s a castle. I always thought it would be lovely to be a princess but I’m still getting lost almost daily,” her friend admitted.
