Her heart dropped so abruptly she nearly gasped.
“What? To go where?”
“I must go speak to my brother. Paul. The duke.”
His serious expression frightened her more than any of his strange actions. “But why?”
“Because… because he does not know of our marriage, and I must tell him before the family arrives.”
The words fell like a blow, and she shrank back against the arm of the settee, pulling her hands away. “What? What do you mean you haven’t told him?”
“I merely… I had not gotten around to it. I was trying to find the words. But now Medforth is here, and I must leave.”
Georgie’s head whirled, and she could not decide if she should laugh or cry. “Who on earth is Medforth?”
“My brother’s steward.” Peter shook his head. “There’s no time to explain it all. I must be on the road within the hour, and you must be settled before I can go. Pack a bag, and we will take you to Mrs. Clarke’s before I leave.”
He stood up and walked away, leaving Georgie still in shock on the settee.
Peter opened the door to their dressing room. “What shall you take?”
Slowly, she rose to her feet. If her knees were shaking, she would not let him know.
Every fear she had had since their marriage rushed in upon her, leaving her numbed. He was leaving her behind. He was abandoning her. She could not even stay in their home to wait for him.
He had never told his family they were married.
“The otters,” she said. “They must come with me.”
“Of course. Mrs. Clarke is prepared for them.”
In a daze, she began to pack the same traveling bag she had first arrived with, uncertain how much to bring. She had beenflung from happiness to despair so quickly that she scarcely knew what she did. “When will you return?”
“I’m not certain. Three or four days perhaps.”
Three or four days! They had not been separated for any length of time since she had first arrived, and now he would be gone for several days? A hot spurt of anger broke through the ice that surrounded her.
“I should come with you,” she said decisively. “We can meet with your brother together and explain what happened. Mrs. Clarke can care for the otters whilst we are gone.”
Her brave words trailed off as he shook his head.
“No. No, I can’t take that risk. I must speak to Paul alone before I introduce you.”
He was ashamed of her.
The hurt of it struck her chest like a blow, taking her breath away.
Mechanically, she continued packing, able to move only because of his impatience to leave. He was no longer thinking of her, only of himself and his desire to speak to his brother. As she continued packing, he bustled from the room, clearly anxious to be off.
He was leaving her behind in more ways than one.
Desperately, she tried to reassure herself despite the grief rushing upon her in waves. Surely this could only be for a few days and then Peter would return to her. He would speak to his brother and all would be well. He would bring her to meet his family and they would welcome her.
They must, or else Peter might never find his way back to her.
Drivenby his frantic need to have Georgie safely settled at Mrs. Clarke’s before he left, Peter threw himself into a whirlwind of activity, gathering up her paints and thrusting the protesting otters into their traveling basket before loading it all into the carriage.
Where was she? He stood at the foot of the stairs and called up.
