Page 32 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

“Final session? But they are only discussing the Simpson Divorce Act and the Bakewell Inclosure Act. There can hardly be much to discuss in terms of how they are going to vote,” Lady Clopton told Jo genuinely confused. “Clopton will be voting against the divorce of course and for the enclosure, obviously.”

Jo opened her mouth, but had no idea what Robert would vote for, nor why he had felt the need to discuss it with others beforehand. If she was to guess, he would at least vote for the divorce, perhaps against the enclosure, although she was not certain what his stand was on that.

Did some of his land come from enclosures where smallholders had lost their land? She understood that it meant farming became more efficient, but it also meant leaving people without land and having to seek employment rather than live off the land like they used to. It seemed a lot more complex to her than what Lady Clopton made it out to be. But Jo was not going to discuss politics with the woman.

“I cannot say. Perhaps it was merely a formality,” she offered with a fake smile that turned into a real one as she saw Thornston walk toward them. The always handsome viscount was looking extremely well in a black jacket and breeches paired with a dark green waistcoat. All of his clothes seemed chosen to emphasize his light brown curls and dark brown eyes. “Ah, there is Lord Thornston, perhaps he knows where my husband is.”

After they had all formally greeted each other, Thornston managed very swiftly to charm Lady Clopton by complimenting her party, then pointing out the shortage of punch in an off-handed remark that made the lady leave to fix it immediately.

Jo turned to him as soon as Lady Clopton had left them.

“Your husband is in my house. I am afraid he is feeling unwell,” Thornston told her below his breath.

“Is he ill?” Jo whispered and felt an odd urge to rush to his side.

“Eh, no, not quite,” Thornston said and did not meet her eyes. “He… eh… he is drunk, Your Grace, to put it plainly.”

“Drunk?” Jo repeated as if she had never heard the word.

She had not thought Robert was one to overindulge, but as she was coming to realize, there was a lot she did not know about him.

“Yes, I believe I am partially to blame. We shared a bottle of wine over dinner, then some port and whisky afterwards.”

“Oh, well…” Jo muttered and looked at the many finely dressed people around them. What was she supposed to do? She did not like the thought of having to spend more time at the soiree alone, deflecting questions about Robert’s whereabouts. Particularly not since he had chosen to drink himself into a stupor rather than attending.

Jo sighed through her nose. It had been his bloody idea to participate, yet he could not even summon the decency to show up. He had to know how difficult this was for her. Did he not?

“I can talk to someone about having your carriage ready in half an hour. You will say your goodbyes to the people you need to and then leave. I can escort you home, if you wish to,” Thornston told her.

Jo offered him a grateful smile, relieved that he so readily took control of the situation. They had never needed to make a strategic retreat when they visited her uncle’s friends in Hampshire. It was yet another situation she needed to master in her new life.

“Thank you,” Jo told Thornston emphatically as he settled across from her in Robert’s carriage half an hour later.

“My pleasure.” Thornston smirked in a charming tone of voice Jo had heard him use with practically all women.

“Is Robert… will he be fine?” Jo asked, her irritation momentarily giving way to concern.

“Yes,” Thornston told her with a smile. “When I left, he was already snoring.”

The mention of a sleeping Robert should not have made her blush, but the image seemed so intimate. Jo could feel her cheeks warming at the thought. She hoped that the hoppling light from the carriage lantern was too dim for Thornston to notice.

“Thank you for helping me. I am sorry you missed the rest of the soiree.”

Thornston waved her comment away.

“I wasn’t invited to the soiree.”

“Where were you going?” Jo asked.

He was dressed to go out. Perhaps he had done so simply to come to her aid. He was an even greater friend to Robert than she had thought. She remembered Robert’s story of how Thornston had read the letters when Philomena had fallen ill. There was much more to him than the charming dandy he portrayed himself as to the outside world.

“Wouldn’t you like to know, curious Jo?” he teased her flirtatiously.

Jo could not help but roll her eyes at him while she wondered why it was so much easier to speak to Thornston than Robert. Perhaps because she knew Thornston had no hidden agenda with what he said or how he said it.

“Tell me something else then,” she requested, speaking slowly to allow her mind to catch up and find a suitable topic.

“I am not spilling any of your husband’s secrets,” Thornston interrupted her with a smirk before she had a chance to speak.