Page 34 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

“I will see him now,” he told the footman. He might as well get it over with. “Will you ask Cook to prepare potato scones, bacon, and coffee?”

He glanced at Thornston who was standing behind him, looking as fresh as ever.

“For both of us,” Robert added with a sigh.

The footman bowed and told him that Mr. Hawkins was waiting in the downstairs drawing room. At least he would not be far from the door when Robert threw him out.

“Are you certain it is wise to speak to him?” Thornston asked below his breath as Robert approached the door.

“It will only be a minute. Not even that, since all I have to say to the man is that he is not welcome in my house and should leave at once.”

“Riddles,” Thornston started in a cautioning voice, but Robert had already opened the door.

“What do you want?” Robert asked without preamble as he entered the drawing room. He did not want to waste civility on his wife’s dreadful cousin.

“Your Grace.” Mr. Hawkins rose so eagerly from his seat that his light brown curls bobbed about his head. Robert had not noticed until now that, sans the golden highlights, Mr. Hawkins had the same hair color as Jo. The resemblance only made him feel sicker and more determined to throw the other man out. “I thought you should like to know the latest news.”

Mr. Hawkins’s face faltered slightly as he saw Thornston enter behind Robert through the open door to the entrance hall. He quickly recovered though.

“I have it on great authority that your wife, my deceitful cousin…”

Robert interrupted him by growling. He actually growled like an animal. He wished he could have made a more scathing comment, but it was at least doing the trick, making Mr. Hawkins look just slightly uncertain for a second.

“Out now. I will not have you slander my wife,” he bellowed.

“But she is being unfaithful. With him.” Mr. Hawkins pointed gleefully at Thornston behind him.

Robert hated that he actually turned to look at his friend. It was instinct he told himself. Pure and simple.

“Riddles,” Thornston began again, but Robert cut him off before he offered an explanation. Whatever Thornston had to say was not to be said in front of Jo’s weasel of a cousin.

“Out. Now,” he ground out as he turned towards the man again.

“But, Your Grace, you must understand that if she is unfaithful…” Mr. Hawkins began.

Robert had raised his fist before he thought of it. It was only Thornston’s hold on his arm that prevented him from striking.

“Mr. Hawkins, your hat and gloves,” Robinson said in an unwavering voice from the doorway. He was flanked by two footmen.

Mr. Hawkins looked between them but luckily thought better of saying anything further. He snatched his hat and gloves from Robinson and slammed the entrance door shut behind him before either of the footmen had a chance to close it.

“He is never to enter this house again,” Robert told Robinson.

“I gathered, Your Grace,” Robinson told him with a slight smile. “Your meal is ready in the morning room.”

“Thank you, Robinson,” Robert said in a hoarse voice.

He exited the drawing room on his way to the morning room when Jo came down the stairs in a hurry. She was wearing a cream-colored dress with blue flowers embroidered on it. She looked so sweet and fresh in it that he immediately had to look away and prevent his mind from going down more salacious paths.

“What is happening?” she asked breathlessly as she looked from Robert to Robinson, then her eyes widened slightly in surprise to find Thornston there as well and he saw color bloom on her cheeks. The sight made bile rise in his throat and not simply because he had been drinking too much the night before. Mr. Hawkins’ accusations seemed impossible, yet a tiny part of him could not help but entertain the idea.

“Your cousin,” Robert snarled in irritation. “If you would please both join me in the morning room.”

The way Jo briefly glanced at Thornston and the shrug his friend offered his wife did not escape him and he only walked faster toward the morning room. They both followed him without a word.

Robert piled his plate with scones and bacon, emptied one cup of coffee still standing by the buffet before he filled another and sat down at the table. He slathered two pieces of potato scones with butter, made a sandwich with the bacon and took a huge bite before he looked at his wife and then his friend in turn. They had tentatively sat down on either side of him.

“Riddles,” Thornston began for the third time since arriving at the house but stopped speaking when Robert glared at him.