Page 36 of Married to the Duke By Midnight

Robert nodded. It made sense why Thornston had followed him home then. He should be grateful for it in fact. Part of him was, he supposed. Only a greater part was annoyed that his friend had spent time alone with his wife, when it was all Robert craved himself.

“She was just curious, Riddles. And I am genuinely sorry for embarrassing her. I forgot that she...” His friend trailed off, but Robert knew what he had left out: ‘That she is an innocent’.

He cursed himself for having told Thornston and Xavier. Jo’s cheeks would burn bright red if she ever learned, perhaps she might even be angry with him. She had been on the verge of tipping into rightful indignation over him not turning up when Thornston had laughed at her. It felt like a small animal squirmed in his stomach at the thought.

“She is very forward in so many ways; I mean she was more perplexed by the fact that Lord Thistleworth accepted other men’s by-blows than by the viscount’s rumored proclivities, which you might want to question her on, and I just…” Thornston sighed. “Should I send her flowers as an apology?”

“Don’t send my wife flowers,” Robert growled without thinking.

“Fine,” Thornston smirked, not one to dwell long on a serious note. “Chocolate then? Jewelry? Perhaps a new bonnet?”

Robert only glared in response which made Thornston grin wider.

“Hell and damnation, I have never seen you this besotted before.”

Robert felt as if he was falling but chose to ignore it. He was not besotted. Absolutely not. He was simply being protective of his wife.

His mind ventured to Lucretia and their conversation from last night. Everything had been much simpler with her.

“Just please, never mention it again,” he told his friend and turned on his heel without saying goodbye.

17

Jo placed her hands on her still warm cheeks as she waited for Robert to return to the morning room. The day was bright outside, and she longed to go for a long walk. She was meeting Beatrice later for a stroll in the park with her, the children, and the nanny, but it was hardly the same as walking for miles on an empty windswept beach. It was the only thing she could think of to clear her mind. Heavens, how she needed it.

The smell of bacon made her look at Robert’s half-eaten sandwich. He had piled so much bacon into it that it was spilling out the side. Was this his normal breakfast? They had been married for four days now and had only breakfasted together once when they went to Xavier’s house. One of them was always busy it seemed.

The door opened quietly behind her, and she turned to see Robert enter.

“He apologized again,” Robert told her as he came back to his chair to sit down.

Jo nodded but did not speak. Did Robert find her foolish as well for not knowing that an affair could be conducted in a carriage? Or too forward for having asked about the Thistleworths’ business? If he did, he had thankfully not shown it.

Perhaps she could ask Beatrice later about intercourse in a carriage, if there was a moment when the children and the nanny were not in earshot. But it felt peculiar asking her friend about this, since Jo knew Mr. Oakley as well. Perhaps Beatrice could recommend a book on the topic instead. If books on this topic even existed?

“Jo,” Robert said and waited for her to meet his eyes, before he continued. “He should not have laughed at you. I am sorry that he embarrassed you.”

“I know he meant nothing by it. It is simply his nature,” she told him.

“About the other matter, the Thistleworths…”

“We were simply gossiping,” Jo interrupted him.

“I know. Is there…” Robert picked up his sandwich but did not take a bite. “Is there anything you want to… ask me?”

“You?” Jo said surprised, then a horrible thought hit her. “Were you at the house party?”

“Heavens, no!” Robert exclaimed. “I meant Thornston said he was perhaps a bit more forward with you than he should have been.”

Jo eyed him for a second. It would be easiest to let the topic rest, to act as if she did not know what he was talking about. But she instinctively felt that the best way forward for them would be if she was honest. They had promised each other to be honest after all.

“You mean him implying that Lord Thistleworth has an affair with a man?” she asked and Robert nodded. “It is probably impossible to dictate what Thornston says to whom, but you should implore him not to mention it to anyone. Since it is illegal.”

Robert nodded thoughtfully and took a bite of his sandwich before he spoke.

“You are right, that it is almost impossible to tell Thornston what to do. Did it not shock you?”

“A bit, yes,” Jo acknowledged. “But my uncle had a lot of books about ancient Greece…”