Page 78 of Ruined by the Wrong Earl

Still, a sickening sense of betrayal swelled in his chest. Why didn’t she tell him first? Why did he have to hear it from his lifelong rival, Weber? After all they’d shared, he thought he meant more to his wife. Damnit, she’d learned how to cook for him.

Was it simply tit for tat? And did he have a right to protest? They’d agreed to a marriage of convenience. He’d wanted to avoid scandal and had convinced her to marry. He’d followed through with his promises. She had done the same. Now that her dreams were coming true, had she decided she no longer needed him?

And what of the heir? He could insist she stay until an heir was conceived. She, in turn, could argue she’d conceive when she returned. He could not force her to remain. And if she decided not to return? Or to find an Italian lover? That was a much more likely scenario.

His distrust of women returned in a rush. He was a fool. His first fiancée had cheated on him and lied about him being the father of her baby. Now his wife’s betrayal was worse, much worse. She’d used him to advance her career and was going to leave him without a backward glance. Her notes proved it, didn’t they?

Closing the door to her science room, he went to his study, poured himself a glass of whisky and sat in front of the fireplace.

Two hours later, he heard the front door open and rose. It was time to have a reckoning with his wife.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Nora returned home in a rush and hurried to her science room. After meeting with Lady Weber, she’d gone to her childhood home to speak with her sisters. Lady Weber had been understanding, both about the gossip rag and her offer to travel abroad, and would do her best to misdirect the gossip. Tongues would waddle for a few days, but then there was another scandal to take its place. Lady Sheffield’s youngest daughter was rumored to have been caught in the hay with the stable boy. Still, the gossip rag was never far from Nora’s mind. She needed support from her sisters and their shoulders to cry upon.

Her journal lay open upon her desk with the list she’d started before the housekeeper had shown her the awful, devastating Tatler. She still felt a sickening despair when she thought of the consequences such gossip was likely to bring.

The door swung open without a knock. Heart pounding, she whirled to see Ralston in the doorway. He stood tall and still and did not bother to enter. His normally meticulous attire looked askew. His cravat was loose, the top button of his waistcoat unfastened. Something was off. ‘Are you home to finish your list?’ he drawled.

She blinked. ‘Pardon?’

He took a step inside. ‘Your list. Your reasons for leaving for a full year to travel to Italy with those scientists.’ His tone was velvet yet edged with steel.

Her heart raced at his presence and his words. ‘You were in my room while I was gone?’ It took her a moment to realize Ralston was as angry as he was.

‘Only after I heard from Lord Weber of your plans.’

Her voice wavered. ‘Lady Weber told her husband?’ Had the lady betrayed her?

‘No. You see, he overheard your conversation with his wife. Bravo, my dear, for keeping it a secret.’

She’d never seen Ralston this distant and cold. There was an icy arrogance to him that raised the hair on her nape. She wasn’t afraid of him, but wary. ‘It was a surprise to me, as well. And I… I haven’t decided yet.’

He lifted a hand towards her open notebook. ‘That’s not what your list indicates. Seven concise bullet points skewed in one direction. For you to leave.’

She was right to be wary. This was bad. Very bad. He thought she was not planning to consult him. That was far from the truth. ‘You misunderstand. I haven’t made a decision yet. I intended to tell you after I’d organized my thoughts on the matter. As for my notebook and the pro/con list, Mrs Hanning interrupted me before I could finish. She showed me an item in the Tatler.’

‘The gossip rag? I know about that, too. Our love match is not as convincing now, is it?’ His face hardened in a way that made her stomach churn with anxiety. It was as if she could feel the coldness seeping between them. She needed to fix this, to let him know it was not as it seemed.

‘No, my lord. I’m sorry for any confusion.’ She reached for him. He stepped back.

‘Sorry for what?’ he asked, his voice sharp. ‘For slipping into my bed by accident? Or for our resulting marriage. Or for being deceptive about the offer to travel. Yes, I do believe you owe me an apology.’

The emotional distance between them grew and she felt a desperate need to draw him back. ‘You cannot possibly think that.’

‘Why not? Not once did you mention the offer you had received to travel. I’ve been thinking things through, my dear. The invitation must have been conveyed to you when the bespectacled woman asked to speak with you privately after your presentation. You blatantly lied and said she was interested in your notes and wanted to visit. Do you deny it?’

Her face grew warm and she knew she could not lie. She had kept it from him, but for different reasons. She needed time to rationalize. The offer to travel had been unexpected and she owed it to the scientific group—no she owed it to herself—to think things through before telling him. She’d never make a decision before consulting him.

And then there were her strong feelings for her husband, which made any decision the most difficult of all. Love complicated everything.

She was aware of him watching her, waiting for a response. ‘No, I don’t deny it. She asked me to join the travelling group to the Continent. But like I said, I needed time to think. This is just a horrible misunderstanding.’

He stood there, proud and angry. ‘A misunderstanding? You sat across from me in the carriage and at the Cock Tavern and never said a word all the while knowing you would leave. That sounds like a betrayal to me.’

A betrayal? He must be thinking back to his youthful years. He made it sound horrible when in fact she was terribly torn. She hadn’t decided, even now, and had planned to discuss it with him. His accusatory tone made her own anger arise. She opened her mouth to explain. ‘I—’

His jaw stiffened. ‘I won’t stand in your way.’ His voice was quiet, but held a frostiness that made her shiver.