Page 35 of Her Unsuitable Match

“And had less visitors than I expected.” There wasn’t any point to avoiding the topic. “No one came to see me, Elaine. Not my married friends, not my unmarried friends with their maids or mothers.”

“Not everyone knew it was your at home day, especially given the newness of your marriage.” Elaine never told falsehoods, but her hopeful attitude faltered as she spoke. “Perhaps it is because you still share my address. That may have caused some confusion.”

“Mother and Richard are doing their best to show public disapproval of my choices.” Philippa absently wandered to the tea service and traced the rim of her teacup. “I expect I will receive a note from one or the other soon enough, gloating over my lack of friends now that I have removed myself from their protection.”

“There are good people in Society, Pippa. They will show themselves soon.”

“What if they do not? How many people have already expressed to you their wariness to support the hospital, because you have a woman with a smudged reputation living under your roof?”

For the first time, Elaine hesitated to answer. Pippa’s shoulders fell. “Elaine—how many?”

“No one has withdrawn their support yet,” Elaine insisted, but the way that yet was spoken made Pippa’s guilt grow. Something of that emotion must’ve shown on her face, as Elaine hastened forward to put her hands upon Pippa’s shoulders. “Oh, do not look that way. We both know things will work out. Your mother didn’t like my marriage to Adam at all, and we still have friends aplenty and more invitations than I can possibly accept.”

“Because you had no scandal tied to your name, and you entered Society as a mature woman with children and a fortune behind you.” Philippa shook her head and gently backed out of Elaine’s hold. “The circumstances are quite different. Everyone bandied my name about with Lord Walter’s, thinking we had snuck off into the shadows to paw at one another.” She shuddered and went to the window, glaring out at the world. “And then I leave my titled brother’s protection, marry someone my mother loudly disapproves of, and here we are.”

Elaine approached, her chin tilted upward. “People will eventually lose interest, Pippa.”

“What would you do, in my situation?” Pippa folded her hands before her, arching an eyebrow at the lovely former seamstress. “If you gave me your most honest counsel, what would you recommend?”

“Are you sure you want to hear it?” Elaine smiled despite her question. “Because my advice is likely not at all what you expect.”

“Then I positively insist you say what you have to say.” Pippa couldn’t resist smiling back. “I am ready to try just about anything.”

With a slow nod, Elaine looked away from Philippa and down into the street. “I would leave London entirely.” When Philippa gasped, Elaine spoke with firmness. “I would, Pippa. While you are here, everyone may purposefully ignore you. They will all speculate about you. If you left for the country, being out of sight would also put you out of their thoughts. The gossip would die a faster death. Beyond that happy event, though—you would have an opportunity to know better the man you have married.”

Philippa drew back a step. “I can come to know Myles right here in London. In this house.”

“Where it is safe?” Elaine added with a suggestive tilt to her head. “Philippa. I don’t know if you have realized it or not—but your husband is as out of his element as I was when I inherited Tertium Park.”

“We have an agreement,” Pippa murmured, looking away from her sister-in-law. “An understanding. He has his freedom, and I have mine.”

“That isn’t a marriage, darling.” Elaine lowered her voice to a near whisper. “It’s barely a partnership. Beyond that reasoning, the two of you must present a more united front to Society if you wish to be accepted into its fold again. Despite what I achieved in our small country circle, I would have been a complete failure in London without Adam.”

Philippa could admit the truth of that. Adam’s connections and charm had smoothed Elaine’s path. Their marriage hadn’t carried even a whiff of scandal with it. Even those who didn’t know Adam and Elaine loved one another deeply merely assumed he had married her to keep her substantial inheritance in the family—not something anyone in Society would look down upon.

“Try as you might to become better acquainted with your husband in Town, you could better dedicate your efforts to that cause in the country. Where there are fewer distractions.”

“I meant to finish the Season in Town,” Pippa said. “I am not ready to abandon those plans. Besides, Myles agreed to a marriage of convenience. I’m not even certain he would want to leave London.” Though he hadn’t enjoyed that ballroom. By the time they left, he had almost appeared ill.

But that was only one ball. And it had subjected him to the nasty remarks of others. He had chosen to live in London even before meeting her. Why would he wish to leave?

“You asked for my counsel.” Elaine didn’t seem at all annoyed with Pippa’s response. “And that is what I will say. Leave London to relieve the pressure you and he are under. Come to know one another. Return next Season as a unified couple, and take the ton by storm.”

Though Philippa wanted to put her sister-in-law’s advice from her mind, she found herself turning over the merits of the idea for the rest of the afternoon. By the time the dinner hour arrived, and she waited in the drawing room adjacent to the dining room, she had grown rather nervous with thinking Elaine could be right.

Myles appeared, dressed for dinner and as solemn-faced as usual, before anyone else had joined Philippa.

“Any sign of our guests yet?” he asked. His gaze fell upon her only briefly, then quickly tripped across the room to the clock upon the mantel.

“I am certain they will arrive at any moment.” Philippa rose from her chair. “Did you enjoy your day?” She hadn’t seen him until that very moment. A wife did not ask her husband how he spent his time, she well knew. It would be impolite. It wasn’t her place. Especially given their arrangement. She doubted he was off in a gambling den or any other place riddled with inequity. But still. The curiosity remained.

“I did. Thank you. And you? Did you have many visitors?” He crossed the room slowly, taking up a position on the opposite end of the rug from her. As though he did not wish to come too close.

That couldn’t be the case. They had been friendly enough before this moment. During their conversations prior to marriage, and after, they had spoken with an understanding of one another. Hadn’t they? Did it matter?

“Not as many as I expected.” She could admit that much and save face. There was no point in making him worry. Not that he would. Bother. Elaine’s advice had turned Pippa upside down, making her double-think everything. “Elaine thinks it will take more time.”

“Ah.” Myles lowered himself into a chair, keeping the left side of his face turned slightly away from her. “Do you agree with her?”