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and she'd told him that she was going to visit some friends. Except that she'd stayed home instead. She couldn't wait until the Season was over and they could go back out to the country, back to Westingdon. That was really where their relationship had begun, where she'd started to learn the difference between girlish love and adoration for Alex and the real love and desire that had unfolded between her and Hugh.
Two men strode into view, obviously deeply involved in conversation, and Irene blinked. Was that Hugh and Alex? What were they doing together?
She glanced at the clock. It was only half an hour till dinner, which was when Hugh had told her that he'd return home.
Backing away from the window, Irene stood in the middle of the drawing room, her hands shaking, and wondered what she should do. Catching a glimpse of herself in the gilded mirror over the mantle, she could see that her green eyes looked overly large in her pale face, almost frightened.
She hadn't seen Alex since that awful night when she'd thrown herself at him, desperate to prove to herself that she loved him the way she'd always thought she did, only to discover that not only was she wrong, but that Alex's feelings for her didn't go beyond brotherly. Although, in retrospect, that was a good thing because he hadn't aroused a single ounce of desire in her either. Love, adoration, and warmth, but not the stronger, wilder emotions that her husband inspired. But, as if that hadn't been embarrassing enough, then Hugh had spanked her in front of Alex to demonstrate how to deal with a recalcitrant wife. The entire evening had been horribly embarrassing.
Scrubbing her hands over her suddenly burning face, Irene took a deep breath. Whether or not it had been humiliating, she also realized that night had been the beginning of a turning point in her marriage. She hadn't been quite ready to admit it until then, but she'd finally seen her delusions for what they were and, because of that night, she and Hugh had admitted their emotions to each other. Now Irene was happy, at least with her marriage, and felt secure in Hugh's love for her. But it was time to face Alex as well.
After all, she did miss her friend. And hadn't she just been thinking about how bereft she was of people that she truly trusted?
How like her husband to make the first steps in mending the breach. If Hugh was bringing Alex to their home at this time of night, she assumed he had asked Alex to stay for dinner.
Masculine voices rang in the entrance hall and Irene gathered her courage. Being married to Hugh had bolstered her confidence in so many ways. When she'd first married Hugh, she would have faced whatever he wanted her to because he wanted her to. Now she faced uncomfortable situations because she had learned how to have strength for herself.
******
Seeing his wife coming to greet them, Hugh had to push down the automatic rush of possessiveness that rose up inside of him. He'd run into Lord Brooke at the club and they'd sat down to have a talk over a glass of brandy. Although it was obvious that Alex didn't see Irene as anything other than a well-loved younger sister, and never had, Hugh couldn't help but remember that helpless jealousy that he'd experienced upon realizing that Irene's feelings had been more conflicted. They'd worked through that between the two of them, but he knew she was lonely and missed her friend. Part of him wanted the two of them to never see each other again, but he knew that was unfair and unreasonable.
Besides, even if Irene hadn't cared whether or not she ever saw Alex again, Hugh knew it would be unavoidable. He'd grown up with two best friends who were still his closest friends in the world, Edwin and Wesley, and Wesley had recently become quite attached to Alex. Also, with the lands from Irene's dowry, they were now neighbors in the country. There would be no avoiding him in the future, not with those kind of connections.
And, Hugh had to admit to himself, he did enjoy the man's company. He was extremely intelligent, had a sharp wit even though he never smiled, and never sat on his laurels. Unlike many of their peers, they didn't rest on their laurels and allow others to transact all their business. It was a trait that Hugh shared with his other two friends and very much appreciated in Alex.
"Hello sweetheart," Hugh said, striding forward to greet Irene and also to lend her any support that she might need. He knew that his wife was not always comfortable in difficult social situations. Spanking her in front of Alex might have been a mistake, but he'd been so very angry that night and he'd wanted very much to prove to her that he wasn't a monster. Punishing her with Alex as an audience had demonstrated, in a way that nothing else could have, that her childhood hero wasn't going to step in and save her from richly deserved discipline. But now he didn’t want a permanent wedge between her and her closest friend from childhood either. Hopefully, by having dinner together tonight, they could start a new kind of friendship between the three of them. "I've asked Lord Brooke to dine with us tonight."
Lowering his lips to Irene, he gave her a chaste but intense kiss, and when he turned back to face Alex, it was with his arm firmly wrapped around his wife's waist. He didn't look at the other man's face but watched Irene's; she was so easy to read sometimes, her emotions clearly written across her beautiful face. Hope. Desire. Fear.
"That's wonderful," she said, leaning into Hugh as she looked up at Brooke, the hopefulness in her expression was almost heart-breaking. Hugh felt his jealousy melt away a little bit, replaced by warmth at her reaction. This had been the right thing to do. A tremulous smile crossed her lips. "We're happy to have you, Lord Brooke."
For a moment, tension hung in the air and then Alex smiled back at her. Hugh was struck by the same sense of awe he always had at seeing such an expression on the man's face, but he couldn't blame him. Refusing Irene at that moment would have been akin to kicking a puppy and he didn't think that Brooke had it in him, no matter how hard he usually looked.
"I do hope that you haven't forgotten my name, pet," Brooke murmured as he bowed to her. Strangely the endearment didn't bother Hugh at all. It's not as if it was a particularly romantic one.
"Alex," she said, relaxing under Hugh's arm. He rather liked the way she snuggled against him even as she and her childhood friend smoothed over their current awkwardness. "It's a pleasure to have you here with us."
******
Dinner wasn't nearly as tense as Irene had originally feared. Hugh and Alex seemed to have come to their own kind of truce and as long as she didn't think about the fact that Alex had seen her being soundly spanked, or what a fool she'd been when she'd thrown herself at him, then she didn't feel anxious at all. It was almost like old times. And since neither of the gentlemen would ever be so crass as to make mention of her transgression, it was surprisingly easy to pretend like it had never happened.
As the two men talked about the current horseflesh being offered up at Tattersall's, with her occasional input, Irene had the opportunity to really look at them side by side. They were such a study in contrasts, despite their many similarities. While they were both able Corinthians and enjoyed the country life outdoors more than town life, Hugh's mostly easygoing nature and ready laugh was in direct contrast to Alex's much more serious mien. They weren't light and darkness in the visual sense, like Hugh and Edwin were, but Hugh seemed like sunshine and Alex more like a void that sucked in light.
It hurt to see her friend brought so low. No wonder she'd gotten her emotions all confused; she absolutely cared about Alex and she'd wanted to fix what was wrong for him. She'd wanted to be his sunshine and bring some light to his life and she'd thought she was the right woman for the job because she loved him and she could always make him smile. Now he didn't smile as easily at her and that was all her fault too.
She didn't quite know what to do, however, as she certainly didn't want to attempt anything that could be misconstrued by her husband. Hurting Hugh again in an attempt to help Alex was absolutely not acceptable to her. Not when things were starting to be so lovely between the two of them.
Although she had to admit that she was at least partially motivated by the determination not to give her husband a reason to spank her a
gain.
"Are you alright, darling?" Hugh asked, putting his hand atop hers.
Blinking, Irene refocused on the two gentlemen that meant more to her than anything else in the world, and realized that she hadn't heard a single word they'd said for at least several minutes. "Oh yes... I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I was telling Alex that after the Season we would be heading out to the estates, although we might stop by Bath to see Wesley, Edwin and Eleanor. Perhaps he could join us." Hugh smiled at her and then Alex, warming her insides completely. It was so wonderful how Hugh trusted her and loved her, despite the fact that she didn't truly deserve it yet. She hadn't earned it.
That was one benefit to being spanked; the moment her punishment was over she'd been forgiven. Unlike when she'd lived with her mother and anything that she did wrong was brought up over and over again for weeks.
