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Chapter Twenty-Two
Once outside Dante’sHell, Matthew stuffed Rose in the carriage.Raleigh was already inside, napping in the corner.
“Raleigh,” he snapped.“Take my wife home safely.And see me upon my return to Highwood.”Raleigh mumbled a few words and resettled, arms across his chest.
Rose gripped the edge of her furred pelisse and glanced pleading toward Matthew.“Don’t be long.And don’t blame Raleigh.I begged his help and he helped me.”
“He’ll still see me in the morning and listen to every word of chastisement I can think of.And I’d haul in Lord Chester, if I thought he would come.”
“Don’t forget my diamonds!”she said.
He poked his head through the carriage window and kissed her.“They were fake.”
“What?”Fake?Matthew Hardy was a lawless enigma.
“Here’s the case, if you want to take them home and compare them to the real jewels.”Then he whispered a few words to heat her on the long ride home.“See to the girls, take a bath and be on the bed naked when I return home.”
“Or what?”
“You know exactly what.It will be the proper fucking a disobedient wife deserves.”
He hit the side of the carriage.She and Raleigh lurched as the horses came to life beneath the whip, and they were off to Islington.It was on nights like this she wished they had a nice row house—or mansion—in Mayfair.When Matthew built the home in Islington, he obviously hadn’t considered that someday he would have a wife to whom he would want to get home to quickly.
Matthew wanted to conclude business with Madame DuPuis; Rose just wanted to be home.He wouldn’t be home until light—there was too much cash for him to leave at the gaming hell.Rose had wanted to teach Matthew a lesson—the full results of the spectacular backlash may not yet be known.
Cyril had horribly mistreated her.Did that give her license to ruin his life, even though that’s what he tried to do to her?She’d thought his meanness was one-dimensional—that his sole anger toward her was because he believed she was not the sort of woman who should be with a man like Edmond.
Acute mania.Obviously, she didn’t know what it meant for Cyril.She’d never seen such a mental collapse as she had witnessed this evening.
In spite of the evening’s excitement and scare, Matthew and Alice would clean up the loose ends.Rose’s brow furrowed as she acknowledged Alice DuPuis’ particular set of skills and their usefulness in dire situations.What an interesting and secretive woman.
She glanced at Raleigh, dozing.It hadn’t taken much convincing to get him to Dante’s Hell.He enjoyed himself, she was sure.So did she, truth be told.
The dawn was upon the horizon when the carriage pulled into the lane at Highwood.Tilly and the governesses were outside doing exercises with the girls before their lessons started.Rose had been directional in her daughters’ education and health—showing the way without telling Tilly and the governesses exactly what should be done.
Ah, it was good to see the children.Tonlife encouraged different schedules between adults and children.Rose found that she enjoyed Highwood for that reason.Not so much time in London and more time with her family.
