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“That what?I am your wife, Matthew.My needs are germane.Sandhurst gets no consideration, no recognition or appreciation from this household.”
“I want to return some of that humiliation to him.As much as I possibly can.I’m not going to allow him to continue unscathed.”
“Not while I am in the room,” she said with tears in her eyes.“I don’t want to see him ever again.I don’t want to be involved in any wayward games you have planned for him.And worse still, you are not sorry for it.You have concocted some scheme that you are proud of, arrogantly so.It is Sandhurst’s same sort of arrogance that spurred him to dishonor me.Because I behaved just slightly different than other duchesses, he conceived an idea that I wasn’t worthy of respect.I won’t have it from you, Matthew.
“It will be humiliation enough that he will be the only duke not invited to your grand gala,” she finished.
Sandhurst wasn’t the only one.Matthew hadn’t invited Welliver either.Those little purposeful slights added up.Matthew had attempted to see Welliver three times in the last six months.Each time he was told the duke didn’t see tradesman with whom he had no business relationship.The next time he showed up, he would be with the Duchess of Sandhurst, and Welliver would never turn her away.
There were days when he wanted to publish a front-page article in theDaily Informer: Matthew Hardy is the rightful heir to the duchy of Welliver.Eldest born.Oldest.Rightful Heir.Mine!
If only Welliver—his dead father—hadn’t been such a prick.Matthew had inherited some of those traits, which Rose would probably agree with right now.
Welliver’s father, Matthew’s grandfather, was just as bad.Lord, just thinking that he had such a grandfather—it was beyond comprehension.He’d been the one to force his son to marry a woman worthy of being his duchess rather than his pregnant mistress.
Matthew knew he was blinded.Heirs to dukedoms did not marry their mistresses.
“Say something,” she said.“Tell me that I am more important than some awful man who oppresses those around him and mistreats women and children.”
He took her hand.“Rose, I am very used to making things right.It is how I justify my obscene wealth and my existence.”
“So, in your great need to make things right, you are willing to hurt someone who cares about you?Being a wife isn’t easy when a couple is socially equal.How much more difficult do you think it is—?”
“I am sorry, Rose.My reasons may make no sense to you.”
“They don’t.You must promise you will take care of this.I won’t have him at Highwood ever again.”
“As soon as we get back.But I will also promise that if another opportunity presents itself, even if it’s of my own making, Sandhurst will pay for his sins.”
She smiled tightly.“And how will you pay for your sin of planning a magnificent ball without me?”
“I hired a Mrs.Beecham to assist—"
“Beecham.Constance Beecham?”Rose leaned back in the carriage seat, exasperated.
“Yes.She came highly recommended.”
“Of course she did!She was employed at Sandhurst for eight years.I taught her everything she knows, from how to plan space for five-hundred nobles to how many bourdaloues are needed in the lady’s refreshing room.”
“That explains much.”
“Hardly.”
“No.She explicitly asked me to keep the lady of the house from interfering in her planning.I suppose you taught her that too?”
“I’ll need to fix half of what she is planning.Or half of what she has forgotten to do.”
“Don’t worry overmuch.Raleigh will be watching over things, and he doesn’t trust anyone at first blush.I’m sure he will follow along and correct as needed.”
“At least I will have eleven days to right the wrongs.”She sighed again.“Matthew, the past weeks have been so much better than I ever expected.I want that to continue but not—"
“I promise it will.Look at me, Rose.”He placed his hand on her neck.“We are still in the beginning of what I hope will be a long marriage.What do we know about each other?You know I slavishly work.I know you are a good mother.I know we are both happiest after dark.But there is more to us than that.
“Rose, I have a vengeful side.Once I knew what my father had done, I determined I would fix the wrongs that stumbled into my path.Sandhurst is just the latest to make the stumble.”And Rose’s own letters had been the catalyst that revealed Sandhurst and led them down this strange path.
“Aren’t there philosophers who believe that men are repaid for their evil deeds without any assistance from others?”
“And some believe in avenging angels.”
