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“I will always miss you,” she whispered into the emptylibrary.
“Lady Staveley.” Tindle, her butler, cleared his throat, and the sound nearly made Caroline jump from her skin. “The Duchess of Kelfield has called. I placed Her Grace in the whiteparlor.”
Livvie. Here, no doubt, to see how Caroline was faring upon her return to London. At least she wouldn’t have to feign a smile for Livvie. Her dear cousin would see through such a ruse and doing so would only worry her more than she probably already was. “Thank you. I’ll attend hershortly.”
Caroline took a steadying breath and then went directly to the white parlor. Upon Caroline’s entrance, Olivia, the Duchess of Kelfield, pushed off the settee, grinning from eartoear.
“Caroline!” she gushed. “I’m so happy to see you.” Then Livvie threw her arms around Caroline’s shoulders and held her tightly. “Howareyou?” she whispered in her ear. “How are youreally?”
“Managing,” Caroline replied, squeezing Livvie to her before taking a step away to inspect her cousin who’d always been more like a little sister than anything else. “You look well.” And she did. Livvie’s hazel eyes twinkled and her smile was bright and she practically… “You’re…” Heavens! Was she really? “Livvie, you’reglowing.”
A blush stained Livvie’s cheeks. “How in the world couldyoutell so easily? I haven’t eventoldAlex.”
A baby. Something happy and joyous to look forward to. And Caroline’s heart did lift a bit at the thought. “Oh, darling, I’m so happy for you.” But then the rest of her cousin’s words sunk in. “Wait. You haven’ttoldAlex?”
Livvie slid her hand into Caroline’s and towed her back to the settee. “You know how he is. The most overprotective duke in all the realm. He’d send me back to Everett Place, and I would miss any excitement there is to be had,” she said as they sat. “I amnotready to be confined to the country, not yet.” She shrugged. “I’ll tell him before I start showing, Ipromise.”
Caroline laughed. “Yes, well, hewouldnotice at thatpoint.”
“With any luck, I have a fewmonths.”
Livvie was delusional if she thought she had that long. Alexander Everett, the Duke of Kelfield, was a most loving and attentive husband. Livvie probably only had a few weeks at most before Alex realized thatsomethingwasdifferent.
“Speaking of Alex,” Livvie began. “Am I an awful wife to wish he had more respectablefriends?”
Alex had plenty of respectable friends. These days all of them could be called as such except…Marc. Caroline heaved a sigh as that familiar bitterness that had been so much a part of her life these last few months swelled within her once more. “What has Havershamdonenow?”
Livvie rolled her eyes. “What hasn’thedone?”
Well, that was a valid question. Of course, Caroline didn’treallyhave a reason to hate Marc. After all, had he gone to Derbyshire when she’d begged him to, he could just as easily have met his end at the hands of that murderous Captain Pierce as David had done. But Caroline didn’t really believe that, not in her heart. David was mild-mannered. David was soft spoken and believed the best in everyone. He’d never had a chance against Pierce, but Marc… Well, Marc was not mild-mannered nor did he believe the best in anyone. And Marc was more than capable of handling himself. He was a survivor. Caroline had no doubt that not only would he have survived an attack from Captain Piece, but Marc would have killed the villain before the man could have hurt anyone else. But he hadn’t gone to Derbyshire as she’d begged. He’d let David head off there instead. And Caroline could never forgive himforthat.
“Last week there was an incident with an actress,” Livviebegan.
That was hardly surprising to hear. Marc did have a taste for actresses, much as Alex once had. “Anincident? “
“Screamed at him so loud from her dressing room, Phoebe said they could hear her in their box.” Livvie shook her head. “And this week he ruined the Bramleyearldom.”
Marc was a callous, selfish blackguard who only cared about himself, but Caroline wasn’t sure how he could possibly have brought down the Bramley earldom all onhisown.
Her expression must have said as much because Livvie continued. “Hazard. Bankrupted Bramley. They fished him out of the Thames justyesterday.”
Bramley had killed himself over a gambling loss? Caroline’s mouth fell open. “Oh, goodheavens.”
“Honestly, I can’t understand what Alex sees in him.” Then she shrugged. “Cordie, either, for that matter, but she’ll defend him with her dyingbreath.”
“Hedidtake a bullet meant for Clayworth,” Caroline replied, not wanting to defend Marc of anything. But hehadsaved Cordie Clayworth’s husband a number of years ago. It only stood to reason the countess would forgive any of histransgressions.
“Anyone can do one decentthing.”
“And hedidwarn Cordie when that awful Mason fellow was looking to killPhilip.”
Livvie winced at the memory. “Philip still ended up with a bulletinhim.”
He had, but that hadn’t been Marc’s fault, though Caroline wouldn’t say those words aloud. She hated Marcus Gray, she hated him with everything in her, and she wasn’t about to list every decent thing he’d ever done, even if the list would beshort.
“Bye, Mama,” Rachel said from the threshold of theparlor.
“Oh, heavens!” Livvie breathed out. “Rachel, I can’t believe how grown upyouare.”
