Chapter 16
Evelina set a plate heaped with delectable items at her place on Vaughn’s right at the breakfast table and smoothed her skirt before she sat down. He had been reading the paper and he folded down the edge to look at her with a teasing smile. “I like to see a healthy appetite.”
She laughed. “You do inspire it, my lord.”
He joined her laughter and returned to his paper.
The teasing wasn’t a lie, of course. She hadn’t left his home for two days.
Not since the night when she panicked about being trapped in her gown and confessed her past to him.
In that time, they’d shared a great deal of passion.
The man still looked at her like he wanted to devour her and often followed through.
And yet things had also changed in that time.
The relationship between them felt…gentler…
somehow. Not like she was cracked glass that needed to be protected, but more like she was something precious.
Together they read the book he’d gifted her and played games and walked in his lush gardens while they talked about nothing… and everything.
The one thing they hadn’t talked about, though, was what Evie had heard about his wife and the potential for a pregnancy with Southwater.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of it.
She often had, dashing herself on the rocks as she tried to find the right words to share the rumor.
But then he’d laugh or suggest they do something amusing or push her onto his bed and she couldn’t take away the lightness from him.
She couldn’t destroy him, especially since she didn’t even know if what she had heard was true.
Her desire to protect him was just as troublesome as the rest. This was all beginning to feel very real. That it was transforming again from a mere revenge scheme and later passion to something with more depth of feeling. Something that could cause an authentic broken heart.
She shook her head and pushed those thoughts away. She wouldn’t be so foolish to allow that. “And what is on your agenda today, Vaughn?”
He folded the paper entirely and set it aside to fully focus on her.
It was always startling when he did that, which he did often, because those green eyes seemed to see all.
“I would love to tell you that my agenda was to stay here with you another day, try to best you at lawn darts for once and then make love to you in the orangery.”
“You’ll never best me at lawn darts, you must learn to accept the facts,” she teased. “And the rest sounds very nice. But…”
“But,” he continued, “I must unfortunately meet with my solicitor.”
There was something about the way his expression fell and his tone became far more serious that made her lean closer. “About the divorce?”
He nodded, his lips pinching. “Yes. It seems that once Southwater decided to press forward with his influence and money to the situation, it has moved things along considerably. I’ve been called to sign a few items that will help obtain the final permissions.”
She took his hand and pressed it between hers. “I’m sorry.”
“The sooner it’s over, the sooner it will be…” He shrugged. “Over.”
“I know. And I’ll be happy for you that day because it won’t hang over you like this. But I’m still sorry.”
His expression softened a little and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss it briefly. “You really are too good. But what will you do today without me?”
“Pine ceaselessly?” She said it to tease and hoped it wouldn’t be true.
He grinned and her heart soared that she could bring him even a fraction of peace. “A terrible fate. You must have something to fill the time.”
“Well, now that you mention it, I wanted to go to see my seamstress. She has some new fabrics. Then I have a new bonnet to pick up at the milliner.”
“Thrilling,” he said.
“It will be thrilling for you when you see me in the pretty dresses and compliment me endlessly on how fetching I look in the hat.”
“True on both accounts.”
“And after that my sisters have asked that I join them for tea. I was going to refuse them if you had plans for us today, but if you’ll be out, I’ll send an answer in the affirmative. I want to see Julia’s new accommodations anyway.”
He tilted his head. “Oh, that’s right, she only moved out of Arabella’s house recently, didn’t she? Who is she paired with now? Lord Castleton, yes?”
“Yes, Viscount Laurence Castleton.” She shrugged.
“Honestly I keep forgetting his name entirely, so I must do better if she’s going to be in any kind of lasting affiliation with him.
He seems generous enough at this point.” She shifted and hoped she wouldn’t sound too needy when she asked, “You—you don’t know anything unsavory about him, do you? ”
His playful expression softened and he lifted her hand to his lips again. “No. Nothing at all that would cause me pause about her safety. I know he’s been labeled as flighty, but there isn’t a hint of cruelty in his behavior, at least in my circles.”
“Well, if we dismissed gentlemen for flightiness, I think the courtesans would all be out of business,” she said. “Thank you, Vaughn, hearing that about him is a relief.”
“I’m glad I could provide it.”
She touched his face. “How long until your appointment?”
Now the gentleness left his expression and a little heat entered it. “Not enough to start anything entertaining with you, unfortunately. In fact, I probably must call for my horse to be readied and head on my way. Would you like my carriage for the day? Or I can have yours sent for.”
She blinked. “That would be very kind. You don’t mind?”
He leaned in and cupped her face, kissing her before he answered. He was gentle at first, but then his fingers tensed and he delved a little deeper, tasting of tea and jam from his breakfast. God, she could just lose herself in that. In him. In this.
She caught her breath and pulled back. “Is that a no?”
He smiled. “I don’t mind at all.”
They stood together and walked to the foyer where he called for his horse and told the staff that she would be using his carriage and returning to his home afterward.
“You can poke around in my library or my study and uncover all my secrets,” he teased after the butler had gone to make all the arrangements.
“Oh, that sounds very gothic,” she said.
“No, I’m terribly boring, I’m sorry to say. I could try harder.”
She leaned up to kiss him again. “I think I’ll keep gothic to the pages of books, thank you.”
The horse was brought to the door and he squeezed her hand. “I’ll see you for supper.”
She nodded and watched him go, waving him down the drive. Only when he was gone did she realize she’d just bade him farewell like a wife would do, not a lover. And that it had felt right and easy to do so.
“You’re an idiot,” she admonished herself.
“I beg your pardon, Miss Comerford?” Vaughn’s butler, Langley, asked from behind her, his expression kind and open and not at all judgmental even when his master was gone.
“Oh, nothing, Langley. I think I’ll take the carriage now, if it’s no trouble to prepare it.”
“No trouble at all, miss. Give us but a few moments.”
“I’ll fetch my wrap and be down shortly, please tell them to take their time. I’m in no rush and don’t want to be a bother.”
She went upstairs, drawing deep breaths as she did so. She truly had to get herself back under control in this situation. Because she wasn’t the lady of this house and she never would be. Today she had to do everything she could to remember that.
* * *
Any calm or lightness that Vaughn had felt the last few days with Evelina was gone now that he sat in the cramped office of his solicitor, Mr. Robach, piles of papers to be signed perched in front of him.
It wasn’t just the inconvenience of it all, or the humiliation of it, or even the judgment he always saw on this man’s face, even if he was being paid an exorbitant amount of money for his services.
All those things came together in a swirl and made Vaughn question his own intelligence, his own capacity to evaluate the character of others, or even himself.
“You say this is the bulk of the paperwork,” he said while he scratched his signature on the last of the teetering pile.
“Yes, my lord. The next item you sign will be the dissolution of the marriage and then it will be as if none of this ever happened.” Robach gave a benign smile.
Vaughn shook his head. As if that could be true. The marriage would be over, yes, and he would be free to move on and rebuild the life that had been frozen for so long. But as if it had never happened? There were some things that couldn’t be erased.
“How I wish that could be,” he muttered.
“Scandal passes, my lord,” Robach reassured him absently. “And you’ll certainly find a new wife.”
Vaughn blinked, for that concept hadn’t entered his mind. What did, in that moment, was an image of Evie sitting at his breakfast table as she had been that morning. Evie in his bed. Evie in his garden.
“I suppose I will so that I may fulfill my duties,” he agreed because he certainly wasn’t about to debate the merits of the idea with this man. “So a couple of weeks then?”
The solicitor nodded. “Yes, sir. All the permissions will be complete by then and you’ll sign the final dissolution and that will be that.”
“Very good.” Vaughn got up and smoothed his jacket, like he could wipe away some of the remnants of this unpleasantness. “Please send word if you require anything further until then. Good day.”
“Good day, my lord. My man will see you out.”
Vaughn inclined his head and then strode from the office back into the main hall. Robach’s man was, indeed, waiting for him. He was a thin, nervous sort and he bowed solicitously. “My lord. Would you like to wait in the parlor while I have your horse brought?”
The stifling weight of the day was starting to settle on Vaughn’s shoulders and he shook his head. “No, thank you. I think I’ll wait outside and have some air.”
“Very good. It shouldn’t be more than a moment. Good day.”
Vaughn lifted a hand in farewell as he exited the small building and drew a breath of air.
All he wanted was to go home, shake off this day and spend his evening with Evie.
Such a strange thought considering their beginnings, but there it was.
He knew that when he was with her, she would make all this…
lighter somehow. Easier. He could only hope he did the same for her.
“Blackburn.”
He stiffened at his name being said. Slowly, he turned and found Florence’s sister, Honora, coming toward him from down the street. She had a maid with her, and both women looked as uncomfortable as he felt.
“Lady Simpson,” he said, forgoing the intimacy of using her given name and referring to her by her title, instead. After all, they would be strangers in two weeks.
She let out her breath a little. “Good afternoon, Blackburn.”
“Is it,” he said, and looked off to see if his horse would be here soon to give him an escape.
She shifted. “She…she wants to see you.”
He froze at that and returned his full attention to Honora.
Slowly, he folded his arms. “She has made it painfully clear that she wants nothing of the sort,” he said, and was glad his voice didn’t tremble.
“However, Florence is always welcome to discuss anything she has on her mind. We’re married, or at least we will be for a little while longer. Until Southwater wraps it all up.”
At that, Honora’s face twisted with disgust. “Southwater,” she repeated.
He arched a brow. “You don’t approve?”
“She’s destroying herself,” Honora spat. “And everyone else around her.”
“I’m well aware of everything she’s destroying,” he retorted. “But we’re here now and she’s made her choice. Quite publicly. I don’t know what else there would be to discuss.”
“I understand.” She shifted. “But will you go to her? At the house he’s put her in? Tomorrow at ten?”
Discomfort washed over Vaughn and he was shocked at its source.
He didn’t feel wrong about seeing Florence.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but it was more that the idea of calling on her in such a private way felt…
wrong. Like it might be a betrayal of Evie, despite the fact that Florence was his wife.
It was such a backward emotion that he took a moment before he responded as he grappled with it and then forced it back.
“I can call if you’re certain it’s what she wishes,” he finally said.
Honora sighed. “Nothing is certain. But thank you for agreeing. I realize you have no obligation to do so. Goodbye.”
He jolted at the finality of that farewell as she departed without waiting for his response.
But of course, it was final, wasn’t it? Paperwork would be signed shortly and then it was very unlikely he would ever interact with anyone in his former wife’s family again.
They would all avoid each other, try not to go to the same parties, ignore each other if they found themselves in a common room or park or museum.
It truly would be as if none of the last five years had happened. The good or the bad.
The groom appeared with his horse and Vaughn tried to gather himself as he swung up and started onto the road back home. But he felt entirely sick as he did so, and he didn’t think that feeling would change for some time.