Chapter Seventeen
‘We were pleasantly surprised at the invitation,’ Baron Umbridge said from his seat at the dining room table. His young wife sat beside him. Lady Umbridge was a pretty, petite blonde with cornflower blue eyes. She was shy and had barely spoken since the main course had been served.
Nora’s sisters and their mother were present. Adler had arrived as well as the Duke of Huntington. His Grace was handsome, tall with brown hair and striking emerald eyes. Both her sisters noticed. Sara smiled shyly as she addressed His Grace.
Candace, on the other hand, had a different reaction.
Her eyes widened, then slightly narrowed when the Duke had first joined them.
Nora didn’t think Candace had previously met the Duke and she made a mental note to ask her about him later.
Nora was soon distracted, however, as the evening began awkwardly.
‘I ran into your wife at the circulating library.’ Umbridge’s pale blue eyes settled on her.
‘Oh?’ Ralston’s lifted his wine glass. ‘I didn’t know.’
‘It was a brief moment,’ Nora said. ‘When I returned to request another book, the Baron was in the vestibule.’ A tingle of nerves ran down her spine at Ralston’s look.
Was he upset she hadn’t mentioned it? They were seated at opposite ends of the long table, and she longed to reassure him that he had nothing to fear.
The Baron was inconsequential to her. His wife, on the other hand, meant more.
She lifted her wine glass and smiled at Ralston across the expanse of the table.
He raised his own glass and the tension in her gut eased.
Adler and Huntington began speaking of politics while Nora and her sisters conversed with the shy Lady Umbridge.
‘What is your favorite pastime?’ Nora asked the lady.
‘I like to read and—’ She stopped short, daring a look at her husband beneath lowered lashes. ‘I enjoy nature and to walk in the park.’
‘I like both as well,’ Nora said. ‘Walking and reading, that is.’ Her voice was firm, and she intended for the Baron to hear it but at that moment he was occupied with the men.
The Duke’s voice travelled from across the table. ‘I sympathize with your cause, Lord Ralston, but I understand the opponent’s viewpoint, as well. The mill owners are worried about a shortage of labor.’
‘And you think children are the answer?’ Candace’s voice was loud and clear.
A moment of awkward silence passed at her sister’s comment. Nora hadn’t realized that Candace had been listening to the men.
Umbridge was the first to respond and he guffawed. ‘That’s what you get when women concern themselves with men’s matters.’
It was the wrong thing to say. Candace’s face turned beet red, and Nora placed a hand on her sister’s thigh beneath the table.
Ralston, sensing the tension, spoke up. ‘It would be foolish of me not to consider any opponent’s side, and I often play devil’s advocate.’
‘She has a right to her opinion,’ the Duke said, his green gaze resting upon Candace. It was a quizzical look and also one of keen interest.
Candace shifted in her seat. Others might think she was embarrassed by her outburst, but Nora knew her sister and understood her anger. Had the Duke done something else to offend her that Nora had missed?
Adler, always the charmer, cleared his throat. ‘Let us all take a respite from politics and enjoy the fine meal.’
Ralston grinned and raised his glass. ‘A toast to a pleasant evening with friends.’
The rest of the meal progressed slowly. Candace remained a bit sullen, and the Duke cast numerous glances her way.
Worse, when Nora looked up, she caught Baron Umbridge watching her with interest. Nora felt her skin crawl.
She experienced a stab of anger. His lovely wife sat beside him. Had he no decency?
She turned to Ralston, taking in his tight jaw, and she knew that he’d noticed.
After the last course, the guests pushed back their chairs. As was customary, the men retired to the study to smoke cigars and drink brandy while the women gathered in the drawing room.
Nora pulled her sister aside. ‘Candace,’ Nora said, her voice low so the other women couldn’t hear. ‘Why the outburst?’
Candace wrinkled her nose. ‘What do you mean?’
Nora rolled her eyes. ‘You all but threw your butter knife at the Duke of Huntington’s head.’
Candace looked away. ‘It is of no consequence,’
‘It is. Spit it out,’ Nora insisted.
Candace’s lips thinned. ‘I believe the Duke broke my friend’s heart. You know how I feel about rogues.’
This put Nora in an uncomfortable position. ‘He is a political sympathizer for Ralston’s bill. I understand how you feel, but he is also our guest tonight.’
‘I know. I’m sorry. Sara has warned me about my prejudice. I can’t blame every rake for my past, can I?’
‘There are always two sides to every story,’ Nora said.
Candace let out a long sigh. ‘I know.’
‘Meanwhile, I need you to do something for me. I want a moment alone with Lady Umbridge.’ Once Nora explained, Candace was more than happy to agree.
Ralston handed out cigars and poured brandy into glasses from the sideboard in his study.
‘Good cigar,’ Adler said.
‘And brandy,’ Umbridge said.
Ralston didn’t miss the flash of greed in the baron’s gaze as he scanned the richly appointed study. The large rosewood desk and furnishings. The expensive Wilton carpet. The malachite fireplace with solid gold bookends and gold mantel clock.
Ralston still found it hard to believe the baron was in his home as his guest. And he’d been caught off guard when it had come to light that Nora had run into Baron Umbridge during their trip to the booksellers.
Why hadn’t she said a word to him? When he’d met her eyes across the table, she’d clearly been worried about his reaction.
He’d seen her bite her bottom lip and suddenly all he could think about was how it felt to taste her.
And how he wanted to do it again. He’d raised his glass and smiled, hoping to reassure her that he wasn’t upset.
He knew her and trusted she had her reasons for wanting to host guests.
He suspected it had something to do with the baron’s wife.
So, what was going on?
The blonde baroness was pretty, too young for Umbridge.
Still, Ralston didn’t miss the lustful look the baron had cast toward Nora during the meal.
His jaw had stiffened and his fists had clenched beneath the table.
It had taken him a good five seconds to calm.
He was never one to exhibit anger, and his uncharacteristic rush of jealousy mixed with fury had been unnerving.
Slowly, his senses had returned. He had nothing to be jealous of. Nora was his wife.
Instead, he’d focused on Nora across the long table.
She looked lovely dressed in dark green gown with a heart-shaped bodice.
Her dark hair was arranged in curls that framed her oval face.
She’d become an elegant countess, a brilliant hostess who charmed their guests, and at that moment, he couldn’t have been prouder to have her as his wife.
Now, as he sipped his brandy and watched Umbridge across his study, Ralston once again suspected his presence had something to do with the young baroness. He grew intrigued.
What are you up to, sweet Nora? There was only one way to find out.
Nora addressed the delicate blonde. ‘Lady Umbridge, will you join me for a moment?’
The Baroness followed Nora from the drawing room, two doors down the hall, to the library.
The lady’s eyes widened as she took in the shelves of leather-bound books.
‘I was surprised at your invitation tonight,’ Lady Umbridge said.
‘I understand the Baron had visited your family home before your marriage to the Earl.’
Nora explained their brief courtship that her mother had arranged, dismissing it. ‘That was long ago. We are both married ladies now.’
‘Yes, we are.’
A flash of sadness lit her eyes. Regret? Distress? Nora couldn’t tell. Nora did not want to upset the lady and she quickly changed the topic. ‘The library is my favorite room in this house.’
‘It is lovely. The baron has a library, but there are a few books, and he’s sold many.’
‘Earlier you said you enjoy reading. What genre is your favorite?’ Nora inquired.
The lady let out a long sigh as she ran her fingers over the spines of a row of books on a shelf. ‘I have a fancy for penny romance novels. Silly, I know.’
‘Romance novels are not silly!’ Nora’s voice rose an octave. ‘They are full of excitement, adventure and most importantly, hope. What could be more inspiring?’
The Baroness’s lips parted in surprise. ‘I feel the same way. But Lord Umbridge does not, and he disproves. He calls them drivel and says they will give me false and dangerous ideas. He banned my books from the house. He insists upon an heir before the end of the year.’ Her voice choked at the last statement.
There was a sourness in the pit of Nora’s stomach and she felt ill. She couldn’t imagine what the young woman was going through, in and out of the bedchamber. In contrast, Ralston encouraged her interests and had not forced himself into her bed.
‘What does reading have to do with conceiving an heir?’
The lady’s voice lowered, as if in shame. ‘He says he wants me to focus on childbearing and nothing else.’
A spark of anger burned in her chest as Nora pulled books off the shelf.
‘His ignorant opinion does not matter, only yours does. I want you to have these. I will box them and send them to you. Hide them if you must and read when he’s out of the house.
You are also welcome to visit this library and read whatever you wish without disturbance. Tell Lord Umbridge we are having tea.’
Lady Umbridge’s blue eyes watered with tears. ‘Thank you! May I ask is this why you invited us tonight?’
‘Yes, it’s true. I cannot fathom the thought of a woman denied the simple pleasure of books.’ If fate had gone another way, she could have been in Lady Umbridge’s shoes. After only a few weeks of marriage to Ralston, she couldn’t imagine such a stifled existence.