The Accidental Countess (The Aristocrat Diaries 3)

He sat back, laughing. “All right, Madam Dramatic. Abandoned is a bit of a strong word.”

I stared at him.

“Ignore me, I’m an idiot.”

“Look at that. You already know how to be a great husband.”

“Admitting I’m an idiot is being a good husband?”

“It’s as good as admitting you were wrong, so yes.”

“I’m a natural.”

I laughed and shifted so I was leaning against the back of the sofa and facing him this time. “Do you… think we’re completely insane for what we’re doing?”

“What we’re doing?”

“This.” I motioned between us. “The marriage thing.”

“I don’t think we’re sane.” His lips tugged to the side. “Are you having second thoughts after all? I hate to tell you, sweetheart, but it’s a little late for that.” He raised his left hand and the white gold band on his ring finger glinted in the light.

“No, I was just thinking about it. It’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“What’s bothering you?” He rested his hand on my knee. “You can talk to me about it, you know.”

“Well, right now it’s bothering me that you still haven’t told me what you know that’ll knock us out of the gossip column,” I admitted.

He dropped his head back with a laugh. “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

“Absolutely not.”

“If I tell you, will you tell me what’s on your mind?”

“That sounds like blackmail.”

“One hundred percent,” Matthew admitted unashamedly. “Well?”

I pouted. “Oh, all right, then. Go ahead. This better be good, though.”

“Oh, it is. You’ll like this.”

“Spit it out then, darling. I haven’t got all night to sit here and wait.”

He laughed. “I spoke to Fred this morning. He’s going to break it off with Charlotte.”

Well, bugger me sideways!

My jaw dropped. “No!”

“Don’t say anything,” he said quickly. “Because it’s not the first time he’s said such a thing.”

“Do you think he will?”

“I’m not sure. I think she had another disagreement with his mum about an invite—or lack thereof—to a family dinner, and it’s getting to him. Fred’s finding it difficult that they don’t get along, and I think even he’s starting to see Charlotte as the problem now.”

“It does take someone quite special not to get along with a single member of his family.” I grimaced, nodding. “Better now than before they get married. Have they even set a date?”

“I don’t think so. I think the hold up was his dad’s refusal to allow Charlotte access to the family tiara for the wedding. She doesn’t have one and didn’t want to buy or borrow one.”

I snorted. “That’s rich. She doesn’t particularly have an entitlement to it.”

“Well, yes. It was exacerbated by you wearing the Anglesey jewels, apparently.”

“Does she know I turned down the Leicester Tiara?”

“Fred told her. Besides, you became The Countess of Anglesey the moment we were married, so it was yours at that point anyway. That wouldn’t be the case for Charlotte.”

“Excellent point.”

“Anyway, his dad refusing her use of the tiara is why Fred hasn’t yet agreed to set a date.”

“He’s smarter than I gave him credit for.”

“Who, Fred?”

“No, his dad.” I grinned. “Maybe Fred, too, if all it’s going to cost him is a bit of time.”

“That and a truck full of ibuprofen when Charlotte is done screaming at him.”

“True.” I paused. “Talking of mums. Did your mum and grandma come back or not?”

Matthew shook his head. “No. They went straight to Heathrow from the hotel. They were supposed to come home today, but they decided that the next two weeks are better spent in Greece.”

Huh.

“I can’t help but agree. I’d rather be in Greece.” I paused. “I’m sorry. That’s rude, given the circumstances.”

The sparkle never left his eyes. “No, it’s not. I’d much rather be in Greece, too.”

Well, at least we agreed on that.

“Do you think she likes me? Your mum? Actually, both of them.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Yes. They love you. Why?”

“We got married, and now they’re in Greece. Doesn’t give a girl a lot of confidence. And I know it doesn’t really matter, but we do have to live together, and…” I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’d like us to get along.”

Matthew glanced down and ran his tongue across his lower lip. “Eva, remember that as far as Mum and Nan are concerned, this marriage is real. And they felt that since we didn’t immediately leave for a honeymoon, perhaps leaving us… alone… for a couple of weeks was a good idea.”

Oh.

Oh.

Right.

Of course.

I bit down on my lip and covered my mouth with my hand. “Ah. I understand.”

He held my gaze for a moment before he burst out laughing. “So no,” he said through his chuckles. “It’s not you at all. It’s their fervent hope that they’ll have a baby to coo over sooner rather than later.”

Baby.

Right.

I looked down at my hands, twisting them together so my fingers linked and unlinked several times.

“Eva?”

“Do the babies have to happen right now?”