Pia pasted on a smile. “Mrs. Hollings published news in her gossip column this morning that you had moved into Halstead Hall and that you and Colin have decided to make a go of your marriage.”
Belinda closed her eyes. “Oh, Pia, on your wedding day!”
“It’s all right,” Pia soothed. “My wedding will no doubt feature prominently in tomorrow’s column. Mrs. Hollings’ column is actually what prompted me to ask about you and Colin.”
Belinda sighed. “I didn’t want to trouble you with my news in the days before your wedding, and Tamara is pregnant and has other things on her mind.”
The truth was also that she was still coming to terms with her new status quo with Colin.
Belinda had no idea how Mrs. Hollings got her information. The woman seemed to have sources everywhere. On the other hand, Belinda acknowledged that she herself had not gone to great trouble to conceal her steps, either. She had appeared on Colin’s doorstep last week with weekend bag in hand and had let it slip at work that she’d been at Halstead Hall. For better or worse, she was going to be Colin’s wife for the next two years, and word was bound to get out sooner or later.
She knew her marital status had been a source of speculation and interest at Lansing’s, and elsewhere in New York and London. Everybody was aware of the debacle at St. Bart’s last year—some had even been eyewitnesses.
She supposed that the silver lining to Mrs. Hollings’ gossip column today was that her work colleagues would stop conjecturing about her marital status and see her as settled into married life.
Tamara fished a cell phone out of her small handbag. She scrolled down and then handed her phone to Belinda.
Belinda read the text with unease.
This columnist has it on good authority that a certain marquess and marchioness are nesting in Berkshire near H****. Could it be that a little birdie will hatch next spring?
Belinda mentally winced.
She handed the phone back to Tamara. “Isn’t there something you can do to stop Mrs. Hollings? Doesn’t she work for Sawyer’s media outlets?”
Tamara shrugged as she put away the phone. “Mrs. Hollings is a renegade. Sawyer believes in the separation of the news and business sides of his companies. He won’t interfere to kill an individual story.”
Belinda grimaced at Mrs. Hollings’ words. Hatch a little birdie? She hadn’t even slept with Colin again—yet. She’d arrived back in England from New York just in time for Pia’s wedding.
“What are you going to do?” Tamara asked.
Belinda lifted her shoulders. “What can I do? Nothing. No annulment, no divorce.”
“So that’s it? You plan to stay married…until death do you part?”
“Not quite,” Belinda admitted, hedging. “I’ve talked Easterbridge into a sort of postnuptial agreement. The longer we stay married, the more Wentworth property I can walk away with in a divorce.”
In fact, Easterbridge had had a short agreement drawn up by his solicitor while Belinda had gone back to New York. She’d had her lawyer review it, and the agreement had been signed just yesterday.
Pia looked deflated. “Still, perhaps Colin really does care for you, because what other incentive would he have for agreeing to such an arrangement?”
“Hardly,” Belinda responded.
Tamara tilted her head. “And so, you’re planning to stay the course in this marriage until you gain title to all the Wentworth property?”
“Exactly.”
Belinda watched Pia and Tamara exchange another look.
“Just be careful,” Tamara finally spoke. “Take it from me, this marriage of mutual convenience situation can be trickier than you think.”
Belinda knew Tamara was remembering her own predicament with Sawyer, when her future husband had also made marriage a condition to the both of them getting what they wanted.
Belinda bit her bottom lip. “I’ve already learned my lesson, remember? I eloped with Easterbridge once. It’s not the type of mistake that I intend to make again.”
She knew she had to keep her guard up with Colin. She didn’t have a crystal ball or good insight into his motivations.
Pia looked doubtful. “Well, this time you’re already married, so the only thing that can happen is—”