e.”
“Oh?” Agatha’s eyes gleamed. “Not indisposed, is she?”
The prospect of having his wife’s condition broadcast to the ton stared Jason in the face. His expression hardened. “She stayed at the Abbey.”
“Oh.” Agatha’s face showed clear evidence of her bewilderment. “But…” She frowned, then added, “Dare say you’re both old enough to know your own minds, but it would really be much better if Lenore was to come to town now, to be presented as your duchess. Plenty of time later to stay in the country. Best, I would have thought, to get the part of the business she dislikes over with now. Doesn’t pay to disappoint the expectations of the ton, y’know.”
With that sage advice, and looking rather more troubled than she had before she had met him, Agatha nodded and moved on.
Jason returned her nod absent-mindedly, his brain busy with her words. Agatha had her finger firmly upon the shifting pulse of ton approbation; no one knew this world better than she. Although he had not previously considered her point, it did not take much thought to suspect her advice was sound. Perhaps he should convey her thoughts to Lenore?
“Eversleigh! It does my heart good to see you back among us, Your Grace.”
With a slightly sceptical lift to his brows, Jason turned to bow over the hand of Lady Ormsby, a spectacular beauty whom he had long suspected of having designs on him. Only a few subtle sentences were needed to confirm that fact. Her ladyship gave him to understand that, now that he had provided himself with the additional safety of a wife, a further piece of camouflage for any illicit affair, she felt that nothing now stood in the way of their pursuing a more intimate relationship.
Nothing, Jason mused, his temper stirring at her ladyship’s dismissive reference to his wife, beyond his own lack of interest. In days past, he would very likely have accepted Lady Ormsby’s invitation. Now, looking into her hard blue eyes, he could not understand what had ever attracted him to her like. They had no softness, no womanly gentleness, none of the spontaneous sensuality he had found in Lenore. The idea of compromising his now much higher standards, of accepting such unattractive liaisons in lieu of his conjugal rights, appalled him. It was not possible.
Extricating himself from Lady Ormsby’s clutches without causing undue offence required a not inconsiderable degree of talent. Finally quitting her ladyship’s side, leaving her disappointed but not slighted, Jason ruefully reflected that this was the third night he had had need of that particular art. The undeniable conclusion from his three days of distraction was becoming increasingly hard to avoid.
He missed Lenore. During the day, he prowled about town, finding no joy in the pursuits that had filled his life for years. Yesterday, when her brief letter enclosing her list had arrived, he had pounced on it. Compton had not even seen it—he had gone to Hatchards and bought her books for her, adding two he thought she might like to the pile before having it wrapped and sent down to the Abbey. For the rest of the day he had wandered about, eschewing his clubs for the fresher air of the parks, his mind filled with imaginings of how his wife was filling her day.
As for his nights, they were lonely and miserable. When it came down to it, he had spent much of his life alone, but now he felt more alone than ever before, cold, as if his arms longed for her warmth.
“Eversleigh! Good God, man, look where you’re going! You’ve trodden on my flounce.”
Abruptly called to order, Jason hurriedly removed his foot from his aunt Eckington’s purple flounce and nodded in greeting. “My pardon, Aunt.”
“So I should hope.” Lady Eckington fixed her basilisk stare, known to have reduced Hussars to meekness, upon him. “Where’s your wife? Haven’t seen her yet but that’s hardly surprising in this crush.”
There was nothing like familial pressure, Jason decided, to force one to acknowledge the error of one’s ways. He smiled at his aunt, knowing his imperviousness to her intimidation always annoyed her. “She remained at the Abbey for a few days more—I came up to ensure everything was as it should be at Eversleigh House. I plan to go down tomorrow and bring her back with me.”
“Excellent!” Lady Eckington’s ostrich feathers bobbed. “A very wise move. She’ll no doubt wish to establish herself in society while the leniency extended to a newly-wed wife is still hers.”
Jason stored that one up for Lenore, should she prove difficult.
“Must say,” her ladyship declared, her gaze fixed on Jason’s face, “I’m glad to see you taking your responsibilities seriously, Jason. A workable marriage can make all the difference, y’know. And Lenore’s an exceptional choice—getting your marriage on a solid foundation would be well worth your effort.”
With a nod, Lady Eckington bustled away. Jason watched her go, a smile on his lips, for once in total agreement with his father’s eldest sister.
* * *
HAVING MADE his decision, for good or ill, Jason wasted no time. Leaving London the next day, he spent the night at Salisbury, arriving at the Abbey in the early afternoon. Leaving his groom to drive his curricle to the stables, he strode up the steps to where the front doors were propped wide. As he crossed the threshold, his eyes not yet adjusted to the dimmer light, his ears were assailed by a shriek.
“Damnation, Morgan! Oh! It’s you, Your Grace. Begging your pardon, m’lord, but we weren’t expecting you.”
Blinking, Jason saw Mrs. Potts heave herself up from her knees. Glancing about, he met the accusing stares of a gaggle of maids, all on their knees scrubbing the hall tiles. Two scrambled up to mop up the pool of water he had sent across the floor when he had kicked one of their buckets.
“Her Grace decided ’twas time to have a clean-up in here,” said Mrs. Potts, drying her hands on her apron as she came forward. “Quite right, too.”
“I dare say,” Jason replied. “Where is your mistress?”
“In the library, Y’r Grace.”
Where else? “Don’t disturb yourself, Mrs. Potts. I’ll go to her there.”
“Yes, Y’r Grace. Er…will you be staying, m’lord?”
Jason halted, frowning. “How long I remain depends on Her Grace. However, we’ll both be leaving for town in a few days, at most.”