The question was posed with such apparent concern for her welfare that it took Evangeline a moment to recognize theunderlying assumption that her marriage had consigned her to a life of tedious rustication. She glanced at Lucian, noting the way his jaw had tightened almost imperceptibly at his cousin's words.
"I find myself quite content with my present circumstances, my lord. A woman's happiness derives more from the quality of her domestic arrangements than from external diversions."
"How admirably dutiful of you, Your Grace. Though I suppose duty becomes easier to bear when one's alternatives are limited."
The comment struck her like a physical blow, its meaning so clear that she felt heat rise in her cheeks despite her efforts to maintain diplomatic neutrality. This charming gentleman was suggesting, with the sort of polished cruelty that marked a true master of social warfare, that her marriage to Lucian had been motivated by desperation rather than any genuine attachment.
"Edmund," Lucian's voice cut through the tension with the sort of quiet authority that suggested his patience was approaching its limits, "perhaps you might explain the urgent family business that has brought you to Yorkshire with such precipitous haste?"
The Viscount's attention shifted to his cousin with the alacrity of a predator scenting weakness, his charming facade giving way to something harder and more calculating. "Ah yes, the family business. I confess myself quite concerned about certain irregularities that have come to my attention regarding the recent changes in your domestic circumstances."
"Irregularities?" Lucian's tone had dropped to the sort of dangerous quiet that Evangeline had learned to associate with his most volatile moods. "I am not aware of any irregularities in my affairs that would concern anyone outside my immediate household."
"Come now, cousin, surely you must realise that yoursudden marriage has occasioned considerable speculation among those who take an interest in the Ravenshollow succession? When a man who has lived as a recluse for several years suddenly acquires a wife in circumstances that appear somewhat hasty, questions are naturally raised about his mental competency to make such momentous decisions."
The accusation hung in the air between them like a drawn sword, its implications so shocking that Evangeline found herself gripping the arms of her chair to prevent any visible reaction. Mental competency—the suggestion that Lucian's war injuries had somehow impaired his capacity for rational judgment was both cruel and potentially devastating to his legal standing.
"I believe my mental faculties remain quite intact, Edmund, despite your apparent concerns to the contrary," Lucian replied with the sort of controlled fury that made his scarred features appear genuinely intimidating. "My marriage was conducted according to all legal requirements and reflects decisions made with complete awareness of their implications."
"No doubt, no doubt," Pembroke replied with the sort of hasty agreement that suggested he had achieved his primary objective of introducing doubt into the conversation. "Yet you must acknowledge that the circumstances appear somewhat irregular to those unfamiliar with your particular situation. A man of your standing, marrying a lady of modest connections without the usual preliminaries of courtship or betrothal..."
"My courtship and betrothal are hardly matters for public speculation or family interference," Lucian said with barely contained violence. "I would advise you to exercise considerable caution in pursuing such a line of inquiry."
"Naturally, naturally. Yet as your nearest male relation, I feel some responsibility for ensuring that the family's interests are properly protected. The Ravenshollow title has been held byour family for six centuries so surely you can understand my concern when its succession appears to be uncertain."
Evangeline felt her breath catch as the true purpose of this visit became clear. Pembroke was not merely questioning the validity of their marriage; he was positioning himself as Lucian's heir should that marriage be declared invalid or should Lucian be deemed incompetent to manage his affairs. The calculated nature of his attack became apparent in all its malicious precision.
"The succession is quite secure, Edmund," Lucian replied with deadly calm. "My marriage ensures that the title will pass to my direct descendants rather than to distant cousins who might have harboured expectations of inheriting through default."
"Ah, but that presupposes the marriage shall indeed result in offspring, does it not? And that the matrimony remains unchallenged. There are, after all, legal recourses available when marriages are entered into under circumstances indicating undue influence or mental infirmity.
The threat was delivered with such polished courtesy that it took Evangeline a moment to comprehend its full implications. Pembroke was suggesting that he possessed both the means and the inclination to challenge their marriage in court, using Lucian's war injuries as evidence of his incompetence to make rational decisions about his future.
"I believe you have said quite enough on that subject," Lucian said, rising from his chair with the sort of controlled movement that suggested he was struggling not to resort to physical violence. "Your concerns about the family's welfare are noted, but they are neither welcome nor necessary."
"Of course, of course. I meant no offence, merely expressed the natural interest of a family member in ensuring that all is well. Perhaps Her Grace might find some comfort in knowing that she has relations who take an interest in her welfare?"
Pembroke turned to Evangeline with the sort of oily charm that made her shiver, his pale eyes studying her with an intensity that suggested he was cataloguing her potential weaknesses for future exploitation.
"You are very kind, my lord," she replied with frost that would have done credit to a duchess of far greater experience, "but I find myself quite adequately protected by my husband's consideration and the arrangements he has made for my welfare."
"Consideration," Pembroke repeated with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "How charming. Though I suppose it must be somewhat challenging to inspire such feelings in a gentleman whose experiences have left him rather changed from his former self?"
The casual cruelty of the observation struck Evangeline with such force that she found herself rising from her chair without conscious volition, her entire being consumed with righteous fury at this man's deliberate attempt to wound both Lucian and her.
"I find my husband to be everything our arrangement requires, my lord—honourable, intelligent, and possessed of the sort of character that marks true nobility. Perhaps those qualities are difficult to recognise for someone unfamiliar with their authentic manifestation."
The insult was delivered with such sweet courtesy that it took Pembroke a moment to register its cutting edge, though when he did, his charming facade slipped sufficiently to reveal the calculating predator beneath.
"How refreshingly pragmatic of you, Your Grace. Though pragmatism based on incomplete information can sometimes prove inadequate to the complexities of one's situation. Perhaps, in time, you will come to appreciate the full scope of your circumstances more thoroughly."
***
From Lucian's perspective:
The sight of Edmund Pembroke darkening his doorway had filled Lucian with the sort of cold rage that had become his most familiar companion since returning from the war. His cousin's presence at Ravenshollow Manor could mean nothing good, for Edmund was not given to family visits unless they served some specific purpose related to his own advancement or enrichment.
The intervening years had been kind to Pembroke in ways that they had decidedly not been kind to Lucian. Where war had carved furrows of pain and suffering into the Duke's features, time had only refined his cousin's conventional handsomeness into the sort of polished charm that opened doors in London society and hearts in fashionable drawing rooms. Edmund possessed all the superficial attractions that Lucian had lost, combined with a ruthless ambition that made him dangerous in ways that extended far beyond mere social competition.
