“No bother,” Carlisle replied. “It gladdens me to see that you are no worse for wear despite the adversity of the last few years, Margaret. It is as I always say, ‘Fire tests gold, as suffering tests brave men.’”
Alexander scowled. “Excepting Margaret is a woman, not a man. And it was not you who came up with that, but Seneca.”
“Yes, well...” Carlisle cleared his throat, sending a disapproving look Alexander’s way.
Margaret held in a laugh, swaying a little closer to Alexander now that the wine had absorbed. Alexander had shifted closer to her, too, a hand hovering low on her back. It seemed unlike him, as though he had forgotten himself, and when she looked up to check whether she was imagining things, he was staring across the room with a concerned expression.
A liveried man was approaching. He begged their pardons and whispered something to Alexander, whose brow furrowed in response.
“You’ll have to excuse me for a moment. It seems there is a matter that requires my immediate attention,” he said toMargaret, before leaving with the servant. “Carlisle will keep you good company in my stead.”
Margaret nodded as she watched him depart, wondering what had happened.
“You will be coming to Somerstead with us, I hear,” Carlisle continued, taking Margaret’s free hand and tapping it. “Are you excited, my dear?”
“Tremendously,” Margaret replied, turning to him. “There was not enough time to properly enjoy the manor when last I was there – not for the reasons they claimed, of course.”
She had meant it as a joke and was glad when Carlisle laughed softly.
“I will personally give you a tour once we arrive,” Carlisle said. “In fact, I recall your grandfather also had an interest in Somerstead Hall. He was a little older than I was. A dithery fellow, wasn’t he? And back then, I spent more time in Oxfordshire than Wilshire, so we did not have the opportunity to forge what I believe would have been a successful friendship. But that isn’t to say...”
Margaret nodded politely as Carlisle continued, but the bulk of her attention was elsewhere. Alexander’s sudden disappearance had unnerved her.
Once Carlisle had finished his tirade, he invited Margaret to come and meet some of his friends.
“That is very kind of you, My Lord. But I’m afraid our introductions will have to wait.” She looked eagerly at the door.
“Certainly, Your Grace,” Carlisle responded, clearing the way for her. “Enjoy the rest of your morning.”
Alone in the quiet of the hallway, Margaret placed her hands on her hips and sucked in a deep breath. The press of the guests was now safely concealed in the other room, and she titled her head back, letting fresh air settle over her flushed face. She had spoken with her mother and Eliza once or twice at breakfast, and they seemed to be having an excellent time. Margaret’s new post as the Duchess of Langley – heavens, how strange it was to think that – had shielded Katherine that morning from any potential critique. She had been restored to her rightful place, her husband’s disgrace and disappearance forgotten for the day.
Margaret entered a small parlor beside the main dining hall. She looked lovingly at the decor, at the wall lined with bookshelves. This must have been a reading room of some sort. She pictured Alexander with a book by the fire.
“You’ve escaped already,” came a voice from behind her.
Alexander stood in the doorway, his cravat loosened slightly.
“I needed air,” Margaret replied, running a hand over the back of a leather armchair. “I am not used to all this attention...positiveattention.”
He leaned a shoulder against the frame, watching her. They were mere meters from the horde of their guests, but the room was quiet and intimate.
“What did your butler want with you?”
“Nothing to worry about. There was a late arrival among the guests, and the butler couldn’t find her name among the invitations. I assumed she was an acquaintance of yours or Carlisle’s. I did not inspect her myself – wanted to return to you as quickly as I could.”
“Were you worried I would embarrass you while you were gone?”
“No.” He laughed softly, entering the room. “I was worried Carlisle would say something to embarrass me instead.”
She leaned against the armchair. “Not at all. I believe he thinks exceedingly highly of you, as he should.” She cleared her throat. “But there is nothing he seems to value quite so much as your ancestral seat.”
“Quite right you are. It is a good thing we married. Carlisle would never have allowed Somerstead Hall to live with the taintof an unrepentant affair.” He scowled. “Anotherunrepentant affair.”
“Except ours was not an affair.”
“No. It was not.”
“Do you think it would have made matters easier if it had been?”
