She pulled again, trying to free herself, but his grip tightened. “No,” she said. “I am happily married to my husband, and I will not betray the sanctity of our marriage bed!”
Cassius snorted and pulled hard. Tabitha stumbled towards him, and he wrapped his arms around her. He did not act as though he were drunk, but she smelled the drink on his breath. It was something strong. “At least, until his real wife returns home,” Cassius said. “Then, you will be unmarried and cast adrift. You would do best to derive what enjoyment you can as a married woman before it all burns to ashes around you.”
Tabitha pushed against him, trying to free herself. “You know nothing! Her Grace is dead! She is not returning ever!”
Cassius laughed. “Dead? Oh, Tabby … no, I have proof that she is alive. She left because His Grace would not satisfy her, but I could.”
Tabitha felt as if her blood had frozen in her very veins. “What?” she asked, feeling faint.
Cassius reached inside his jacket and withdrew a watch. “I have a gift from Rosemary when we had our own affair on the Continent.”
He held it before her eyes, and Tabitha’s heartbeat quickened as she saw the golden watch. Matthew’s initials and family crest were engraved upon it. A lump rose in her throat, and she stared numbly at him.
Her mind raced, trying to find some rational reason for why Cassius had that watch. It could not possibly be true. There was no way that Rosemary was alive. Surely, this was some trick that he had devised in the hopes of seducing her or perhaps, to upset her.
He returned the watch to his jacket and smiled gently. “I am sorry, Tabby Cat,” he said, “but it is the truth. Someday, she will return, and your marriage will be annulled.”
“No,” she whispered.
He lowered his hands, and Tabitha drew a shuddering breath. She resumed her struggles, managing to free herself from his grasp. This did not deter him. He seized the front of her gown and pulled her to him.
“How dare you?” she snapped.
She raised her hand, but he caught her wrist before she could slap him. “Oh, Tabby Cat, I knew you would be upset,” Cassius murmured. “I am so sorry that your marriage must end in such a distasteful way.”
“You must be wrong,” Tabitha said, shaking her head.
She tried to back away from him, but her back struck a wall. Seeing an opening, Cassius placed a hand on each side of her, effectively pinning her there. “Tabby Cat,” he murmured. “Do not fight this. Let me comfort you in your hour of need. I know that you must be terribly distressed to receive this news.”
“It is not true. I am not distressed.”
Despite her brave words, Tabitha’s chest ached. Her heart drummed so violently against her ribs that she heard its echo reverberate through her head. It could not be true, but despite her efforts, she could find no reason for Cassius to have that watch.
“Tell me where you really found that watch,” she said, the words emerging in a breathless rush. “Did you win it in a wager? A game of cards?”
He shook his head. “Oh, Tabby, no.”
A throat cleared, and a shiver traced the path of Tabitha’s spine. “I see you have met my wife.”
Chapter 20
Tabitha stared at him with wide, gray eyes. Beside her, Lord Fatherton smiled. Matthew suspected that the man was trying to appear disarmingly charming, but Matthew had seen the man at clubs, boasting about all the virgins he had deflowered and ladies that he had seduced. If there was a more notorious rake in all of London, Matthew did not know of him. “Your Grace,” Lord Fatherton said, “if she is your wife, I suppose congratulations are in order.”
“Yours are unneeded,” Matthew said.
Some nameless emotion rose hotly and fiercely inside him. He seized Tabitha’s wrist, nearly pulling her away from the repulsive man.
“I wish to dance,” Matthew said brusquely. “Enjoy your evening.”
Matthew set a brisk pace towards the dance floor, his movements so quick that Tabitha stumbled over her gown. He clenched his jaw. Did she know how the meeting between Cassius and Tabitha had appeared? His young wife with that notorious rake! Surely, Tabitha had known how inappropriate the scene would appear, but perhaps she had not cared.
Matthew clenched his jaw, his mind fixating on how Tabitha and Lord Fatherton had looked when he had found them. The pair had stood so close to one another, Lord Fatherton near enough to kiss Tabitha if he had wanted. Everything inside Matthew tightened at that revolting image.
Tabitha had married him to avoid scandal. He had known that and accepted it, and it had not even particularly bothered him. But he had not considered that his wife might continue to pursue other men once they were wed. It was vexing.
“Matthew,” Tabitha said.
He said nothing, pulling her seamlessly into the crowd of twirling dancers. Her expression hardened.
