Forever Her Earl (Dukes Most Wanted Book 4) by Scarlett Scott

Author:Scarlett Scott [Scott, Scarlett]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Happily Ever After Books, LLC
Published: 2024-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

Lucy stared at her plate in silence, thinking it a pity that such an impressive assortment had been prepared by Rexingham’s cook. She wasn’t hungry, and her new husband had abandoned her.

She had postponed breakfast, believing he was delayed in his morning routine that she’d intentionally interrupted. But she’d had no choice but to concede defeat when she’d been informed that his lordship had left without word of when he might be expected to return.

Now, she was seated with Bette, who had no such qualms about consuming her hearty morning repast. Gareth’s sister had already cleared half her plate.

“Are you not hungry?” Bette asked solicitously.

Lucy wondered if she ought to feign a smile for the other woman’s benefit before deciding against it. This marriage had been Gareth’s fault. His dratted insistence upon his sense of honor had propelled them into a union that neither one of them had wanted. And yet, while she had decided to carry on and give their marriage its best chance, he remained aloof and distant.

One would have thought she had been carrying some manner of contagious disease with the way he had been desperate to get away from her earlier in his room. Perhaps she shouldn’t have intruded, but that was neither here nor there.

And his sister was staring at her expectantly, awaiting a response.

“I find I’m not particularly hungry at the moment,” she said politely.

“I must say, it’s very pleasant to have a companion here at the breakfast table,” Bette said in conspiratorial fashion. “Anthea always took a tray in her chamber, although she scarcely ever consumed anything more than tea and toast with her morning laudanum.”

Her morning laudanum?

Lucy frowned, considering her new sister-in-law with great curiosity. “Do you mean to say that the former countess took laudanum every morning?”

“And at lunch, dinner, and before bed,” Bette elaborated. “Other times too, I should think.”

Gareth’s first wife had been an opium addict. Lucy was surprised. Of course, he had mentioned she preferred laudanum to the marriage bed. But Lucy hadn’t understood the full implications of his revelation.

“Tell me,” she said before she could think better of it, “did they ever have a happy marriage? Were they in love?”

She wasn’t sure that it would matter, and she certainly didn’t know the reason for her own interest. And yet, she couldn’t help herself. Her husband intrigued her. She wanted to know more about him, about his past. Wanted to know everything there was, unlock all his mysteries and secrets. If such a feat were even possible, which she was very much beginning to doubt.

“I shouldn’t speak out of turn,” Bette hedged, biting her lip.

Guilt instantly assailed Lucy.

“I’m sorry,” she hasted to say. “I shouldn’t have placed you in such an awkward position. Forget that I asked, please.”

“It isn’t that I don’t wish to tell you,” Bette explained, “but that Gar is incredibly private about what happened with Anthea. It was a dark time in his life. I don’t think he’s ever recovered, not truly, even with her gone.

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