Rosalind spent a sleepless night. It was the first time Evan did not sleep next to her. They had never argued so fiercely before, and she wasn't exactly sure what she should do about it. Her indecision and uncertainty kept her pacing.
By the time the sun began to rise, Rosalind was no closer to a decision than she had been at midnight. Her stomach twisted and she paced the length of the room. She knew her place was by Evan, but how could she support him in a decision she was certain would bring them pain?
"Oh, Mama. What would you have done? I wish you were here to advise me," she whispered.
It wouldn't be long before Evan would have the carriage out front. Should she remain in her room? Carry through with her decision to stay away from London? Or would it be better to show Evan she supported him? Her vows to obey her husband weighed on her mind.
Taking a deep breath, she put her hand on her father's journal. She had read his words about his wife's loyalty, sweetness, and reliability in every situation.
Ought she show the same qualities?
Behind her, the bedroom door opened. "Oh, you're awake, my lady," the maid said, her tone startled. "Forgive me. I'll have the fire going soon."
As she turned, Rosalind remembered that their maid had been instructed to rouse her. "Yes," she said, forcing a smile. "Thank you, Sally. Perhaps you could help me dress before you lay the fire? I don't believe I will be here long enough to need it."
"Of course," Sally said after only a pause. She set down her supplies. "Mr. Quinn has already gone to help his lordship."
"Then we had best not waste any more time," Rosalind said, resisting the urge to ask where her husband had slept. No doubt the servants were already gossiping about it already. "And I didn't have a chance to pack all of my things. Could a valise be found so I can take just what I need and the rest can be sent on?"
The maid blinked, no doubt confused by the change of plans. "Yes, my lady."
****
Smoothing her gloves, Rosalind hurried to the stairs. It had taken longer to change into the traveling dress and pack a small bag than she had expected, and she hoped she was not too late. She hadn't even paused to drink some tea. She couldn't tell if her stomach roiled from nerves, the morning nausea she had been suffering from since arriving, or from hunger.
Down in the hall, Rosalind saw Evan's trunk already there but her husband was not. She reached the bottom of the stairs and she hadn't seen a single person. Uncertainly, she glanced around. Where could Evan be?
"Rosalind?"
Spinning around, Rosalind looked up the stairs to see her husband at the top. "Good morning, Evan," she said, forcing a smile. "Will the carriage be brought around soon?"
He took the stairs two at a time as he came down. "You-you," he stammered as he grabbed his hand. "What are you —?"
"Even though I don't agree with you, you are still my husband," Rosalind said, squeezing his hands. "My place is by your side, no matter what happens. So, here I am. Ready to leave when you are."
Evan moved his hands to her shoulders and then bent down to crush her lips under his. When they parted, breathless, he rested his forehead against hers. "I do not deserve you, Rosalind Emerson Westwood," he whispered.
"I'm sorry I was angry with you," she whispered back. "You made a decision, and I will support you."
"No, you were right. I was being prideful and idiotic." Evan straightened up. "Your cousin would not offer advice lightly. If he thinks the best way to handle Rowley is to ignore him, that is what we will do. We have no reason to prove ourselves to anyone."
Astonished, Rosalind stared up at him. "You changed your mind? When?"
"Almost as soon as I shut the door last night when I left our room, " Evan said with a sigh. "I didn't think you would let me back in. I had no right to speak so harshly to you. You had advice to share and I should have listened straightaway."
"But your trunk is down here."
"I didn't think you would want to see me after we quarreled so." Evan shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't want to ruin the rest of your visit here. I was going to go to Darkhall and then return to you at the end of the party."
"I hope you know just how much I want to slap you for even thinking such a thing!" Instead of doing so, Rosalind wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. "But if you wish to go to Darkhall, we can go. I will have no complaints."
"Tempting though it is to have you all to myself, I think the polite thing to do would be to remain to the end of the week. I don't think you've properly shown the neighborhood your true worth." Evan bent his head again.
A footman entered the hall. "Your carriage is ready, my lord."
Rosalind huffed at the interruption. A flush spread up Evan's neck as he turned to the door. "Ah. Yes. Right. As it happens—"
"I've convinced his lordship to change his mind," Rosalind said, smiling up at her husband. "Please apologize to everyone in the stable for us. I'm sure his lordship will make the trouble...worth it."
Without hesitation, Evan brought several coins out. "Women," he said, shaking his head with mock resignation. "Sorry for the trouble. If you could have someone carry up my trunk. It would seem we are to remain a while longer."
Face impassive, the footman stepped forward to accept the coins. "Of course, my lord."
Rosalind tugged on her husband's hand to reclaim his attention. "If you will join me upstairs, there's something I would very much like to tell you," she said in a low voice.
Raising an eyebrow, Evan allowed her to lead him up the stairs. "I'm not sure I can stand the suspense, my dear."
"I assure you, the wait is well worth it."
****
A gentle knock sounded on the bedroom door shortly after one o'clock and woke Rosalind. She straightened up, her hand immediately going to smooth her rumpled gown. "A moment, please," she called, shaking Evan's shoulder. "Evan, wake up."
Her husband groaned sleepily and tightened his grip around her waist. He hadn't let go of her since she told him she suspected she was with child. They had fallen asleep, both exhausted after the previous night. As wonderful as the display of affection was, Rosalind was appalled at the hour.
"Evan, wake up!"
Finally, Evan opened his eyes. "What?" he asked groggily.
"Someone is at the door."
Shaking his head, the man let go of her and rolled off the bed. He ran a hand through his tousled blond hair and adjusted his jacket. "Right," he said, shaking his head as if to clear it. He walked to the door and opened it.
"Well, I'm sure I do not want to know what you have been doing in bed at this time of the day, " Emily said primly as she stepped in, "or why you are still here after you said you would be departing for London at dawn. However, you are needed in the Drawing room."
"Needed? Why?" Rosalind asked in confusion.
"Because the Dowager Lady Emberdown has arrived and she insists she needs to see you."
Evan's mother? Rosalind felt the blood drain from her face. "My mother?" Evan exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes. She has said she will wait until you are available. Emily raised an eyebrow. "You both may want to take some time to compose yourselves."
"Of course," Rosalind said hastily. "We will be down shortly. Thank you, Emily."
Emily nodded and retreated to the door. She paused, glancing over her shoulder. "I expect an explanation later on," she warned before exiting the bedroom.
"I cannot believe Mother has come," Evan said, trying to use his fingers to tame his hair. "If she's come because of William, I don't know that I'll be able to control my temper. Why else would she have come, though?"
Rosalind rose from the bed. "We shouldn't make any assumptions. Perhaps she has come to show her support of us."
Evan shook his head but said nothing. Instead of summoning a maid to help her out of the traveling gown into a more appropriate morning gown, Rosalind enlisted her husband's help. Ten minutes later, they were ready to go down.
With her right hand firmly clasped in Evan's left, Rosalind kept her shaking left hand hidden in her skirt. Her heart was pounding as she walked down the hallway.
What would the Dowager say?
"Everything is going to be fine," Evan whispered as they approached the drawing-room door.
Rosalind wasn't sure if he was saying it for her benefit or his own. She squeezed his hand, appreciating his words all the same. They both paused in front of the door and took deep breaths. Then, they entered together.
The Dowager Marchioness, Lady Emberdown, was standing in front of the windows, looking down at the gardens. The sunlight glistened on her grey-streaked blonde hair. At Evan's quiet, "Hello, Mother", she turned around with a serious expression.
A smile curved her lips, brightening her face. Her blue eyes, so much like Evan's, warmed with pleasure. "There you two are," she said, walking towards them. She held her hands out. "How well you look."
Evan's shoulders relaxed. "And you, Mother." He leaned to kiss her cheek, using his free hand to take his mother's. "What has brought you to the country? I thought you were to have joined William in town."
"I had," Lady Emberdown said, still holding her right hand out for Rosalind to take. "But I had to see you."
"I'm sorry." Rosalind squeezed her mother-in-law's hand and was surprised when the other woman refused to let go. "If we could explain—"
"I did not come all this way for explanations, my dear. I know quite well that John Rowley is an insufferable troublemaker to whom rational people ought not to listen. That William did so is beyond comprehension."
Behind them, a maid entered with a tea tray, interrupting any further conversation at the moment. Lady Emberdown gestured for Rosalind to pour for them, and they all sat down in front of the fireplace. Once the maid left, closing the door, the dowager continued.
"And that Henrietta, foolish woman that she is, has contributed to those awful rumors, is a shame to the entire family," Lady Emberdown said, her nose wrinkling with disgust. "No cream for me, dear. Just one sugar. Thank you."
"Mother, you can't know how relieved I am to hear you say this," Evan said as Rosalind handed the dowager her tea. "William said we were damaging the family name, and I worried you would feel the same."
"William thinks a great deal too much about what other people think without bothering to ask if there is a shred of proof for what is being said." Lady Emberdown sipped her tea and gave a nod of approval. "Wonderful. Just what I needed."
Still confused, Rosalind handed Evan tea, but he only balanced the cup on his knee without tasting it. "And you came to get proof?" she asked, thinking of how the woman had said she hadn't come for explanations.
"I came to ask one question." Lady Emberdown looked at her son. "Evan, do you believe the rumor?"
"Absolutely not!" Evan exclaimed.
The dowager smiled. "Then, there is nothing more to be said. I've made it clear to my other children and their wives that I expect them to be on their best behavior. If any of them says a word against Rosalind, I will know about it. Are those lemon tarts I see?"
"They rival Mrs. Graves," Evan said enthusiastically. He picked up the plate and held it closer for his mother. "Surely, though, you didn't have to come all this way to ask a question."
"No, but I did want to make a point to William. You see, he tried to forbid me from coming. He may be the marquess now, but it certainly doesn't give him the right to tell me what I can or cannot do. And I wanted to make sure you didn't do something stupid like try to face down Rowley."
A flush crept up Evan's neck and onto his cheeks. He cleared his throat. "The thought had crossed my mind. In fact, I was determined to leave for London this morning but Rosalind convinced me not to do so."
Lady Emberdown smiled at Rosalind with obvious pride. "Excellent. I knew Rosalind's sensible nature would win out. There's no need to give people a reaction, which is what they want whether it is negative or positive. It would gain you nothing."
"Doing nothing, though—"
"I understand. It feels counterintuitive," the dowager said, nodding in understanding. She reached over to pat Evan's knee. "But, think of it like this: doing the wrong thing would only make matters worse."
The drawing room door opened and Emily poked her head in. "Am I interrupting?" she asked, her eyes wide with feigned innocence.
"Mrs. Williams, do come in," Lady Emberdown said graciously. "You must forgive us for taking up your drawing room for a private conversation. You and your other guests must join us now."
Emily's eyes shifted to Rosalind and she raised an eyebrow. "Yes, do bring Mrs. Melbourne in with you," Rosalind said with a smile. "We will need more tea, though."
Still looking a bit displeasing, Emily crossed the room and pulled the bellrope. "Mr. and Mrs. Melbourne have taken a walk, and Adrian has taken the earl and Mr. Castleton off riding. They should all be back shortly."
'Behave yourself,' Rosalind mouthed at her cousin, uncertain what Emily intended to do or say.
Emily gave a surreptitious roll of her eyes and then sat down. "Did you have a pleasant journey, Lady Emberdown?"
"As I said when I arrived, I did, Mrs. Williams," Lady Emberdown said with a smile. "I can see you are a firm defender of your cousin, aren't you."
There was no hint of shame in Emily's face as she raised her chin. "I have found that I must be for she has little inclination to defend herself."
Clenching her hands into fists to resist the urge to throw something at her cousin, Rosalind forced a smile. "Emily delights in picking fights when there is no reason to do so," she said, narrowing her eyes at the other woman. "She is capable of behaving as a married lady ought, I assure you."
Lady Emberdown let out a delighted laugh. "How you remind me of my sisters. We would squabble and disagree in much the same manner." She heaved a wistful sigh. "How long it has been since those days."
The three young people exchanged looks, and a somber, quiet moment passed. "Do you intend to remain long in Ambershire, Lady Emberdown?" Emily asked as a maid hurried in. "A fresh pot of tea, Sally, and more of Cook's lemon tarts, if she has them."
Sally nodded. "Yes, ma'am." She bobbed a quick curtsy and then hurried out.
"In answer to your question, Mrs. Williams, I have no set plans," Lady Emberdown said, setting down her empty teacup. "London has been tiresome this year. I've not visited this part of the country before. Perhaps I should take my time and explore what the countryside has to offer."
"Mother, you cannot stay in an inn!" Evan protested in alarm. "Rosalind and I would be happy to host you at Darkhall."
"Certainly not! To both ideas!" Emily said, her tone indignant. "Lady Emberdown, perhaps you would be willing to remain here. I'm sure Lord Selkirk and Mr. Castleton will be willing to share a room."
"Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude," Lady Emberdown demurred. "What would you young people want with my company?" Impulsively, Rosalind reached over. "I would very much enjoy your company, my lady." "Well. In that case, of course, I will stay," Lady Emberdown said, her blue eyes brightening. She squeezed Rosalind's hand. "Thank you for your kind invitation, Mrs. Williams. Now, perhaps you would be good enough to hand me more of those marvelous lemon tarts."