The Duke's Divorce (The Reluctant Grooms Series Volume IV) (4 page)

An hour later, Robert strode into the
restaurant looking like thunder itself. He yanked the chair out and
sat.

“I take it your meeting did not go well,” she
said wondering at what had gone wrong.

“No, it did not. It seems we must remain
married for six months.”

“What?!” Fiona was under the impression the
annulment would only be a matter of weeks. But six months! That was
impossible. She could not remain married to the prig for that
long.

“You heard me. Unless I can get your father
to admit he coerced me into marrying you, we must remain together
in the same household as husband and wife. Otherwise, I cannot gain
the grounds I seek.” He looked away from her, his face set in a
tight mask.

Fiona felt sick. “What are we to do now?”

Robert’s shoulders slumped and he sighed.
“There is nothing to do. We must present ourselves as the Duke and
Duchess of Cantin.” Resignation marked his attitude.

“Oh, my lord, I am so very sorry. I did not
mean for any of this to happen.” And she didn’t. If she could erase
that last night in Peebles, she would do it in a second.

“Well, there is nothing for it now. I suppose
we should get on to Cantin House.” He signaled for the waiter and
paid the slip.

“Are you sure that I cannot remain here? Are
you quite sure I must become the duchess?” Fiona asked. Her heart
pounded.
She
as the Duchess of Cantin? It was absurd.

Robert stood. “Yes, Fiona. I am quite sure.
Let us get this over with, shall we?”

In the carriage, Robert cleared his throat.
In the weeks she had spent in Peebles listening to him speak with
her father, she knew this as the precursor to a strong
dissertation.

“Fiona, I wish to speak plainly. As you are
now the Duchess of Cantin, I will allow you all the entitlements a
woman of your station is privileged – gowns, a small weekly
stipend, jewels. I will show you the utmost honor and respect. All
I ask is that you show me the same in turn. Forgive my blunt
manner, but I have no desire to bed you. Neither of us need that
kind of entanglement as we are only to remain married for a short
period of time. However, you will not cuckold me in our marriage.
If you do, I shall not annul the marriage, I will divorce you, and
you will go home to your father in disgrace without a farthing. Are
we agreed?”

Fiona lifted her chin and stared him in the
eye. “Do you have a mistress?”

“No, I do not have a mistress. Why would you
ask such an impertinent question?”

“Well, if I am not to cuckold you, then I
would presume I have every right to demand the same. Are we
agreed?”

Robert smiled. “Yes. We are agreed. I promise
I will not acquire a mistress.”

“My lord, I must ask, why did you bring me to
London as your wife?” Fiona asked. “You could easily have left me
stranded at an inn, or had me shipped off to the America’s.”

“Fiona, I am the Duke of Cantin. To leave you
in some God-forsaken place without tuppence would allow for much
gossip and I have no intention becoming embroiled in
that
.”
Robert leaned back against the squabs.

“How do you think our marriage will be
received by your friends and relatives? Surely, they will think it
odd you left for Scotland a single duke, and returned with an
unimpressive bride. Will you tell them the story of how it really
happened?”

“Of course not. However, my friends and
relations will not question why I married you. They will only be
thankful that I have married at last.”

“Yes, but it is a sham of a marriage. We are
only two people trying to make the best of a bad situation, are we
not? Surely, your mother, your friends, your family will see that
we are not in love.”

“Most marriages in the
ton
are not
based on love.”

“Yes, but as I have nothing else to recommend
me, then why did we marry? I have no connections, no dowry. What is
the story we will tell them? If we did not marry for love, then why
did we marry? Why on earth would you marry someone like me if it
weren’t for my father?”

She could see she had him there. Why
would
he marry her otherwise?

“You are an uncommon woman, Fiona. That is
why I married you.” The tone in which he said it made her almost
believe it was true.

*****

Edwards, his venerable butler, appeared at
the front door, a smile on his face. When Robert handed Fiona down
from the carriage, he stifled a laugh at the change in Edwards’
countenance.

“Edwards, is my mother at home this morning?”
Robert asked as he and Fiona entered the mansion on St. Martin
Street.

“Yes, Your Grace. She is in the green parlour
receiving the Duchess of Caymore and the Dowager. Shall I tell her
you are arrived?”

Robert looked at Fiona. “Would you care to
refresh yourself first, my dear?”

Fiona glanced down at her rough-hewn wool
gown. “I’m afraid this is my best gown, my lord. I have nothing
else.” She picked at a piece of lint.

His mother would rectify that soon enough for
she loved nothing better than to spend his money at the
modiste.

Robert nodded to Edwards. “I shall inform my
mother myself. Please have a pot of tea brought in directly. We are
parched from our journey.” Although that wasn’t true, Robert needed
sustenance. His mother would have an apoplexy if he drank brandy so
early in the day.

Robert gave Fiona his arm and led her down
the hall. The footman opened the door to the salon. Robert felt
Fiona tense and take a step back.

“Robert,” his mother said, rising from her
place on the couch. “How lovely to have you home.” She enveloped
him in a hug. “A day early as well. I am glad you are here. I have
missed you so.” Robert nodded to the Dowager Duchess of Caymore,
and her great-niece, Penelope, his cousin, William’s wife.

“Mother, it is good to be home.” He turned to
Fiona and extended his hand. “I have brought you a surprise.” All
three women stared.

“Mother, Lady Olivia, Penny, may I present,
my wife, Fiona.”

Robert had known they would be shocked, but
he didn’t think the introduction would leave them speechless. Penny
was the first to recover.

“Lady Fiona,” she said rushing to his wife
and taking up her hands. “It is so very lovely to meet you.”

“I’m very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Fiona curtsied, although, Robert noted if proper etiquette were
observed, Penny should have curtsied to Fiona.

“A wife, Robert? You are married, without a
single note to your mother?” Lady Joanna Carlton, now the Dowager
Duchess of Cantin, moved toward Fiona. “How can I welcome your wife
properly if I do not even know she exists?” She took up Fiona’s
hands and kissed her on the cheek. “My dearest Fiona, welcome to
our family.” With that, she embraced Fiona like a long lost
daughter.

Robert let go of the breath he’d been
holding.

Lady Olivia, the Dowager Duchess of Caymore,
sidled up to Robert. “She certainly is an interesting looking
creature, my boy. I daresay I never would have expected to you to
pick one so plain.”

Robert looked down at Lady Olivia. She was a
busybody of the first water, a harridan, a harpy, but if she liked
you, her kindness knew no bounds. Thankfully, she liked Robert and
he knew with the dowager on his side, Fiona would have no trouble
gaining society, ordinary or not. He blessed his luck she had been
visiting his mother.

Fiona looked stunned as his mother took her
by the hand and led her to the settee. Penny took the chair across
from her and began pouring the tea as soon as the footman brought
it. Lady Olivia left him standing in the middle of the room and
thumped her cane across the carpet to join the others.

Robert watched, as one, then another of the
women, took up Fiona’s hand and studied the rings on her finger.
His mother glanced over at him. Robert walked to the circle of
women.

“I hope I have done her justice, Mother.”

“Robert, this diamond is exquisite. Wherever
did you find it?”

“A small town near Peebles. I was lucky
enough to find a jewel as beautiful as my wife.”

Fiona glanced up at him, her face aflame. He
winked at her.

“Oh Robert,” his mother said. “Your sisters
will be heartbroken they were not here. We must send round notes
and have everyone join us for dinner.”

Fiona jumped up, rattling her cup and saucer.
“No!” She looked at Robert and then down at her dress.

His mother gaped at her new daughter-in-law’s
outburst. Robert stepped over to his wife, took her hand, and
brought it to his lips.

“What my bride means, Mother, is she has
nothing appropriate to wear for such an auspicious occasion and as
the Duchess of Cantin, she wishes to make a better impression on
her new family. She will need time to prepare a trousseau.”

Lady Olivia exchanged a glance with his
mother. He had no doubt there would be questions forthcoming.
Luckily, Penny took the opportunity to tell Fiona about her modiste
who would gladly fit her into a ready-made gown on short
notice.

“Of course, you must settle in first, my
dear,” his mother said, pulling Fiona back down to the couch,
“before we allow the family to descend upon you. Forgive an old
woman her exuberance. I am just so very happy to finally say I have
a daughter-in-law, I want to introduce you to the world.”

Robert smiled at his mother, and then brought
his gaze to Fiona. “Perhaps you would like to rest now? Edwards
will show you to your rooms.”

Fiona stood again. “Actually, no, my lord, I
would very much like to find Lady Penelope’s modiste and have a few
gowns made up. I should hate to embarrass you further, now that we
are finally in London.”

Robert nodded. “As you wish.” He turned to
Penny. “Have you anything of import this morning? Would you care to
accompany my wife? Show her around the other shops as well. She
will need shoes, hats, gloves, and, well, other accoutrements.”
Robert blushed, but hurriedly tried to make his point. “Although do
try not to buy
everything
in the shops. My mother will take
it as an affront she was not given her equal share of spending my
money.”

Fiona stood in front of him. “I do not plan
on breaking your bank, my lord,” she whispered. “I shall only buy
one or two gowns.”

“You shall have as many as will fit in the
closets and if they overflow, we shall build more. Now away with
Penny and have a wonderful time. I have several people I must see
this afternoon so may be out when you return, but I shall leave
word with Edwards, and my mother will be here.”

“Thank you, my lord. You are most kind.” She
bobbed a short curtsy.

Penny took Fiona by the arm and they headed
out to the hall.

Robert called to Edwards and instructed him
to have the small carriage take the women anywhere they wished to
go. He reached into his pocket, pulled out several calling cards,
and handed them to his butler. “Inform Eammon to give these to the
proprietors of all the shops the ladies attend and have both their
purchases billed to me.”

Edwards bowed and left the room. Robert
turned to his mother and Lady Olivia.

“Awfully generous of you, Cantin, to spend so
freely on my niece as well,” Lady Olivia said.

“’Tis the least I can do for showing my wife
the ins and outs of London shops.”

“Robert, would you care to explain how you
came to be married to such a creature?” His mother patted the seat
next to her.

Lady Olivia attempted to rise. “I should take
my leave of you now. I believe this is a private conversation.”

Robert put out his hand. “No, Lady Olivia, if
you would stay. I would like you to hear the story as well. That
way, when the gossip starts, you will be an ally.”

He could see the curiosity on both women’s
faces. He had no fear Fiona would answer all Penny’s questions with
the story they had concocted during the carriage ride – love
burgeoning over the course of weeks he had spent in Peebles. Fiona
knew enough about him to be able to present a successful lie.

However, with his mother, and now the
duchess, he knew he would have to tell the absolute truth. They
deserved nothing less.

“Fiona Stewart is Fionnghall Stewart’s
daughter, our neighbor to the north at Castle Cornnan. Laird of the
clan Kintyre, Earl of Kintyre. On my last night there, I supped
with Stewart and was, unfortunately, tossed in some form of
Scottish libation. Fiona was induced to drive me back to Cornnan.
Regrettably, I lost my stomach all over myself and Fiona stayed
with me until morning to ensure I was all right. She left me at
dawn. As she snuck back into the house, her father waited for her.
He surmised the worst and came at me with unfounded accusations and
assumptions. He literally held a gun to my head as we said our
marriage vows.”

“Oh Robert, I am so sorry,” his mother said.
“That is not any way to begin a marriage.”

“I have no doubt,” Robert continued, “Stewart
set this plan up deliberately to trap me and be rid of her. He
blames her for her mother’s death fifteen years ago. A sad tale,
and one I should like you to handle with sensitivity should the
subject ever come up. Fiona still blames herself as well, although
it was not her fault, just a horrible accident. I have spoken to my
solicitors and essentially, we must remain married for six months
until I may seek an annulment. I will then settle a generous dowry
on her and we will both be free of her father’s machinations. We
will not be consummating the marriage. ‘Tis the easiest way to
dissolve it. I have also explained to her that if she cuckolds me
during our time together, I will divorce her, and she will get
nothing. It is a gentlemen’s agreement, and I expect her to hold to
it, as I shall. In six months, we will both be free again to pursue
our own avenues to happiness.”