Father smiled at first and then his expression froze as his eyes landed on Amelia.

  Milo looked away to the duchess, annoyed that nothing had changed overnight.

  The duchess’ smile was blindingly welcoming as she gazed upon Amelia. “There you are, at last, my dears,” she said. “Won’t you join us?”

  But first, Milo had an introduction to make. “Your graces, may I present Amelia Westfall, Countess of Chatham.”

  Amelia curtsied deeply to the duke and duchess.

  Father’s silence was prolonged, his eyes narrowed but Gillian filled the void with smiles. “Welcome to Stapleton Manor. We are so happy to meet you.”

  “Thank you,” Amelia murmured as Milo ushered them farther into the room.

  He would admire Gillian forever after that gracious welcome to Amelia.

  Her grace looked far better for the night of sleep, and he was pleased to see that his father appeared less weary. Father, though, continued to study Amelia as if she were untrustworthy.

  Milo led Amelia closer to him, forcing recognition of her new status. “I believe you are already acquainted with my wife.”

  “Is that so?”

  “We met some time ago at a ball. I’m sure you would not remember. It was quite a crush.”

  “I forget nothing.” The duke inclined his head sharply. “Lady Chatham.”

  Amelia curtsied deeply a second time. “Your Grace, it’s a pleasure to see you again.”

  “This is my beloved wife, Gillian Westfall, Duchess of Stapleton” Papa said, gesturing to the smiling woman sitting at his side. He raised her hand and kissed the back of her fingers several times.

  Amelia inclined her head but Milo was struck by father’s excessive display of affection toward his wife. It smacked of a performance, that he supposed was meant to remind Milo what his new marriage lacked.

  Milo ignored the subtle jibe. “How are you today, your grace.”

  “Much better than yesterday, I’m glad to say. The few hours’ sleep we reclaimed have done us the world of good. Lady Chatham, your husband worked miracles in a few short hours with our son Charles.”

  “I’m so pleased to hear it.” However, Amelia’s smile faded by degrees. She gulped. “I am glad you both passed a better night than the ones before.”

  The duchess gestured to the other chairs. “Please, won’t you sit with us? The servants will get you anything you want.”

  “I’d be happy to,” Amelia said, but she turned to fuss over getting the children settled first and then helping them choose food for their plates.

  Milo waited for Amelia to finish with them, then pulled out a chair for his bride, taking the one beside her for himself. It occurred to him, as he reached for the teapot, that he had no idea how she liked her tea yet. He glanced at her with one brow raised.

  “Black with a hint of milk,” she whispered.

  Father snorted his displeasure at the proof that Milo hardly knew his new wife. A complaint he’d thrown out multiple times the day before.

  Milo poured a cup of tea and some for himself, as well. He reached for the milk and added a healthy drop to her cup as well. She was quick to take a sip and then set the cup aside. Amelia then devoted herself to ensuring the children paid attention to their manners, ignoring the frost emanating from his father.

  Milo glanced at his younger brother. “And how is Charlie this morning?”

  “He’s in much better spirits than the day before,” Gillian murmured, and then sighed. “Perhaps it is on account of the stern lecture his older brother gave him yesterday.”

  “I do hope he heeds all my warnings,” Milo answered, laughing softly as he accepted food from several dishes offered to him. “After breakfast, I plan to take Amelia and the children to visit Jessica and Mr. Whitfield at Quigley Hill.”

  “A very good idea,” Gillian agreed. “We cannot count on Jessica visiting us every day of late, even with this party of ours, and she will enjoy being the second to know your news. Luckily, our guests are all to take breakfast in their rooms this morning. Perhaps luncheon or even dinner tonight would be the perfect occasion to announce your good news to everyone else.”

  Milo nodded, but a grand announcement wasn’t what he’d hoped for or told Amelia to expect. “Perhaps.”

  He fell to eating, noticing belatedly that Amelia was only picking at her food. She was too intent on ensuring the children ate neatly or had father’s welcome spoiled her appetite?

  Father threw his fork down as soon as the children declared they were no longer hungry. He gestured to a nearby servant to come closer. “Take the children outside to play by the pond but watch over them closely. We will continue our discussion from yesterday,” Father announced.

  Amelia shifted in her chair, clearly disliking his ordering the children away but wise enough not to protest yet. Father had a bee in his bonnet still and it would be best if the air was cleared as soon as possible.

  Milo glanced sideways at his children as they obediently departed the room with a servant looking sad for their exclusion. He winked at them and promised to come and find them soon. Yesterday’s discussion with father was the first major disagreement he’d had in years, and Milo had hoped it was done with quicker than last time.

  Amelia was the woman he had chosen to marry—not a love match.

  He covered Amelia’s hand with his, noticing it was cold. “There is nothing further to be discussed, Father.”

  “This marriage is a mistake that you will regret,” Papa warned.

  “So you said yesterday.” Amelia’s hand twitched under his, but he kept a firm hold on her. “If Amelia accepted my proposal, I do not see why you can not. It should not matter to anyone else what I’ve done or why either,” he answered evenly.

  Father glared. “It is unbelievable, after all you’ve said on the subject of women and wives of late, to have taken this woman—a near stranger—to be your bride.”

  The duchess put out her hand to cover Father’s, clearly uncomfortable with the renewed discussion underway. “It is done, my dear. It was always his decision to make.”

  “What I want to know is whether she left him no choice.”

  Amelia reclaimed her hand and her eyes flashed with irritation. “I beg your pardon?”

  “Well, there must be a good reason for my heir to propose to someone once embroiled in a scandal that forced her own family to shun her,” the duke exclaimed.

  “Father have a care for how you speak to my wife,” Milo growled. “It was Amelia who was betrayed by her beau and her own sister.”

  “I did not expect a proposal from your son,” Amelia shot back, refusing to be cast as a villain or ignored. “In fact, I was more surprised than you must be and I refused him, too.”

  “And yet you are wed.”

  Milo wasn’t about to let his wife defend herself alone or explain how he’d haggled like a fishwife to get her to accept. That was between them. “Remarriage was a matter I gave much thought to over the holiday while I was here with you last.”

  Father gaped. “You never told me that.”

  “Well, it is true, and the family at large had a hand in my change of heart,” Milo promised.

  Father launched himself to his feet. “What you saw at Christmas were married couples who loved each other deeply and were at their happiest gathered together. That is nothing like this ridiculous union you’ve made.”

  Milo refused to let his temper get the better of him again today, but he slowly rose to his feet to stand eye to eye with his sire. “It was then I decided what I did want for myself and for my children. They need a mother.”

  He set his hand on Amelia’s shoulder and squeezed to let her know he had no regrets.

  Father snorted again. “Idiocy.”

  Milo glared at his father, having heard the same yesterday, but the duke had turned his gaze on Amelia.

  “I thought you of all women would run from another bad match.”

  Milo shook his head. “I will not allow you to insult her sensibilities. She knows exactly where I stand on the subject of love and marriage. We want the same thing.”

  “I find that hard to believe,” Father growled. “You insult her by claiming to be unwilling to even consider the possibility that a deeper, better connection could be made.”

  Amelia shifted a little in her chair and cleared her throat. “Not at all, Your Grace. Like your son, my trust was burned to dust by a mistaken belief that I was loved. As I’m sure you must know, my sister married the man who had proposed to me first. From them, I learned not to believe any protestations of great affection from anyone…even family. Your son has been completely honest with me. I respect him more for his candor and blunt speech than you can possibly imagine.”

  Milo squeezed Amelia’s shoulder again. “We expect nothing but peaceful companionship in this marriage.”

  “Then you are selling yourself short,” the duke yelled. “If there is not even the pretense of affection, where exactly do her loyalties lie, eh?”

  Amelia recoiled from the duke’s fury and stood abruptly.

  The previous warmth in the room evaporated. Milo tensed. Father had gone too far.

  “Amelia, would you excuse us.”

  “Happily,” she murmured. Her gaze shifted to the duchess. “Would you excuse me, Your Grace?”

  “Of course, my dear,” Gillian agreed quickly, looking highly embarrassed. “Do enjoy the fresh air and the peace of the garden for as long as you need.”

  She nodded and glanced at Milo. “I will be with the children.”

  Milo’s fingers caught on her gown as she slipped from the room. He could not be prouder of Amelia for how she’d faced his father’s disapproval this morning. She had the mettle to face any challenge, especially his family. He vowed it would be the last time she was spoken to like that.

  Father barely waited until she was out of earshot before beginning again. “This is a mistake you will never recover from. The lack of affection will haunt you the rest of your days.”

  Milo folded his arms across his chest. “I disagree, but it is done. This marriage is a fact that not even you can erase.”

  Father threw a look of unusual cunning in his direction. “Marriages like yours can be undone,” he suggested.

  “Nicolas, please. This is beneath you,” the duchess complained.

  “This marriage cannot be reversed, Father. We are wed and bedded.” Milo hoped Father heard his meaning without having to spell it out. “Amelia is my wife, now and forever.”

  He’d taken her innocence on the bed upstairs, the sheets the maids would clean today had the proof, and he was duty-bound to Amelia. He had no regrets

  But that was not why he would not hear of the marriage being annulled. Amelia had just proven she would make a formidable duchess one day. That, and her interest in his children, were what he needed most.

  Amelia was a Westfall. She could be carrying his child even now. Milo regarded his parent steadily, and then Gillian, who had covered her face during the last moments. “See if you can make him understand or we will have to leave immediately.”

  Father sucked in a sharp breath but the duchess nodded. At least she seemed the most ready to accept the match. He hoped she might talk some sense into Father while they were visiting his younger sister and husband, as well. For now though, there was nothing more to say.

  Father suddenly smiled. “Ah, here is someone to brighten our morning.”

  Milo spun on his heel to face the door, and saw the woman Papa had lured to Stapleton in the hope that Milo would propose to her.

  Lady Phillipa Ashcroft was a friend’s widow, tall, slender like Amelia, but nothing about her would entice him to have proposed. There was a cool calculation in her gaze as their eyes met and he wondered how long she’d been listening at the door.

  He bowed stiffly, stifling a curse. “Welcome to Stapleton, Lady Ashcroft.”

  Phillipa came forward, blushing prettily. “It is a pleasure to be here again, but I did not expect to see you at all, Milo.”

  He knew that was a lie.

  Phillipa’s stock in trade was the act of innocence. She gossiped and schemed as badly as everyone else he knew in society. The only reason they were on speaking terms was out of respect for her late husband, whose loss had been a shock to both of them.

  They had been partnered together for various dinners and such since, and while many expected a match to be made, the woman was cut from the same cloth as Milo’s first wife. But she hid that side of her nature better than his first wife had so father unfortunately remained oblivious.

  “I’m afraid I must excuse myself,” he murmured.

  He inclined his head to the duchess and headed out the terrace door in search of his wife and children. The rest of the family had better be kinder about the marriage and more considerate of Amelia’s feelings when they finally met her. Otherwise, their stay would be a damn sight shorter than usual, and perhaps his last visit for a good long while.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Amelia was glad for any excuse to escape Stapleton Manor and the glowering duke, who clearly disapproved of her marrying his heir. She had expected the family to be prickly about their quick and private wedding ceremony, but not so incensed about the absence of love between them as to speak so bluntly about it.

  So many women in their society made similar matches, often for money and power alone. Amelia did not believe her decision to wed, to have children was all that shocking, really.

  But things were different here, it seemed, and Amelia was not sure what she could do about ever winning the duke’s approval.

  Stapleton seemed intent on placing blame on her shoulders for the decision his son had made.

  Chatham joined her, out of breath and his face red, but he threaded her arm through his own and smiled. He dismissed the servants, silently urged her and the children away from the manor, and she was glad when he said nothing immediately. She was at a loss for the right words, and she would prefer the children not know of their problems. They danced ahead of them, ignorant of the turmoil gripping her heart.

  Finally, Chatham sent them off to look for the pond frogs, promising to catch up soon.

  “Your father is vexed about us,” she whispered, as soon as they were out of earshot. “You should have warned me.”

  “I’m sorry. I’d hoped he would have calmed down overnight. Papa has always believed love should be the primary reason anyone chooses to wed. He never once stood in the way of our choices, even when there was room for doubt with some of them. Father married for love both times, you see. I really thought the duchess’ acceptance would sway him toward a more open mind.”

  She looked at her husband, curious about his first marriage. “Did he approve of your choice? Your first wife.”

  “Yes. Because he could see I adored her,” Milo admitted.

  Amelia faced forward, considering the future. She could not and would not compete with a ghost for the duke’s favor, but nor could she step aside now. She really would be ruined this time if their marriage was annulled, as the duke had hinted it should be. “I must be a great disappointment to him.”

  “There’s no reason for him to be difficult about you or about our marriage. We have been honest about our reasons for it, while my first wife entered the marriage with an ulterior motive.”

  The last thing Amelia wanted was to hear about his first wife’s betrayal, but curiosity stirred. “It was a difficult time for you.”

  “I loved her, but she…” He sighed. “All she wanted was to become a duchess. The jewels. The riches that came with a title. My father’s affection for her soured considerably once he discovered how badly she wanted him out of her way.”

  Amelia gaped in shock at the news. “How did she give herself away?”

  “Gossiping about Papa, at first, delaying going home so she could act as his hostess, arranging parties for her friends here without his permission. Bestowing false affection on him just to discover his secrets. She desperately wanted to live here, so much so that she was hardly ever in Devon. She even started to plan a grand redecoration of the manor and grounds behind my back, even consult an architect.”

  Amelia glanced around them. “I would not change a thing here. At least the duke can rest easy on that score. I’ve no desire to stay at Stapleton Manor longer than necessary. I am glad that we will be on our way to Devon tomorrow.”

  Chatham cleared his throat. “About that. We must extend our stay.”

  She stopped abruptly, shocked by his decision. “Why would you want to stay? The duke can barely look at me without scowling.”

  “I want to give him time to get to know you, and you him, and to change his mind about our marriage.”

  “How much time?”

  “For the duration of the party, and perhaps longer. I cannot allow his guests to leave and gossip about trouble in our marriage. Should the guests depart knowing of father’s disapproval, we will never outlive the gossip.”

  Amelia crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve felt the cut of unfair gossip before and survived.”

  “Yes, exactly, and I am determined that it never happens to you ever again. We will stay and make Father understand that a happy marriage does not require obsessive love.”

  Disappointment crushed her. She had been promised respect, a home of her own to manage. A chance to order her own household as a wife and mother.

  She was eager for that, after so many years spent pushed to the background and getting none of the praise or credit. Never allowed to make any important decisions. It was a small thing to her husband, but it had been the driving incentive to marry a near stranger at her age.

  She walked on in silence a few steps, gathering her thoughts. The children ran ahead, and she did nothing to stop them.

  “Amelia?”

  They had been honest about their needs from the start. She would not begin pretending with Chatham now, just to smooth things over. She turned to him. “I admit to severe disappointment at the news you intend to stay. I was expecting to see my new home by Friday at the latest.”