"Everyone can see that your wife is abandoning you."
"We're at a ball where she knows a lot of people, as do I. We're not expected to spend the entire time together, why does it matter who she is spending her time with?"
"Think about how it looks."
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Mother, you are going to have to be kinder to her. Letitia is part of our family now, and will be the mother of my children. Whether you like it or not, she is going to be around for a long time to come. And I happen tothink that she'll make an excellent Countess when the time comes."
Displeasure crosses her face, but I know it won't last. Or more accurately, it will change to focus on something else. That always seems to be how Mother's ire works.
"Very well. I shall try to be more civil for your sake," she responds.
"As you should be. She wore the dress you wanted tonight."
"She did," Mother grumbles.
"And that won't be happening again. I expect my wife to dress in the fashion she deems suitable for her position and her personal tastes."
Mother opens her mouth to disagree, but must think better of it, for she closes it before the words can escape.
"Now, I must go see Lord Rennarton," I say, spying the fox shifter across the room. I don't really have anything I need to say to the man, but I feel the need to extricate myself from the conversation before I say something that shouldn't be spoken in public. I truly don't understand what Mother's problem with Letitia is, and I hope she realises that it isn't going to help anyone if she continues the way she does.
I stride across the ballroom, searching for mywife as I do. I hope that Miss Rocke isn't in too much trouble, though from the way Letitia reacted, I suspect that is a vain hope. It is of no matter, I will do everything within my power to help Letitia's friend if she needs my help, especially when I know how much it will mean to my wife.
Epilogue
Letitia
I takea sip of tea and lean back in the chair, enjoying the sun warming my skin and the light breeze coming from the lake. I love the peace I can find in the Swancove House gardens, it is better than anything I ever experienced in my own home.
The crunch of rocks under someone's feet sounds from behind me, and I find myself hoping that it will be Philip coming to join me.
"May I sit?"
I close my eyes and brace myself for whatever difficult conversation Lady Swancove is going to put me through.
"Of course," I respond in a falsely welcoming tone. I've done my best to avoid Philip's mother for the past couple of weeks, and I thought I'd done well at that.
She sits down and folds her hands into her lap. "My son spoke with me."
"Oh?" Nerves flutter to life within me. I know that Philip has more of a say in the way the household is run than she does, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's going to actually going to change the way she acts around me.
"He has informed me of the seriousness of your relationship to one another."
I nod, not trusting myself to point out that we're married, which is about as serious as things can get.
"He also told me that you would not be going to the country unless you decide that is where you wish to be."
"He has made that clear to me too," I say firmly.
"Hmm." She lets out a loud sigh. "I suppose you should call me Dolores while we are in private."
Surprise flits through me. That is not what I expected her to say. "You can call me Letitia, if you wish," I respond in kind, knowing that it's polite to reciprocate. Though I will admit that it feels strange to call her Lady Swancove every time we speak.
"Excellent. Then I will leave you to your tea."She gets to her feet and walks away, not even pausing to say goodbye.
I stare after her, a little confused by the interaction, but hopeful that it means things will change.
I sigh and look back at the lake in time to see Philip leaving the swan house and heading back towards me.
I smile, looking forward to this interaction much more. I never thought I'd be sitting in the gardens of a grand house like this waiting for the man I love to join me, but now that's what's happening, I can't imagine it any other way.