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end my marriage. I m leaving him because I want to save it.
Leo shook his head, smiling. There s Hathaway logic for you. What worries me is that I almost
understand.
You see
No, you can explain once we re on our way. For the moment, wait here. I ll send for the driver
and
tell the servants to ready the carriage.
I m sorry to cause trouble
Oh, they re used to it. I m the master of hasty departures.
There must have been some truth to Leo s claim, because a trunk was packed and the carriage
was
readied with astonishing speed. Poppy waited by the parlor fire until Leo came to the doorway.
We ll be off now, he said. Come.
He took her to his carriage, a comfortable and well-sprung vehicle with deep-upholstered seats.
After arranging some cushions in the corner, Poppy settled back in preparation for a long
journey. It
would take the full night to reach Hampshire, and although the macadamized roadways were in
decent repair, there were many rough stretches.
I m sorry to have come to you at such a late hour, she told her brother. No doubt you would
be
sleeping soundly right now had I not arrived.
That produced a swift grin. I m not sure about that, Leo said. But no matter it s time to go
to
Hampshire. I want to see Win and that merciless brute she married, and I need to check on the
estate
and tenants.
Poppy smiled slightly, knowing how fond Leo was of the so-called merciless brute. Merripen
had
earned Leo s everlasting gratitude for rebuilding and managing the estate. They communicated
frequently by letter, maintained two or three running arguments at any given time, and
thoroughly
enjoyed baiting each other.
Reaching to the dark brown shade that covered the window nearest her, Poppy lifted it to glance
at
the broken buildings, brick facings plastered with bills, and battered shop fronts, all of them
bathed
in the twilight gloom of street lamps. London at night was unsavory, unsafe, uncontrolled. Harry
was out there somewhere. She had no doubt he could take care of himself, but the thought of
what
he might be doing or whom he might be doing it with filled her with melancholy. She sighed
heavily.
I loathe London in the summer, Leo said. The Thames is working up to an unholy stench this
year. He paused, his gaze resting on her. I suppose that look on your face isn t caused by worry
over public sanitation. Tell me what you re thinking, sis.
Harry left the hotel tonight after Poppy broke off, unable to find a word to describe just what
it
was they had done. I don t know how long he ll stay out, but at best, we re only about ten or
twelve hours ahead of him. Of course, he may decide not to follow me, which would be rather
anticlimactic but also a relief. Still
He ll follow, Leo said flatly. But you won t have to see him if you don t wish it.
Poppy shook her head morosely. I ve never had such mixed-up feelings about anyone. I don t
understand him. Tonight in bed, he
Wait, Leo said. Some things are better discussed between sisters. I m sure this is one of them.
We ll reach Ramsay House by morning, and you can ask Amelia anything you like.
I don t think she would know anything about this.
Why not? She s a married woman.
Yes, but it s... well... a masculine problem.
Leo blanched. I wouldn t know anything about that, either. I don t have masculine problems. In
fact, I don t even like saying the phrase masculine problems.
Oh. Crestfallen, Poppy pulled a lap blanket over herself.
Damn it. What exactly are we calling a masculine problem ? Did he have trouble running the
flag
up? Or did it fall to half-staff?
Do we have to speak about this metaphorically, or
Yes, Leo said firmly.
All right. He... Poppy frowned in concentration as she searched for the right words, ... left me
while the flag was still flying.
Was he drunk?
No.
Did you do or say something to make him leave?
Just the opposite. I asked him to stay, and he wouldn t.
Shaking his head, Leo rummaged in a side compartment beside his seat and swore. Where the
blazes is my liquor? I told the servants to stock the carriage with drink for the journey. I m going
to
fire the bloody lot of them.
There s water, isn t there?
Water is for washing, not drinking. He muttered something about an evil conspiracy to keep
him
sober, and sighed. One can only guess as to Rutledge s motivations. It s not easy for a man to
stop
in the middle of lovemaking. It puts us in a devil of a temper. Folding his arms across his chest,
he
watched her speculatively. I propose the radical notion of actually asking Rutledge why he left
you
tonight, and discussing it like two rational beings. But before your husband reaches Hampshire,
you d better decide on something, and that s whether you re going to forgive him for what he did
to
you and Bayning.
She blinked in surprise. Do you think I should?
The devil knows I wouldn t want to, were I in your place. He paused. On the other hand, I ve
been forgiven for many things I should never have been forgiven for. The point is, if you can t
forgive him, there s no use in trying to talk about anything else.
I don t think Harry cares about being forgiven, Poppy said glumly.
Of course he does. Men love to be forgiven. It makes us feel better about our inability to learn
from
our mistakes.
I don t know if I m ready, Poppy protested. Why must I do it so soon? There s no time limit
for
forgiveness, is there?
Sometimes there is.
Oh, Leo... She felt crushed under a weight of uncertainty and hurt and yearning.
Try to sleep, her brother murmured. We ll have two hours, more or less, before it s time to
change horses.
I can t sleep for worrying, Poppy said, although a yawn had already overtaken her.
There s no point in worrying. You already know what you want to do you just aren t ready to
admit it yet.
Poppy settled deeper into the corner, closing her eyes. You know a lot about women, don t you,
Leo?
There was a smile in his voice. I should hope so, with four sisters. And he watched over her
while
she slept.
After returning to the hotel drunk as a boiled owl, Harry staggered to his apartments. He had
gone to
a tavern, flamboyantly decorated with mirrors, tiled walls, and expensive prostitutes. It had taken
approximately three hours to drink himself into a suitable state of numbness that he could go
back
home. Despite the artful advances of more than a few lightskirts, Harry took no notice of any of
them.
He wanted his wife.
And he knew that Poppy would never soften toward him unless he began with a sincere apology
for
taking her away from Michael Bayning. The problem was, he couldn t. Because he wasn t at all
sorry about what he d done, he was only sorry that she was unhappy about it. He would never
regret
having done what was necessary to marry her, because she was what he had wanted most in his
life.
Poppy was every fine, good, unselfish impulse that he would never have. She was every caring
thought, loving gesture, happy moment, that he would never know. She was every minute of
peaceful sleep that would forever elude him. According to the law of universal balance, Poppy
had
been put into the world to compensate for Harry and his wickedness. Which was probably why,
as
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