Page 86 of The Queen of Roses

She crossed her arms. “Believe it or not, that’s not my greatest concern at the moment.”

For some reason, that seemed to anger him, and he shouted, “It’s a man’s prerogative to lose money at cards if he wants to!”

“I suppose it’s also a man’s prerogative to be rude to his family and guests and to act like a boor to his wife?”

Guy’s eyes narrowed, but then all at once he seemed to soften. He turned to Aubrey to whisper in an exaggerated manner, “I think my wife is mad at me.”

“Why don’t we go upstairs, sir, where you may lie down?” suggested Aubrey.

Guy slapped a hand to the valet’s chest, causing the poor man to grunt again. “Good idea, Aubrey. You lead the way.”

Aubrey looked to Adele for permission. She nodded and slowly followed the two men up the stairs. Fortunately, Guy chattered away to Aubrey as they went, mostly about a horse that one of his acquaintances was thinking about purchasing.

When they reached the top of the stairs, the men turned left toward Guy’s suite of rooms, where Aubrey would no doubt have to fight to keep Guy from falling asleep on the chaise in his dressing room before he could drink something other than whiskey.

Adele was just gathering up the long skirts of her dressing gown when she heard a chug outside the house. She raced to the front door and wrenched it open just as James was cutting the engine on the new motorcar.

“James, are you all right?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” he said wearily as he climbed down from the vehicle. “Has Guy come home?”

“He arrived just five minutes ago,” she said.

“Good. I found him at a gambling den south of here, but before I could convince him to come with me, two men picked him up and shoved him into a hansom cab. I wasn’t entirely sure he would make it home in one piece.”

She sucked in a breath. “Was it that bad?”

“It wasn’t a civilized card game for gentlemen, if that is what you mean.”

“How did you come by the motorcar?”

“It was parked outside of the place. It’s what led me to him, actually. Good thing, too. If he had tried to drive it home, he might have killed himself—or someone else, for that matter.”

It was the first time she’d ever heard her composed cousin sound exercised, and she found herself ashamed. Ashamed of what James Benson thought of her husband.

She shut the door behind them and turned the key, the sound of it echoing off the marble floor of the entryway.

“Thank you for finding him,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” James closed his eyes. When finally he opened them again, he added, “I try to know my place, Adele, and I do believe in glass houses and stones. However, I hate to see you, someone whom my wife cares for so deeply, embarrassed in this manner. You deserve better.”

Her cheeks burned, but she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Guy is my husband. I thank you for collecting him, but that is all that I require at this time.”

James gave a short nod. “I understand.”

She watched James mount the stairs. She thought he would pass by his wife’s bedroom door for his own room, but he stopped in front of Margot’s room. Adele heard the soft squeak of a hinge, and a faint sliver of light illuminated James before he entered. Then the door closed with a gentle click.

When, a few moments later, Adele passed by on her way to her own bedroom, she could hear the soft murmur of voices sharing confidences deep into the night.

chapter thirty-one ADELE

I feel like hell,” Guy groaned, looking haggard and miserable over his steaming cup of coffee that Aubrey had brought to him in his dressing room the next morning. Given that it was meant to be a working day, Aubrey had woken his employer as usual, sending word to Adele through Maggie that Guy was no longer asleep.

Adele, still in her negligee, stood in the door between their suite of rooms, her arms crossed.

“Good,” she said. “Perhaps it will make you think twice about behaving as you did yesterday evening.”

“I’m not a child, Adele.”