Page 76 of Kathryn

The crushed look on the other woman’s face made Katie feel guilty for her earlier aggression. She forced a smile and said, “Perhaps another time, Mrs. Wilson.”

Her answer—as polite as it was—made the other woman’s cheeks flame and her mortified gaze slid to the duke.

He ignored her and mounted his horse, dipping his chin slightly before leading his horse back to the path.

“Is Mrs. Wilson the wife of one of your tenant farmers?” Katie asked when Dulverton made no effort to speak.

“She is a tenant, but the cottage does not have a farm.”

“What does her husband do?”

Dulverton’s lips tightened. “She does not have a husband.”

“She is young to be a widow.”

His eyes narrowed at either her expression or tone or both, but he did not speak.

Katie’s mind bounced the beautiful woman and her three handsome tow-headed young children to the attractive cottage to the fact that the duke knew the children well enough to deliver a fatherly chastisement. Was that because they were his children?

She looked at her husband; his haughty profile was to her. He had told her he did not take lovers from among the ton. Did that mean he kept one on his own property? How convenient that would be for him!

Seething, Katie turned away from Dulverton, struggling to understand the emotions roiling inside her. She identified disappointment, anger, despair, and something else. Something that felt suspiciously like jealousy.

Good God. She hoped not. She didn’t love Dulverton. She didn’t even like him. But she loved what they did in her bed every night. Could she really be so shallow that she would feel jealousy for a man who clearly felt nothing for her except lust?

If that was true, then she was even more foolish than she had believed possible. She had entered this marriage with the knowledge that her husband thought so little of her that he did not care if she took lovers. All he cared about was an heir and that she did not bring shame on his family name as his first wife had.

The duke’s voice interrupted her frantic musing. “No, not that way,” he said as Katie guided Robin toward the right-hand fork in the path. “We will keep to the left.”

“What is to the right?” She asked the question more to keep her thoughts from spiraling out of control rather than a desire to converse.

“That leads to the Morris farm.”

“Who is Morris?”

“Morris works the largest of my tenant farms.”

“You are not going to introduce me to the Morrises?”

He blinked. “I had not thought to do so.”

“Why not?”

“There hardly seems to be any point.”

“There is no point in the mistress of Briarly meeting her tenants?” Katie could not help thinking of Hy, Selina, Phoebe, and Aurelia who all knew their dependents by name.

“You will not spend much time at Briarly in the future, so it—”

“So, where will I live, then? Or do I have no choice in the matter?” she demanded, the tension inside her boiling over.

He opened his mouth, but then closed it, his indecisive expression looking strange on his stern, determined features.

“I suppose you will want me to live at Spenwood with your mother?”

He regarded her steadily. Normally, Katie found it difficult to meet his gaze, but not today.

“I told you there are several other estates besides Spenwood and Briarly for you to—”