The rake Mister Jonathan Pine has one thing in mind for this London season. He will marry a young widow who is pleasant and experienced enough to keep him satisfied in bed so he can get his hands on his grandmother's inheritance and give it to his a...
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Warning: This chapter contains scenes of domestic abuse. Please, if you are not comfortable with that, skip this chapter.
On the fourth day back in London, Thea woke up and tried to smile again. She was sure people were giving her time to adjust to her new home and would call soon. Andrew informed Thea that John was in his study, and Thea made an extra effort with the display table. She wanted him to see how good she was at running the house.
It was afternoon, and nobody had called yet. She had sent Burton to deliver a food tray with lunch to John and went to write letters to Daphne and two other debutantes. They were all her friends from a young age, and it would not be improper if Thea invited them to the house. They sure wanted to know all the fashion from Paris, excursions, and the Opera.
But Thea was interrupted when she noticed voices outside and went to see what was happening. From the front window, she saw some men talking to John and her horse positioned in a place for travel. "Where is my horse going?" It was her first thought as she did not recognise the men with her husband. They were not the King's guards or her father's stable servants.
Thea would not cause a scene and waited till they drove away and John was back in his study to talk to him. "Good day, Mister Pine. May I ask where the men took my horse to?"
John did not even spare her a glance before answering. "He is Mister Patel's horse now."
She was confused about what he was saying. "I beg your pardon. Sir."
John lifted his face from the documents and glared at Thea. "He offered a good business deal for my father if I gave him your horse. Your father did not want to sell YOU to him, and Mister Patel would be happy to settle for your horse this time."
Jonathan was bitter talking to her. But Thea could not let that go. "Mister Pine, he is my horse!! Tomorrow is Wednesday, and the King will call for me in the morning, and when he hears aboutit, he will be furious." Shaking her head, Thea could not believe how low her husband would go to hurt her.
"You do not understand I like Villain. He is one of the King's favourites. His father is a champion, and so is his grandfather. The King makes good money from those horses, and Villain was not put for competitions because he was gifted to me. And you will have to fix it. Sir."
Thea had desperate pleading eyes. What was she to tell the King? Her godfather was temperamental, and she was afraid he would hurt John. But looking at him, Thea was sure John did not care about the matter. "I will fix nothing. It was a deal, and both parts are now pleased."
He opened the cabinet and got the leather tawse from the training box. He would not put up with her nonsense any longer. "You are being a burden to me, Mrs Pine. I have problems with my family. Because of you, they cannot live here, the Duke has left London, and you cannot talk to him to fix this situation."
