Married to the Dark Marquess by Allyson Jeleyne

Author:Allyson Jeleyne [Jeleyne, Allyson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Allyson Jeleyne
Published: 2022-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The purser’s assistant gave Louisa the information she sought. He directed her downstairs to the lowest level of first-class accommodations. The majority of cabins were located on the saloon deck, and Her Ladyship would find Madame de Roubernon’s berth past the forward staircase on the port side of the ship.

Louisa steeled her spine for their confrontation. Thanks to Mr. Perry’s drunken admission, she now understood the concept of an ‘open marriage’, of doing one’s duty while finding pleasure elsewhere. Madame de Roubernon—so worldly and wise—had taken advantage of Louisa’s naivety. The sophisticated Frenchwoman likely enjoyed an understanding, aristocratic marriage of her own, and viewed the Marquess of Granborough as fair game.

Louisa had no intention of stepping aside and allowing another woman to make love to her husband. She would put her foot down, nip this flirtation in the bud, and remind everybody onboard Campania that regardless of society’s custom, Lord and Lady Granborough did not have a marriage of convenience.

Their union had been hard-won, and Louisa refused to give him up without a fight.

She knocked upon Madame de Roubernon’s stateroom door. After a shuffling moment, the knob turned and the Frenchwoman’s face appeared in the opening. When she saw Louisa, she threw open the door and cheerfully welcomed her in.

A curious reception…

“Madame, I must speak with you,” she said, crossing the threshold.

Once inside, Louisa was shocked to find two bunk-style beds. Unlike the Granborough’s parlour suite, these twin berth cabins were the typical accommodations on the ship. Spoiled, sheltered Louisa realized too late how far she stood above her fellow voyagers—of course, Lord Granborough had selected the finest suite for their crossing. Hadn’t he been hurt by her complaints about the size of the rooms and the presence of only one bed?

She faltered, losing her fury. Waistcoats and wardrobe trunks were scattered amid parasols and hatboxes in this cramped space. A gentleman’s freshly-polished dress shoes had been placed by the door.

Did two people occupy this cramped cabin, hardly better than Gladys Waldo’s windowless box?

“You share a stateroom with your husband?” asked Louisa.

Madame de Roubernon looked amused. “Do you not?”

The elegant woman wore a morning gown of soft alpaca trimmed in fur. Her coiffure had been pinned up in a simple style by a shell comb. This was hardly the brazen seductress Louisa had expected to find.

Confused, she powered on, determined to get to the bottom of her husband’s misbehavior. “Lord Granborough wasn’t here last night?” she asked. “You two weren’t…together?”

Madame de Roubernon laughed. “It would’ve been crowded, and my husband would not have approved.”

There could have been no room for a rendezvous here, where Monsieur de Roubernon would’ve lain on the top bunk. It had been far too cold and too rough to enjoy an assignation anywhere else.

Louisa sputtered, shamefaced. “I…am sorry.” Her cheeks flamed and tears scalded the backs of her eyes. “There has been some mistake… He led me to believe…that he…that he…”

She had accused His Lordship of having an affair and he hadn’t bothered to correct her.

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