John, when Philomena brought him to see his grandmother, seemed subdued. Selena chuckled. “I do believe we tired him out,” she said to Philomena, who smiled through tight lips. Hugh avoided her eye. After a few moments of lack-lustre question and answer, the Dowager gave up the unequal struggle and allowed John to return to the nursery.

Selena seized the opportunity to take Hugh’s arm and walk him around the room. “We had such fun, you know. You need not have been cross, because Philomena mended my dress perfectly, so that no one would ever know it was torn at all. She even curled my hair herself so that Alice, my maid, would not scold.”

Hugh, despite his mood, smiled a little at his sister’s fear of a scolding from her own maid.

“Now, that’s better.” She gave his arm a little squeeze. “You are so bad-tempered these days. I’m sure you were never so before you married Beatrice—” She stopped, face red, but it was too late.

Hugh shook his arm free and glared. Selena’s eyes grew large with horror. Recollecting the need for good manners, Hugh forced himself to smile and pat her hand. How much had she understood of his marriage? Had she seen the depths of unhappiness and discontent at the Hall?

As soon as was polite, he excused himself, leaving the two ladies to amuse themselves as best they could with cards and parlour games. He knew he was behaving badly. Perhaps Beatrice had been right to fling those insults at him, during the last of the seemingly endless string of quarrels. He could remember every angry word they had exchanged.

“I wish I had never allowed Papa to persuade me to marry at all,” she had cried, wiping her eyes on a scrap of lace and peeping through lowered lashes. “Indeed, you are quite unfit for polite society. My friends are all so sad on my account, cooped up here so far from London, with hardly any society at all.”

“Am I not enough society?” Hugh asked. How far he must be from the dashing husband she had expected.

“All you care about are those ridiculous tenants, who are all so muddy and smelly that it makes me quite unwell when I have to visit their dirty homes. You care nothing for me. Why, any other man would allow balls and parties, and invite all the neighbours.”

“You mean, invite that jackass, Muldrow?” Hugh, enraged, took a step towards his wife. “If you think I will encourage that snivelling creature to my house, you are greatly mistaken, Madam. I saw more than enough of the wretch when at Oxford. I have no wish to continue the acquaintance beyond what is necessary.”

Beatrice’s eyes glinted green. “I do believe you are jealous.” She spoke deliberately. Hugh laughed, his voice rough. “I would as likely feel jealousy towards the rats that steal corn from the barns as towards such a deceitful poltroon as Muldrow. If you had seen the man’s cruelty towards others, by heaven, you would want nothing of him and be less inclined to spend so much time in his company, I assure you.