“My lady—”

Gillian shrieked at the deep voice behind her and spun around, clutching her heart to keep it from flinging itself out of her chest.

“Lord, Tremayne…er…which Tremayne are you?”

“I am Tremayne the butler, my lady.”

“Oh, Tremayne Two. Well, Tremayne, you startled me. Has Lord Weston sent for me?”

The butler looked outraged over something. Perhaps he had noticed the dogs’ activities. “No, my lady. His lordship has returned to town. He asked me to—”

Gillian turned a blind eye to what Erp was doing to a particularly fragrant pink rosebush and frowned at the butler. “He what? You must be mistaken; we have just arrived from town. Perhaps he went into the local village or out to visit the tenants.”

Tremayne Two shook his head. “I’m afraid not, my lady. His lordship ordered his things packed and he left early this morning with his valet. He left this letter for you—”

“He left me? The day after we were wed, he has left me?”

Gillian stared at the man in front of her with an expression that mingled horror with a magnificent display of anger. Tremayne watched her, fascinated by the ability of her eyes to darken from brilliant green to almost black.

“After the most satisfying wedding night in the entire history of the world, he left me, Tremayne?”

“I’m afraid I know nothing about your wedding night, my lady, indeed I do not, but his lordship did leave you a—”

“That poor man!” Gillian shouted at the top of her lungs.

Tremayne blinked at her in surprise. “I beg your pardon, my lady?”

“That poor, misguided, foolish man!” she bellowed in return.

“Misguided, my lady? That man left you after your wedding night! You, an innocent young bride!” Tremayne was yelling just as loudly as Gillian, a point that did not escape her attention. She motioned her stepson back into the house, took a deep breath, and addressed the agitated butler in soothing tones.

“Tremayne, calm down, it’s quite all right. I understand his lordship’s reasoning—”

“He left you, my lady! Just up and packed his things and left you like you were yesterday’s breakfast! Such a callous, uncaring man doesn’t deserve your kindness!”

“Tremayne, I understand—”

“He’s got to be mad to leave a bride alone the day after he wed! Especially you, my lady! Especially after the most satisfying wedding night in the entire history of the world! He’s lost his reasoning, that’s what it is!”

Lord, she’d soon be deaf if he continued to defend her. “Tremayne!”

He stopped his tirade and stared as Gillian stomped her foot on the soft grass. “You will stop this slanderous talk about Lord Weston immediately. He is your employer. He is an earl. And he is my husband—I won’t have you chastising him when he’s not here to defend himself.”

The butler stared at her in disbelief.

“But, my lady,” he said weakly, waving his hands about in a helpless manner.

Gillian noticed the cream envelope clutched against a silver tray. “Is that for me?”