“You care deeply for her?” she asked quietly, staring at him intently.

His brows shot together in annoyance. “I must warn you that minimal comfort I had with our conversation is swiftly vanishing.”

She shook her head, started to lift a hand, dropped it and said quickly, “I wish to discuss, that is…it’s been reported…” She drew in a deep breath. “What I mean to say is, you are in Wodell. We are a certain way here. And…and…”

Her cheeks pinked, much like her daughter’s, which was a fortunate reminder or his reaction to what she said next would have been far more explosive.

“I understand how it is between a new husband and wife. But the forcing upon servants of the, erm, that is to say, a certain…decadence is considered unacceptable in this realm. I know it is much different in your land, but it is not the same way here. Obviously spending the day in each other’s presence is suitable, especially at this point in your marriage and most especially since you did not have a proper courtship. But, erm…in a bedchamber.” She said no more on that and finished, “It reflects badly on Silence and—”

She spoke no further as Mars strode around the desk, across the room, past his mother-in-law, out the door and down the hall.

The first maid he saw, which happened to be in the corridor outside the drawing room, he stopped.

“Pack your things,” he commanded, ignoring her eyes growing huge and her face turning ashen. “You’re relieved of your duties. As are the other two. Tell them immediately and I want all of you gone from this manor in an hour.”

Her eyes flitted beyond Mars, where he knew Vanka, who had followed him, stood, then back to Mars.

And thus, he read on her face she knew that he was now aware that she was running to the lord of Bower Manor and sharing intimacies she had no business sharing.

“But, sir—” she began.

She was the one he’d very recently finished giving a lecture, though she was not referring to him how he’d told her to do so.

Which was irritating, but it was a moot point at this juncture.

“An hour,” he declared.

“We were only doing what we were told,” she whispered.

Mars had his temper in check.

But at this pronouncement, that was slipping.

“Mars, what on earth—?” Silence asked from the doorway.

She’d joined them, which he thought was good, even if, for his wife, it was bad.

He glanced at his queen briefly, saw her juggling her monkey, surprise stamped on her beautiful face.

He’d explain to her later.

He had to deal with this now.

He turned toward Vanka and again lifted his brows.

“They were doing what they were told?” he asked.

Vanka’s cheeks flamed.

“Mother, what are you—?”