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“Jana is my wife. She must live up to her responsibilities. It’s her duty.”
“You romantic devil, you,” Leona said.
Brandon sat forward. “I have duties in our marriage. She does too. Everyone has duties. We all must live up to them.”
“Duties?”
“Of course,” Brandon said. “Jana needed a firm hand. It was my fault she left, really. I was too easy on her. I’ll be sure she understands her responsibilities this time.”
“Well, as long as you have everything under control…” Leona rose from the sofa, bringing Brandon up with her. She gave him a long, sultry look. “You should have married me.”
“All your husbands die.”
“But they go with smiles on their faces.” Leona sauntered to the office door, threw him one last knowing look, and left.
“I see you’ve made your decision,” Maureen said.
Jana glanced back at her maid closing the latches on her trunk. “It wasn’t exactly my decision,” she said. “Brandon refused to grant me a divorce unless I did as he asked.”
“He has a point,” Maureen said.
Jana didn’t respond, just moved past her aunt, down the hallway and into the parlor of the suite. Brandon did, indeed, have a point. It was all she’d been able to think about since they’d talked yesterday.
Legally and in the eyes of God they were married. Brandon had been right about that. And Jana could find no argument to refute his assertion. She’d taken vows, pledged her life to their union. None of which should be taken lightly.
It had all seemed so much easier, so much clearer in London. There, she’d known exactly what she wanted. With the distance from her husband, she’d realized exactly what sort of man he was—and what sort of man she wanted.
But after seeing him again yesterday…
Jana sank onto the settee. She’d tossed and turned, paced the floor all night. Was she being foolish? Wishing for something that would never be there? Expecting more from Brandon than he’d given in the past?
Or had he changed? She certainly wasn’t the same person she was fourteen months ago. Could Brandon have changed, as well?
For better or worse, their marriage vows had stated. Could the “worse” really be behind her?
Jana sensed her aunt come into the parlor and rose from the settee. “I owe it to the marriage to give it another chance.”
Aunt Maureen raised her brows. “And you’ll do that? Give it an honest chance?”
Jana nodded. She’d do just that. If not, why bother with it at all?
“I think it’s better that we try one last time,” Jana said. “As Brandon says, if it still doesn’t work at least we’ll know we tried to do the right thing.”
Maureen nodded. “It will be easier to explain…later on.”
Doubt swept through Jana, but she pushed on.
“You’ll take care of everything here?” she asked. She’d discussed it with her aunt already and she’d agreed, but Jana felt she had to ask one last time.
“I’m ready for some rest, some solitude.” Maureen gestured toward the window. “The sunsets here are glorious, at times. I want to try and capture them on canvas. I have books to read and poetry to write. I’ll be fine, dear. Don’t give it a thought.”
“I’ll come visit every day,” Jana told her.
Maureen smiled gently. “I understand.”
Jana took one last look around, then drew in a breath. “Well, I’d better go.”
She pinned on her hat and found her handbag as the servants took her trunk out the door.
“I’ll see to it the rest of your things are packed and sent over tomorrow,” Maureen promised, then as if reading Jana’s thoughts added, “Don’t worry. I won’t let any of our staff go to the house. Someone from the hotel will deliver your things.”
Jana rushed to her aunt and gave her a quick hug. “If anything happens—anything at all—let me know. Day or night. Don’t hesitate.”
“Of course, dear,” Aunt Maureen promised.
With a final hug and peck on the cheek, Jana left the suite and set off yet again for her new life with Brandon.
When she arrived at the house on West Adams, Jana instructed the hansom driver to place her trunk on the front porch. Somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to have it taken inside just yet. She wanted to talk to Brandon first, be sure they both understood their arrangement.
Parts of it he wouldn’t like. She was sure of it.
And if they reached an agreement on their unorthodox arrangement, today—though only a few hours were left in it—would count as day one. Twenty-nine to go.
“Good evening, Mrs. Sayer,” Charles greeted her as she stepped into the vestibule. He eyed the trunk, but didn’t say anything.
“Good evening, Charles,” Jana said, glancing around, expecting to see Brandon waiting. It wasn’t quite six o’clock, her designated arrival time, so she was a bit early. “Would you tell him I’m here, please?”
“Mr. Sayer isn’t home.”
A knot jerked in Jana’s stomach. “He’s not here?” she asked, hearing the accusation in her voice. Though only she was supposed to be home by six, she expected Brandon to be here also, under the circumstances.
Charles cast his gaze away. “No, ma’am.”
“I see.” Jana drew herself up. “Cook is preparing supper?”
“Yes, ma’am. Seven o’clock, as always.”
“Of course. Seven o’clock.” How could she have forgotten Brandon’s designated supper hour?
“Shall I have Cook prepare you some refreshment?” Charles asked.
“No, thank you.” Jana removed her hat and passed it to the butler along with her handbag. “That’s all, Charles. Thank you.”
He dipped his head slightly and crept away.
Jana moved through the still house, switching on lights as she went. The fixtures had been built for both gas and electricity. Tonight, the electrical current flowed smoothly, making the more reliable gas jets unnecessary.
In the parlor, the light cast a harsh glare on the half-papered walls and reflected off the white furniture shrouds. The smell of paint hung faintly in the air. Jana stood in the center of the room, turning to take it all in.
Good gracious, had she really picked out this wallpaper, this paint color? And the mural on the ceiling. A hunting scene? Hideous. What had she been thinking?
Her thinking had been just fine fourteen months ago, she suddenly remembered. But no one had been interested in her opinion.
The color samples, fabric and wallpaper swatches were piled in a heap on the shrouded settee. Jana sat down and immersed herself in them, her mind filling with ideas that would do this room justice. She lost track of the time until, vaguely, she heard a clock chime the hour once more. Seven o’clock.
Seven o’clock and no Brandon. Jana rose from the settee and went to the vestibule. She peeked out. Gaslights burned on West Adams Boulevard. The trolley had stopped for the night, but carriages made their way up and down the street.
No sign of Brandon.
At seven-thirty, Jana went to the dining room, ate alone, then returned to the parlor. At eight-fifteen Brandon arrived home. She went to meet him.
“You’re here. Good,” he said, passing his bowler and satchel to Charles, and striding across the foyer to where she waited. He looked rushed, hurried, distracted.
“I ate supper already,” Jana told him, just for something to say.
He frowned. “You know I prefer we eat together. Well, no matter—this time. I saw your trunk outside. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. Have it brought inside and—”
“We need to talk first.”
Brandon stopped, seemed confused for a moment, then nodded. “Well, all right.”
She trailed along behind him as he strode to his office. He flipped through a stack of envelopes on his desk, then glanced up.
“So, you’re staying,” he said. “Good. We can—”
“For thirty days,” Jana pointed out. “I’ll give it a month. That’s our agreement. Unless, of course, at some point you change your mind.”
Brandon frowned. “I have no intention of changing my mind.”
“Fourteen months have passed,” Jana said. “You might realize too much is different now.”
“Nothing’s different,” he insisted.
“It was your idea that we try again,” Jana said. “If you find that it’s a mistake, I won’t hold you to the agreement. I think that’s only fair.”
“Fine, then.” Brandon went to the door, called for Charles, then instructed him to have Jana’s trunk taken to her room.
When he turned to Jana again, his expression changed. It was subtle, unnoticeable to anyone who didn’t know him well. Darker eyes, deeper breathing.
She knew what it meant.
“Shall we go…upstairs?” he asked, his voice low.
Jana didn’t answer. He walked beside her through the hallway, up the wide curving staircase, down the carpeted corridor to the suite of rooms they’d occupied as husband and wife.
Jana opened her door and walked inside, feeling the heat of Brandon’s body behind her. She hadn’t delivered all her conditions for staying yet. She’d saved the last one for now because she intended to deliver it at this time and at this place, so as to leave no question in Brandon’s mind.
She swung around to face him. “Where are you going?”
Brandon stopped short in the doorway. His gaze darted past her, then landed on her again, looking slightly confused.
“Your room is next door, if I recall,” she said.
He frowned, as if still not understanding. “But this is your room, and here is where we always used to…you know.”
“Well, there will be no ‘you knowing’ between us,” Jana informed him.
Color drained from his face. “But…”
“Not for thirty days, anyway.”
“Thirty days?”
“It’s the trial period you agreed to,” she reminded him.
“Yes, but I didn’t think you meant we couldn’t—”
“Our lives are too unsettled,” Jana said. “We wouldn’t want to complicate them further.”
“But—I—”
“Good night, Brandon.”
“But—”
She closed the door in his face.
Chapter Four
A brisk knock and the door easing open brought Jana fully awake. She pushed herself up, holding the bedcovers over her breasts, and tossed her dark hair over her shoulder.
Brandon? Her heart thumped harder, jolting her. Was Brandon entering her room? Last night she’d forbidden him to enter and he’d respected her wishes. But now at dawn, had he changed his mind?
Jana squinted across the room and blinked the sleep from her eyes, bringing into focus the figure of a young woman, not her husband, entering her bedchamber.
“Abbie? Is that you?”
“Yes, Mrs. Sayer. Good morning,” the maid replied crossing to the bed.
Jana sat up, genuinely pleased by something in this house for the first time since her arrival.
“Good gracious,” Jana said, “I can’t believe it’s really you. You’re still here?”
Abbie smiled, a warm familiar smile, looking equally pleased. “Yes, ma’am. I’m still here. After all this time.”
“But—how? Why? I thought you’d be long gone.”
The young woman—not much older than Jana—had been her maid when she’d first arrived here as Brandon’s new wife. Abbie didn’t look any different, dark curls barely contained in her white cap, gray uniform with crisp apron, a pleasant smile on her face. Abbie had been Jana’s lifeline, at times, during that tumultuous period.
