And the thought of bedding her—every night—made him twitch with anxiety. The act was dull and dutiful, and every time he did the deed with her, he felt…empty. Especially when he compared the occasions with the times he’d been with a woman before he was married. Those nights had been filled with joy and sweat and rapture.
Constantine could imagine his wife’s reaction—horror, revulsion, and perhaps even tears. Not that he recalled her crying on any occasion. She had, however, seemed close a time or two, particularly on their disastrous wedding night. Just thinking of that made him cringe.
No, he couldn’t envision her appreciating a passionate advance from him. She’d never once given any inkling that she wanted him or felt any attraction or desire toward him. If she had, what would he have done?
There was no point in wondering. They were currently faced with a duty, and they would meet it. Perhaps now that she was demanding him to visit her, she would be more amenable to the act? He simply couldn’t imagine it. But then he never would have imagined her behavior last night either.
He had to admit he wanted to shut his father up about having an heir. The duke had recently begun to badger him about whether his countess was capable of giving him a son. He’d also noted that she and Constantine didn’t spend enough time together to give the matter the appropriate attention and effort.
Oh hell, was the duke behind Lady Aldington’s sudden change of behavior?
Constantine slowed his mount as he reached the end of the track. His father was an overbearing, meddling authoritarian. Of course he was behind this. Constantine should have seen his manipulation straightaway. He’d simply been too astounded at her sudden arrival. And by the way she’d cared for him. Seeing her never failed to steal his breath, and her touch had driven a stake of keen yearning straight through him.
He’d been too long without a woman. If only he’d been able to alleviate his needs last night with the courtesan.
Scowling to himself and eager for another bruising ride along the track, he turned his horse only to see his brother riding toward him.
“Morning, Con,” Lucien greeted with a wide smile that always seemed genuine, no matter the time of day or occasion.
“I’m exercising.” He sounded terse, and he didn’t care.
“As genial as ever. I’ll race you to the other end then.”
They’d been competitive about a great many things throughout their lives, but riding was something at which neither was better than the other. Sometimes Lucien won and sometimes Constantine did. “Yes.”
The word barely left Constantine’s lips before Lucien raced forward.
Muttering a curse, Constantine kicked his horse into a full gallop. It took him nearly the entire length of the track, but he ultimately overtook his younger brother and emerged the victor.
“Feeling better?” Lucien asked after they’d walked their horses for a few minutes.
“Yes, thank you. It always feels good to win.”
Letting out a sharp laugh, Lucien cast him a sidelong look from atop his horse as they walked beside each other. “I let you win to improve your mood.”
Constantine snorted. “You never let anyone win, not even for the sake of someone’s mental state.”
“Do I need to be concerned about your mental state?”
“No.” Despite the fact that his mind could not fully comprehend his wife’s sudden change in behavior. Or that she wanted him to bed her every night. For the purpose of having a child—he mustn’t forget that was all she wanted.
This predicament wouldn’t confound Lucien. Hell, it never would have happened in the first place. Lucien would have successfully seduced his wife on their wedding night, if his reputation as an accomplished and sought-after lover was to be believed. Constantine tried not to pay too close attention. Such things should be private.
Aside from his reputation, Lucien was known for helping people. Constantine knew that from personal experience since he’d been eager to provide assistance when Constantine had decided to take a mistress.
“Are you certain I needn’t be concerned?” Lucien asked, keeping his voice low, since there were other riders about, not that any of them were close enough to overhear them. “I heard what happened last night. I apologize for the confusion.”
“Confusion? You promised me secrecy and absolute discretion. Now I must worry whether Overton or his young ward will tell anyone they saw me.”
Lucien shook his head with a half smile. “You’re daft if you’re worried about that. Why would they endanger their own reputations?”
While Constantine assumed they would not, the encounter still didn’t sit well with him. “I don’t like that they know I was there. It will make things extremely uncomfortable. Especially since I saw what they were doing. I can’t believe Overton has fallen so far as to take advantage of his ward.”
“They are in love, actually,” Lucien said with more than a hint of exasperation. “And currently on their way to Gretna Green where they will be wed.” He pinned Constantine with an expectant stare. “Don’t you possess even a tiny shard of romanticism in your cold, black heart?”
His heart wasn’t cold or black. It just wasn’t terribly…alive. Not since he’d lost the only person who’d ever loved him fifteen years ago.
“I do,” Constantine said defensively, even as he felt the tiniest tinge of envy for Overton and his ward. “Lady Aldington arrived last night.” He blurted the revelation without any thought.
Lucien blinked in surprise. “I didn’t realize you were expecting her.”
“I wasn’t.” Constantine sealed his lips together lest he share anything else without thinking, such as the reason for her arrival.
“You don’t seem enthused,” Lucien observed. “Would you rather she’d stayed at Hampton Lodge?”
“Of course not. She should be in London for the Season.”
“I should think she ought to be in London to be with her husband.” Lucien spoke lightly but with an edge of concern that only dredged up Constantine’s sour mood. He hated when his brother tried to meddle—it was bad enough when their father did.
“Mind your own business,” Constantine muttered.
“There’s my surly brother.” Lucien laughed. “One of these days I’m going to wedge that stick out of your ass, and you are going to feel so much better.”
“I need to get to Westminster.” Constantine turned his horse.
“Have a splendid day!” Lucien called after him.
As he rode from the park, Constantine pushed his brother’s cheerfulness out of his mind. For a man who’d fought in Portugal and been sent home after being injured, he was particularly pleasant. And that was in spite of their father’s badgering. The duke looked for every opportunity to question why Lucien wasn’t still fighting, since his injury hadn’t caused any lasting effects.
Constantine guided his horse into the mews and dismounted. “Excellent ride, Zephyr,” he murmured before declining the groom’s assistance. He generally liked to care for his horses when he had the time, which wasn’t often when he was in town. Since his encounter with Lucien had cut his riding time short, he took advantage. Brushing Zephyr soothed Constantine’s agitation, and by the time he walked into the house, he was feeling better than he had all day. He’d just go upstairs to change before heading to Westminster.