“NICHOLAS!” Eleanor came quickly to her feet as the three men entered the drawing room of Nicholas’ London townhouse.

Reggie stood up more slowly, her eyes narrowing. There were men on either side of her husband. “Uncle James, is this your doing?”

“I just happened to come across him, sweet.”

“Well, you can just take him back to wherever you just happened to come across him,” she said tightly. “He’s not welcome here.”

“Regina!” Eleanor gasped.

Reggie crossed her arms over her chest, stubbornly refusing to look at Nicholas’ aunt. She had become very close to Eleanor in the last months, had even come to love her. But no one, not her relatives or his, was going to make Reggie accept a man who had been forcibly brought back. The humiliation of that was almost as bad as the desertion.

Nicholas studied Regina covertly, pretending he was looking at his aunt. He felt like smashing his fist into something, anything. He also felt like weeping. Look at her! She evidently knew about his parentage, knew and despised him for it. He saw it in the hard set of her lips; the stiff, unyielding line of her posture.

So, Miriam had told her. Well and good. If she hated the thought of being married to a bastard, it was what she deserved for forcing him into the marriage.

Nicholas’ being brought home in the hands of her uncle had made him forget that he’d made up his mind to return and had wanted to make amends. He had, in fact, forgotten everything except his fury.

“Not welcome here, madame?” Nicholas said softly. “Am I mistaken, or does this house belong to me?”

Her eyes met his for the first time. Good Lord, she’d forgotten how devastating were those sherry-gold eyes. And he looked wonderful, his skin deeply tanned, his hair brightly sun-streaked. But she couldn’t allow him to cast his spell over her.

“You forget, sir, that you refused to share a house with me. To be specific, you gave me your home.”

“Silverley, not my townhouse. And what the bloody hell have you done to this house?” he demanded, looking around at all the new furniture and floral wallpaper.

Reggie smiled innocently, her voice sweet. “Why, Nicholas, don’t you like it? Of course, you weren’t here to help me decorate, but I was very frugal with your money. It only cost you four thousand pounds.”

James quickly turned around to hide his mirth. Conrad suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Only Eleanor frowned. The two young people were now glaring at each other.

“Nicholas, is this any way to greet your wife after seven months?”

“What are you doing here, Aunt Ellie?”

“And is that any way to greet me?” His expression did not soften. She sighed. “If you must know, this house is so big I thought Regina could use my company. It wasn’t right, your wife living here alone.”

“I left her at Silverley!” he thundered.

“Don’t you dare shout at Ellie!” Reggie shouted at him. “And you go live at Silverley with Miriam. I like it fine right here.”

“I think we will both return to Silverley,” he said in a cold voice, “now that I have no reason to avoid my mother anymore.”

“Unacceptable.”

“I wasn’t asking your permission. A husband doesn’t need his wife’s permission—for anything,” he said harshly.

She gasped at the meaning. “You have relinquished all rights,” she said fiercely.

He smiled. “Not relinquished. Just refrained from using… until now. After all, your family has gone to so much trouble to bring us together again, I certainly don’t want to disappoint them,” he said cruelly.

“Lady Reggie,” an older woman servant interrupted from the doorway. “It’s time.”

“Thank you, Tess.” Reggie dismissed the nurse with a nod, then turned to James and Conrad and said, “I know you meant well, but you will understand if I don’t thank you for your trouble.”

“You did say you could manage very well, Regan,” James reminded her.

She smiled for the first time since their arrival. It was her old impish grin, and she gave both men a hug and kiss. “So I did. And so I will. Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I must see to my son.”

James and Conrad burst into great gales of laughter as Reggie left the room. Her husband stood stock-still, rooted to the floor, his mouth open, a look of complete stupefaction on his face.

“What did I tell you, Connie?” James roared. “Is the look on his face worth all the trouble he put us through or is it not?”