Free To Win His Wayward Wife by Rose Gordon Page A

causing Thomas to exile his breeding countess to Essex. Lizzie would have spent the rest of her days in the country raising Andrew and forgetting all about her previous ties if not for Benjamin’s mother’s adultery with a footman, and presenting her husband with an undeniable cuckoo. The duke had no choice but to accept Benjamin legally, but refused to accept him otherwise. Instead, after his wife ran off with her lover to Italy, he contacted Lizzie and asked her to raise Benjamin in Essex. With no other source of income, she agreed and Benjamin was bundled off to Essex.
    Benjamin and Andrew's respective fathers, the old earl and duke, had demanded they not share company past age five, which led to Benjamin living with his nanny and Lizzie coming to visit him every afternoon. It all sounded rather confusing and convoluted, but when one doesn’t know any different, one grows accustomed to the idea.
    Benjamin knew that Lizzie, who as Andrew once so eloquently put it, was neither his sister on blood nor paper, had a son and since he himself didn’t have a mother, jealous feelings formed.
    Those jealous feelings came to the forefront when they began school and Lizzie informed him he couldn’t acknowledge her in public. He’d sat in silence as he watched the woman he’d grown to love hugged and kissed Andrew goodbye, and not doing more than sending him a small glance. Jealousy gave way to bitterness that night and in all his thirteen year old wisdom, he’d mentioned rumors about Andrew's parentage. Word quickly spread and like Benjamin predicted, Andrew was the outcast at school. However, what he hadn’t counted on was the bullying to become as bad as it had. With some quick thinking and skillful manipulation, Benjamin was able to offer Andrew a cover of protection from a disaster he’d thoughtlessly created.
    Benjamin was fairly certain that to this day Andrew didn’t know Benjamin was the one behind the initial rumors. He’d like to keep it that way, too. He’d created enough problems with his petulant jealousy and any mention of it now would only cause to create more problems that neither of them needed. However, that didn’t help Benjamin’s current jealous state. It only helped to remind him to think before he acted.
    “What are your plans?” Townson asked, bringing him out of his fog.
    “You mean with Madison?” he countered, folding his arms.
    Townson nodded.
    Benjamin blinked back a vision of déjà vu. He remembered having a similar conversation with Townson once, except the roles were reversed. “I’m not sure yet,” he admitted.
    “Would you like some advice?” Townson asked, repositioning Nathan in his arms.
    “Since the general consensus around here is that you’re the best husband there ever was, please,” Benjamin returned somewhat sarcastically.
    Townson grinned. “Well, with you as my competition, I was a shoo in.”
    “Thank you,” Benjamin returned dryly.
    “You’re welcome,” Townson retorted with a smile. “Now, what I was going to suggest is to take it easy with her. She’s not delicate necessarily, but she’s not very trusting, either. That horse’s arse she was courted by in America was one of the worst kinds.”
    “I know,” Benjamin told him solemnly. He remembered his month in Robbie’s company, that was bad enough, who knows how much worse he’d gotten in five year’s time.
    “You do?” Townson asked, not just with his voice, but with his eyes, too.
    “Yes,” Benjamin confirmed. He’d bet he knew more of her situation with Robbie than Townson did. He’d received several rather explicitly detailed letters from Robbie describing his and Madison’s courtship.
    “All right,” Townson said quietly. “Just treat her right, please.”
    “I will,” Benjamin vowed, standing up to take his leave. “I know my actions in the past haven’t always been respectable, but I promise I will do right by her.”
    “See that you do,” Townson said gruffly, his concern