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Richard turned and stomped out, heading down the passage. He let himself out into the garden and crossed over to enter the mews, where he found the taller John standing at the entrance.

How did I think I would fool Sophia into thinking these rumpled guardsmen were actual footmen?

She would need to be blind and stupid not to notice something amiss. He blamed his lack of sleep and stress for his miscalculation of not informing her he had hired additional security.

“Where is her ladyship?” he demanded of the man, vaguely noting the distant sound of men at work in the carriage house.

“Down near the end in one of the stalls, milord.”

Richard’s mood worsened as he looked at the dim interior to the right. What was his wife doing here, and why had he been summoned to see her? He regretted his promise not to drink. He needed one to wash the taste of conflicting tea blends from his mouth.

He stomped down the corridor toward the workrooms at the other end of the mews, where he heard a woman talking, stopping mid-sentence at the sound of his approaching footsteps. He forced himself to relax his face into more pleasant lines before walking into the stall to unearth what this summons to the stables could possibly mean.

Where he came face-to-face with the one person he had been dreading he would encounter this Season.

“Annabel!” He winced. How was he meant to address her? “I mean … Your Grace.” He bowed stiffly.

“Annabel is acceptable.”

Richard pulled a face before looking around to find his wife standing to the side with a sheepish expression on her blushing face. “What is this, Sophia?”

“I asked Annabel—Her Grace—Annabel …” Sophia ground to a halt.

“Your wife informed me of your heroics last evening, Richard. She asked me if I would visit today so you could say what you needed to say. According to her, a conversation with me would ease some of your troubles.”

Richard shot a look at his traitorous wife, who was studying her slippers in chagrin. “I see.”

“I thought it would help.” Sophia’s voice was but a whisper.

“Why in the stables?”

“If I may?” Annabel interjected with an amused smile. Richard turned back to face her, finding it difficult to meet her eye, so his gaze settled on the brick wall behind her shoulder. “I would not come otherwise. I have waited for your apology for some time now, and I thought it would be appropriate to pick up the conversation where we left off. These are different stables, of course, but I think it lends an air of authenticity to the completion of this discussion.”

Shame, irritation, and resentment squirmed in his belly. He wanted to turn and run, but he would merely look foolish. Eventually, he would need to admit that he had made a horrendous mistake with the woman standing in front of him. Richard huffed in defeat.

“All right. I suppose I owe you an apology, and you are in your rights to demand the time and place, considering …”

Sophia interrupted. “I will be standing right outside while you talk.” She hastily walked out of the stall to stand a few feet away, a nervous air about her as she folded her arms to wait.

Richard turned back to find the girl whom he had known since he was a lad and who had matured into a lady of elegance. Annabel had developed into a self-assured duchess of the realm while still retaining that spirited, intelligent glint in her brandy eyes.

He thought about what Sophia had pointed out earlier that day. How could he ever have believed he could fool this woman regarding his indulgent habits if they had married? Even two years earlier, it now made sense that he had been making decisions that would eventually sabotage the unprincipled life he had led and force him to become honest. Somewhere deep in his heart, he must have sought to change his path. But what he had done to Annabel was … There were no words adequate to describe how deeply he had betrayed the woman who was once his friend. His chest constricted with the burden of guilt he was carrying.

“I … am … sorry.”

Richard was surprised to discover that a small piece of the weight chipped off, and he found his thoughts began to clear. “I am sorry I misled you into thinking I planned on having a genuine marriage with you.”

More weight lifted, his breathing deepened, and air rushed into his lungs. “I am sorry I betrayed you with someone you cared about.”

The sheer relief at his words made him feel light-headed. “I am sorry that I showed no remorse.”

Finally, he shifted his gaze to look her in the eye. “My deepest apologies that I failed to respect your wishes or allow you control over your destiny when I refused to cancel the wedding.”

Annabel smiled widely at him. “Admit you feel better.”

Richard returned her smile, feeling ten years younger at that moment. “I do.”

“Good! I am glad you did everything you did because it led me to Philip. But I also knew you needed to say this. To accept responsibility for your actions, and that is why I remained firm on the point.”