“You will be staying in London for the rest of the year?” Julia asked.

Emma sighed. “That’s what he says.”

“Guy did say he spends all his time in London. I should have warned you.” Julia lounged back against the sofa, hardly the image of the elegant duchess she was now meant to be. After over a year of marriage Julia had not changed one bit. She was headstrong and passionate about the countryside and animals. It seemed Guy was intent on encouraging her passion.

Unfortunately for Emma, her own husband did not seem to care so much about what Emma liked or wanted to do. London held no excitement for her and she wanted to be near her family.

“He seemed determined we should stay in Town. He loathes the countryside.” Emma addressed Julia. “Do you know why?”

Julia lifted a shoulder. “He grew up in Berkshire. But his parents died when he was attending Oxford. Guy says he rarely went home after that, and now avoids it altogether.”

“You shall have to persuade him otherwise.” Catherine snatched up a biscuit from the table in the middle of the drawing room of Morgan’s townhouse.

Not Morgan’s, though. Theirs now. Emma wrinkled her nose. She was not sure she wanted a townhouse.

Her mama pressed her fingers together. “I shall miss you so. It’s going to be too quiet with your father always gone. Though”—a smile crossed her lips—“how jealous everyone shall be. Four daughters married and to titled men no less.”

“Mama, you should not boast,” scolded Amelia.

Mama straightened. “Everyone said you were all too freckled and red to marry, but I always told them otherwise.”

Amelia shook her head and shared a look with Emma. As much as their mother loved them, she had often complained that the only one to take after her in looks was Lavinia—who had been the first to marry a handsome Scottish laird.

“You certainly should not boast of my marriage, Mama. Everyone will know it was to cover a scandal by now,” Emma said.

“Oh shush.” Mama waved a hand at her. “I will not hear another word about scandal. The deed is done now and you are a countess.”

Countess. How odd the word sounded. It had been hard enough to get used to her sisters being titled, let alone herself. With their heads filled with the idea of them being far too bluestocking to attract a husband—and well, frankly, their own interests—none of them had thought such a thing would be possible.

Emma suppressed a sigh. Julia and Amelia had love, though. That was the main difference between them. That, and their own passions. Emma had always envied them that. It seemed no matter what she tried, she could not find one that she liked or was good at. Painting had been terrible. Singing and song writing even worse. Her poetry has been dismal. Her last attempt at card tricks had been to no avail. Even Catherine had astronomy. Emma...well, she had nothing.

Catherine gave Emma a nudge with her elbow. “Don’t be sad, Emma, you can persuade him to stay in the country. I am certain of it. No one says no to the Chadwick girls, just ask Julia and Amelia.”

Julia lifted her chin. “Guy sometimes says no.”

“As does Nicholas,” Amelia added.

“Liars.” Catherine stuck out her tongue at Julia who rolled her eyes. “Julia managed to persuade Guy to give up on his plans for a mill with our help. I am sure we can convince Lord Radcliff he needs to remain in Hampshire.”

“Oh, he could rent the Langmarsh estate.” Mama’s face lit up. “It is quite grand and I hear it will be up to let by the end of the month.”

“And it is only a short carriage ride away from us,” Catherine added.

“I am one step ahead of you,” Emma announced. “I have made a deal with Lord Radcliff...I mean Morgan.”

“A deal?” Catherine leaned in. “Do tell?”

“If I cannot persuade him he can enjoy the countryside when we come to stay with Julia, then I shall drop the subject altogether.”

“And he agreed to this?” Julia frowned.

Emma nodded.

“You must have been quite aggravating.” Julia grinned.

Emma could not help but giggle. Their first morning together had not gone as she had planned. After his rejection of her the previous night and a restless sleep, she had been determined to prove herself excellent wifely material. After all, she had failed at everything else she had done. Perhaps marriage would be the one thing she could do right. But after the shock of knowing they must remain in London and his refusal to even consider the idea of going to the country, that determination had withered away.

“A little perhaps.” Emma shook her head. “Oh dear, I am going to make a terrible wife.”

“Not at all. You will do a wonderful job. It is always an adjustment, even for those of us who expected to become a wife.” Amelia reached over from her position opposite and grasped Emma’s hand.

The oldest of them all, Amelia had always tried to be their guiding hand. She had failed many a time but Emma took comfort from her sister’s care nonetheless.

“Oh yes,” Julia agreed. “Guy and I fought terribly for the first few weeks of marriage. Of course, we found ways to make up afterwards.” Julia wiggled her brows.

“Julia!” Their mother scolded.

Julia made a dismissive sound. “We are all grown-ups, are you not?”

“Catherine is not yet married.” Mama wagged a finger at her.

“I’m still a grown-up,” Catherine reminded her. “And I am not an imbecile. I know all about that stuff, thank you very much.”

Mama pressed a hand to her chest. “Why you girls insist on being so scandalous and aggravating I shall never know. You certainly do not take after me. It is all your father’s fault. If he were around more often, this sort of talk would never happen.”

Emma was the first to admit that having grown up with four sisters and a mostly absent father had created a somewhat bohemian atmosphere in the Chadwick house. It was probably why she loathed the rigid atmosphere of London.

“Well he isn’t here, Mama,” Amelia said. “So it’s a bit unfair to blame him.”

Their mother made a dismissive sound. “He does not have to deal with such unruly girls.”

“And here we thought you were going to miss us all,” Julia said dryly.