Her lips parted as she gazed at him in shock, and he drew himself up, the cold superiority coming back into his gaze.
“Now sit down,” he commanded, and his tone brooked no opposition. “Sit down, get warm, and don’t go jumping into any more rivers! Even if it isn’t too cold today, the undercurrent is very powerful and with your dress, it could have water-logged you and pulled you under, making it very hard for you to escape. Speaking of which, we better get you out of that dress right away, before you catch your death.”
His eyes swept over her once more, and she felt suddenly self-conscious. She hadn’t realized how entirely exposed she was with her wet undergarments sticking to her. She folded her arms in front of her again, embarrassment tingeing her cheeks red.
A small smile licked up the side of his mouth as he saw her try to cover herself.
“Don’t worry,” he cooed, his voice as soft as velvet. “Nothing I haven’t seen before. I’m a rake, remember?”
And with that, he turned and strode out of the room. As the door slammed shut, he heard him shouting for more firewood to be brought to the parlor, as well as hot tea, food and a change of clothes for the duchess.
Leah, meanwhile, continued to stare at the closed door, her mouth agape. She had never felt so confused in her life. On the one hand, he seemed to want nothing to do with her. On the other hand, he considered herhis.She had no idea what to think or feel. All she knew was that every time she remembered his words, she felt as if her whole body was melting.
And that didn’t bode well for a marriage that was supposed to remain chaste and affectionless.
Chapter Fourteen
“Thank God you are here!” Leah cried, as she threw her arms around Vivian. “I was afraid you would never come!”
“It’s only been a few weeks,” Vivian said, a little huffily, as she hugged Leah back. “And it’s customary to give newlyweds some privacy during their honeymoon.”
Leah released her friend just in time to catch the small smirk on her friend’s face. A few days ago, this smirk would have depressed Leah more than she cared to admit. Now, she wondered just how much her friend understood about men--and more specifically, the Duke of Nottington.
He was a mystery to her, but ever since his reaction to her swimming, she had been left with the strange feeling that his feelings for her were not entirely those of hatred, resentment, or bitterness.
And she needed an expert on men to give her some advice.
“If you are looking for sordid tales,” Leah said, “you won’t get them from me.”
“Of course not,” Vivian said with a mischievous smile. “You are a lady.”
“Well, and also…” Leah looked around the parlor where she had greeted her friend, who had just arrived from London. She knew she should let Vivian go upstairs and change, perhaps have a bath, but she couldn’t wait. She needed to know her friend’s opinion.
Leah took Vivian’s hand and sat down on the settee, drawing her friend down with her. Glancing once more around to make sure there were no servants listening, she leaned forward and murmured, “The Duke and I have not… had that kind of honeymoon.”
“What kind of honeymoon?” Vivian asked, clearly confused.
“The baby-making kind. The Duke does not want children,” Leah said, her stomach plummeting, as it always did when she remembered this. “Therefore he would prefer us not to live as husband and wife.”
It was gratifying, at least, to see the look of utter shock on her friend’s face, followed quickly by anger.
“But then he shouldn’t have married you!” Vivian cried at once. “It is a cruel and unusual torture to condemn you to an affectionless marriage without children. Worse, \ it could be grounds for Lord Dubois to ask for an annulment!”
“Which is why no one must know,” Leah said, giving her friend a meaningful look. “You are the only person I am telling. And you must keep it a secret.”
“Of course, I will not tell anyone,” Vivian said at once. “Not even my husband. But my dear… You must be devastated.”
Leah swallowed. “Yes, I am devastated. Disappointed. But I am also confused. Something happened the other day, and it seems to contradict what the Duke has said he wants from our marriage.”
And she quickly told Vivian about everything that had happened with the swim in the river, giving some context too about how things had been between her and the Duke beforehand. She finished the story with the Duke’s final outburst, his declaration that she was his and that he couldn’t let Lord Dubois have her.
“What does it mean?” she asked, watching her friend’s face carefully for any reaction. “Does he despise me? Care for me as a friend? Or is there something more?”
Vivian, meanwhile, had begun to smile, but it was a cryptic smile that Leah couldn’t interpret.
“What?” she asked at once. “You know something! Tell me what it means.”
“I don’t know exactly,” Vivian said carefully. “But men can get that way sometimes.”
