Hudson considered her, that heavy brow of his tightening. “No...you are correct, and it should not be a problem.”
“Perhaps we make a ritual of it? Or a habit, for want of a better word,” she joked. “Seeing as the goal here is to create a marriage in which we can stand to be around one another, should we not make it a more common practice to spend more time together?”
“I think...” Again, a pause as he looked at her. It was a longer pause this time, and his eyes never once left her. Florentia tried to meet them but for some reason she found it difficult, suddenly stricken by how serious his stare was... and how enchanting.This might be easier if I didn’t find him so handsome. Better a comely husband I can be friends with, than a gorgeous one who despises me.“Yes,” he said finally. “I agree. Breakfast and supper together each day is a good idea, and I welcome it.”
Florentia resisted the urge to blow through her lips, frustrated by how formal and businesslike his statement was. She didn’t, because she was beginning to understand that this was just who her husband was. Better than that, she suspected that when he spoke this way to her, it was done out of nervousness, a desire not to say the wrong thing or give anything away.
“I look forward to it,” she said.
“As do I,” he agreed.
A moment passed between them. Subtle. Brought about by the silence that followed their declaration. Neither seemed to know what to do or say next, which left them to look expectantly at theother. Florentia studied her husband in that brief moment, again taken by his ruggedness, his dark eyes especially, and the way they…
What was that?
She felt herself flush just a touch because she could have sworn she saw his eyes wander from her eyes to her lips. She could have sworn she saw a glimmer in them too, a desire behind them that might be expected from a husband but certainly not from Hudson. She smiled coyly, looking away as if embarrassed, glancing back again and meeting his eyes and forcing him to hold them.Is that…certainly not. Is there a chance that my husband desires me? And why does that excite me?
“Good day,” Hudson said quickly and rose. “I shall see you later this evening.”
“Looking forward to it,” she called after him, and while she may have imagined it, she could have sworn she saw a glimmer of a smile cross his lips.
The rest of the day, however, served as a quick reminder for Florentia of why she had been so desperate to spend time with her husband in the first place. Seeing him of a morning and once in the evening was all well and good, but outside of those times, she had so little to do with herself that she could hardly stand it.
There were no more rooms to redecorate. The orangery was still in the early days of construction, and she sensed the builders were getting annoyed by her interference.
She was not in the mood to go riding, nor did she feel like being cooped up with a book on such a lovely day. Again, it made her reflect on what this marriage was really about, where its future most likely lay, and again she wondered if a simple friendship with the man with whom she was set to spend the rest of her life was going to be enough.
I need more from him. Not a husband who spends time with me because he thinks he is supposed to, but one who wants to spend time with me because he enjoys it. Although the duke enjoying such a thing as that...she could not help but laugh.
Florentia thus spent most of the day walking about the manor idly, not sure what to do with herself or how to do it. So bored was she, and so unaware, that soon she found herself walking in the direction of her husband’s office. The door was open, she did not realize it, and thus wandered past at a slower than usual pace.
“Florentia!” she heard her name called out.
She pulled herself to a stop and looked back, peering around the doorway like a timid cat as she suddenly realized where she was. “Y—yes?”
“What are you doing?” He was sitting at his desk, mounds of paper in front of him, looking tired and worn and a little grumpy.
“Oh...nothing exciting, I assure you,” she chuckled. “Just going for a walk.”
“Inside?” he frowned.
“It would appear so.” She clicked her tongue, noting the confusion on her husband’s face. “I am sorry to disturb you, however. I was not paying attention and did not realize where I was.”
“It is fine,” he said without emotion. “The truth is, I am glad for the momentary distraction. My eyes...” He shook his head and sighed. “It feels as if they are bleeding.”
“I have heard that can be quite bad for you.”
“I imagine it would be.”
A beat passed between them and Florentia had a most daring idea. “Say...you are right, that me walking about inside is odd.”
“I never said that.”
“It was implied,” she said with a cheeky smile. “And I agree with you. The day is a gorgeous one, and it is wasted indoors, is my thinking. I also cannot help but imagine how much of a grump you will become if your eyes do in fact start bleeding from their sockets.”
“That is impossible, Florentia. I was merely speaking with exaggeration.”
“Nonetheless, I do not think the risk is worth it. Thus, I propose a walk. For both of us.” She raised both eyebrows at him. “Nothing too adventurous, I assure you. A jaunt about the back garden only. What do you say?”
