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“I had not expected you to visit so soon.”
She let out a breath. “I was dreadfully bored, with little to do, Papa. The estate is run with frightening efficiency, and I fear I am at a loss with a day of complete leisure.”
The corner of his eyes crinkled as he chuckled. “Your life will doubtless be much different. You must now host balls, soirees, and luncheons. And attend operas and masquerades with His Grace. You have been running this household for a very long time, my girl, ensuring all our needs are met. You must now do so for your own home, albeit in a different way. Victoria and I will manage splendidly in your absence.”
She sighed gustily. “I wanted to see Sebastian this morning, Papa, to discuss the renovation of Stonehaven. But when I left at noon he was still secluded in his library, working.”
“No, no. That won’t be necessary.”
“Papa?”
“The Duke‘s solicitor paid me a visit this morning. It is all settled.”
“Oh?”
She shifted to fully face her father. She barely glanced at Victoria when she came in with Mrs. Winthrop and the refreshments. Her father was silent as he waited for the housekeeper to serve them.
Jocelyn tapped her foot impatiently. “What do you mean his solicitor visited this morning?” she burst out after Mrs. Winthrop had departed. “Sebastian did not mention such a thing to me.”
“Sit down, dear,” he said to Victoria. “This interests you, as well.”
Jocelyn bit her lip, glowering at her father. Then she sat stunned as her father told them the details of the solicitor’s visit.
Well, she thought in astonishment when he was finished. It seemed she must have pleased her husband, after all.
…
“Are you very disappointed that he did not share the financial settlements with you?”
Jocelyn glanced up from a bench in her mama’s favorite garden. Its dark, luxurious beauty dotted with snow had done little to soothe her. She had visited with the twins and Emily, an occasion that had put her unease at bay for a while. But it had flared to life the minute she was alone. She had come outside to clear her head, feeling suffocated under the curious stares of her father and sister.
Her smile was strained. “Not really. I do feel odd that he wouldn’t discuss something so important with me. But I realize I do not know him. He may not have thought it necessary to discuss it with me. I must remember we’ve only been wed for one day.”
Victoria clasped her hand as she sat beside her. “Oh, Jocelyn, I could scarcely believe what Papa was saying. His Grace bestowed one hundred thousand pounds upon Papa for your hand! And Emily, Emma, and I are practically heiresses! Why do you think he provided dowries for us, or allowed Papa to partake in his latest investment scheme?”
Jocelyn was just as mystified. “I do not know. I had planned to speak with him today about restoring Stonehaven. We hardly had time for any discussions yesterday. Everything happened in such a whirlwind.”
“Not even when you returned?”
“Especially then!” Jocelyn giggled at the scandalized gape that Victoria gave her. “I am so grateful to him. I came to him with no dowry but he made such generous settlements. Now I won’t have to worry about any of you. And, Victoria, You can have a wonderful season! And I will be there as Duchess of Calydon to sponsor you into society.”
“What will be the first event you will host, Jocelyn?” her sister asked, gripping Jocelyn’s hands and practically vibrating with excitement.
“At first I thought of a winter ball. But I am unsure where to start planning a grand event like that. Then I realized that Christmas is only four weeks away. I would love for us all to be under one roof as a family. So, I’ve decided I will hold a family dinner.”
Victoria squealed, clapping her hands with glee. “That would be wonderful, to dine at the magnificent Sherring Cross. The twins and Emily will be so excited to have a magnificent Christmas dinner.”
They looked wistfully around the gardens, sharing the same thought—a memory of their last Christmas dinner with their mother. They had never had another since, and it was something they had both always yearned for.
“Oh, Jocelyn,” Victoria breathed. “It will be a beautiful holiday.”
“I believe it will be, sister.” Jocelyn kept smiling through a twinge of unbidden foreboding. “I truly hope it will be.”
…
Jocelyn arrived back at Sherring Cross in time for the evening meal. The journey home had taken a couple of hours, though it had seemed much shorter with the riot of thoughts that had consumed her the whole way home.
She dressed for dinner in her finest evening gown that had a low waist and bared the rounded slopes of her breasts. Rose had done up her hair in an intricate Grecian knot, saying it highlighted the graceful arch of Her Grace’s neck.
Jocelyn was gratified to see the glitter in Sebastian’s eyes as they sat down to dine. Pigeon soup, roasted duck in butter almond sauce, and wild rice with leeks was the first course.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before she spoke. “I visited my father today.”
“Mrs. Otterbsy informed me of your journey.” He arched a brow in question, and Jocelyn plowed ahead.
“He told me of the settlements you bestowed, and I wanted to thank you.”
Sebastian waved it off. “It is my duty to see to my family’s welfare.”
She stared at him uneasily, and cut into the pigeon. She chewed slowly, watching him as he watched her. A tingle unfurled inside her. From the intensity of his stare, she knew exactly what he was thinking about. A blush heated her cheeks, and she reached for her glass of wine.
“Why did you not discuss with me your decisions?” she asked.
He lowered his fork and regarded her. “It did not concern you.”
“Of course it did. It was about me and my family.”
“I will make a note of that for future reference,” he said coolly.
His tone rang of finality, and she glared at him, stabbing the pigeon with her fork.
“I have sent in an announcement to the papers that we are wed. You can expect droves of callers, and even more invitations. Accept or reject them as you will. Oh, and a modiste from London will be visiting to outfit you with the latest fashions.”
Her back went ramrod straight. “Indeed? I would appreciate that you at least include me in decisions that involve me directly, Sebastian.”
“Do you object to the modiste’s visit, or the announcement of our marriage?”
“No, of course not.” she all but growled at him.
“Then I fail to understand your pique.” He seemed genuinely puzzled.
The man was maddening! “It’s what a married couple does,” she said frostily. “They communicate, and learn to share, and make decisions together.”
“I see.” He lowered his fork completely. “You have been married before, to come by your knowledge?”
She took a sip of her wine, holding his gaze steadily. “No, I have not been married before. Nor have you. But I feel that to be happy and form a genuine attachment with mutual respect for one another, we must learn to speak openly. It is in the same spirit as your belief that we should have no closed doors between our bedchambers.”
The smile that formed on his lips could have been one of admiration, but she was not completely sure.
“I concede, then. I will strive to be more open with you.”
She cleared her throat. “And I also believe that we should endeavor to be in each other’s company for at least one hour every day.”
He leaned back in the elegantly carved dining chair. “I am confident you will expound on that with little prodding from me.”
She inhaled deeply. “Our first night together was incredible.” Heat suffused her face, but she refused to break eye contact. “It’s something I will always remember. But then today, you shut yourself away from me without a word, even pushing me out when I came to say good morning. I found your behavior
baffling and hurtful.”
His jaw worked. “I see.”
She feared if she stopped now she would never get it all out, and her marriage would be doomed, so she plunged on. “It will not do for us to ignore each other during the day, each busy with some task or other, then fall into pleasure at night. Our marriage would not be based on anything of real substance, don’t you agree? I think an hour is not too much to ask of you.”
