“All perfectly reasonable.”
“Good,” she uttered, her heart beating now because she had one more point that she needed to clarify. For her own sanity, iffor nothing else. “And finally—although it has been suggested—I feel that it needs to be said clearly. This marriage is not and never will be a true marriage.”
At that, the Duke frowned. “I am afraid you lost me. I was under the impression that this was the entire point.”
“No…” Her mouth turned dry, her nerves starting to rise. “The way you spoke of me earlier, the things you said, and how you behaved. That is…” She swallowed, her mouth still dry. “That is to remain outside of these walls. I have no intention of falling for you, and I would hope that you are of the same mind.”
He was still frowning. “Say what you mean, Helena.”
“Once we walk through these doors, you and I are strangers,” she said. “And I would expect this not to change. I do not need you doting on me or lavish gifts and compliments or… or treating me like a damsel in constant need of attention. I am my own person, and I would hope you understand this.”
“Ah, I see.” His blue eyes flashed with mischief, and his smile grew. “Helena, everything I said at the ceremony was performative. I thought you understood that.”
“I do!”
“And yet you seem concerned that I meant it…” Still smirking, he strolled toward her, as confident and assured as ever. She stood her ground, refusing to let him unsettle her. “Perhaps you evenworried that once I had you alone, I might decide to act upon my manly urges. Is that what worries you?”
She took a small step back. “I am not worried.”
“Nor should you be.” He reached her, looked her up and down appraisingly, and licked his lips. “Although I must say, I do rather like this side of you.”
“Wh—what side?”
He shrugged. “The fire and brimstone. I had no idea you were so…” He breathed in purposefully as if he was absorbing her essence. “Tempestuous. I rather like it.”
She swallowed again, her legs starting to tremble. “I… I am just telling you what I expect. Just as I expect you to do as I have asked.”
“Are you sure about that?” Slowly, he reached out, a hand going to her waist. She gasped, and her eyes widened at the implication. “It is our wedding night, you know. And certain things are… What is the word you used?Expected.”
“I… I…”
Helena found that she could hardly talk.. She could feel where his hand rested, the urge to slap it away, unable to because it did not feel nearly as awful as she wanted it to.
Would it be such a bad thing? He was handsome. He was confident and charming. Why was she so against trying to make this marriage work?
“But that simply will not do.” The Duke dropped his hand and took a step back. “And to be honest with you, I could not agree more.”
Helena came back to herself; she took a deep breath that burned her lungs, lurching forward as if ripped from another world. Her head was spinning, her heart was racing, and she felt fury surging through her… aimed in her direction because she could not believe she had allowed the same thing to happen a second time.
“G-Good,” she stammered. “So long as… so long as you are aware.”
“I am,” he laughed. “Although, are you? I am not so sure.”
She fixed him with a glare that wilted pathetically. Nowhere near as dismissive as she needed it to be, and frightfully ineffective.
This conversation was supposed to be a means for her to take back some agency and assert herself and her position. But now she felt worse off than when she had started.
“Do not be absurd,” she snapped. “I am the one who?—”
“Yes, yes,” he said seriously. “You want nothing to do with me. Careful, wife, you are starting to hurt my feelings.” He laughed again and then turned, strolling toward the entrance. “Come on then!” he called as he went. “Your new life beckons!”
Helena watched her husband walk ahead, her body still running hot, her mind just as fractured and confused. He was just so darn sure of himself, so manipulative, and so… so…annoying!
She wanted to hate him because that felt easy to do. But as she knew well, as she had written about many times, these things were never that easy. Nor would this marriage be, by the looks of things.
CHAPTER 7
To her husband’s credit, once they walked through the doors of the manor and were away from the public eye, he did exactly as he promised—as she asked. He treated her as little more than a house guest… and often even less than that.
