“Do you know if she is well? Will she join me?”
“Ah. I don’t believe so, Your Grace,” Mr. Timmons told him apologetically. “Her maid requested a tray delivered over a quarter of an hour ago.”
Dominic frowned. He hadn’t realized he’d had any hope. But now it was gone. Rubbing his face, he knew it wasn’t fair to her or himself to have any expectations like this. Had he not told her she could do as she desired?
I should have realized, or asked. This is my household, is it not? Mine to command, to direct, to question. The same goes for Verity, though I shall give her time to adjust. For I’ve brought a stranger into my home. One that smells of lilacs…
“Very well. Thank you, Mr. Timmons,” Dominic added, letting the butler know he could take his leave.
Left alone again, Dominic drank the rest of his coffee and forced himself to eat something. He ended his meal feeling much more awake but much more annoyed with the sunny day.
Hours passed in his routine. This usually brought him comfort. Sorting through reports, analyzing his finances. It helped greatly that he could work with his solicitor to finally access all of his funds and accounts. There came the needed benefit from this union. But even that brought Dominic little pleasure or peace.
Not until he went down for supper.
He was sitting in the drawing room, staring out the window while waiting for the door to the dining room to open. But then through the open hall slipped Verity.
They hadn’t seen each other since yesterday.
Immediately, Dominic rose to his feet. “Verity.”
“Dominic.” She nodded to him as she came forward. Dressed in a lovely blue gown with short gloves, she appeared well. Those hazel eyes of her gave away her nerves as her gaze darted about the room, frequently returning to him.
What that meant, he couldn’t say.
“Are you adjusting well?” Dominic bit his tongue. He wasn’t feeling as prepared to see her as he would have liked. Hiding his hands behind his back to hide his own nerves, he tried to smile. “I trust the servants have been showing you much.”
“Indeed. I nearly have a headache from all that they’ve shared,” she announced.
“I’m sorry to hear that. We can prepare some tea…”
Verity shook her head. “I said nearly. I am well, but thank you. It’s a fine house you have, and it’s run tighter than a ship. Have you ever been on one?”
The question caught him off guard. “I have not.”
“Ah. Very well.”
Before he could send her a questioning glance, the doors opened and Mr. Timmons beamed at them. “Supper is prepared. Welcome, Your Grace. Your Grace. Do come in.”
Dominic had been out of sorts since he woke up that morning knowing he was a married man. Taking his wife’s arm into supper didn’t bring him any further comfort. They moved in awkward silence to their seats placed neatly at the corner of the table where he always sat.
No longer alone. I suppose that is an advantage to being a married man. Is this what I am to expect every evening?
“Thank you,” she murmured as he helped her to her seat.
“Have you any––” He started to ask about her day when they were seated. But then the side doors opened to reveal the kitchen maids with the evening’s dishes. Closing his mouth, he waited for the trays to be set before trying again. “Have you any questions about the household?”
Verity glanced at the cutlery for a moment, situating herself as their leek soup was distributed before them. “Yes, in fact, I wished to talk to you about the linen cupboards. The shelving doesn’t make much sense, but I wish to rebuild and restructure them.”
There wasn’t a single image that came to mind when she mentioned the linen cupboards. While Dominic took good care of the front of the house and the main rooms, he hadn’t considered other spaces around the house that might use more order. It wasn’t a space that ever occurred to him might require more order.
“I find that reasonable,” he said after a long pause, searching for the appropriate formalities.
Finding no topics that interested him, Dominic sipped his soup. Quietly. Properly.
When he glanced at Verity, wondering if she might prefer further conversation, he found her hastily glancing away like she might have been studying him.
Neither of them spoke for the next two courses. Dominic’s stomach clenched in frustration about not knowing what more he should do, if he was doing anything wrong or right. This didn’t fit right into his routine, making conversation at supper.
