Page 25 of The Duke Who Claimed Her

So, my husband is home.

She wished that she were asleep. Today had been her wedding day, and a worse day in recent memory, Arabella could not recall. To fall asleep and wake up tomorrow with this day behind her was what she needed more than anything. But then what? What would happen tomorrow? And the day after that? What was the point of wishing for what might happen next when she had no idea what that could possibly look like?

So, she lay staring at the ceiling, her mind racing, planning out her life as she saw it. Clearly, her husband wanted nothing to do with her, which she decided was a good thing. A marriage of convenience… Her convenience. She would make sure of it.

All Arabella wanted was the freedom to make her own choices, and the longer she lay awake, the more she realized she still had that chance. In fact, if her husband chose to avoid her, then perhaps that meant he would not try to stop her in whatever she ended up doing.

She would be alone, yes, but she would be free.

And that will have to do…

Only, as she listened to her husband’s footsteps clomping through the manor, she realized that they were approaching her room. Likely, his own quarters were further down the hall, nothing to worry about…

She lay perfectly still as those heavy footsteps started down the hallway. One by one, they came closer and closer to her bedroom door. Her heart started to race. Was that fear? It must be. She was not scared of her husband so much as she was scared of what tonight was meant to signify. And while he had implied that he did not expect such a thing, he had not said it outright.

Surely, he does not mean to… There is no way that he would…

But those footsteps came closer, and when they reached her bedroom door, they stopped.

Arabella held her breath, as if her husband might be able to hear her. She looked at the door, staring at it as if she could see through the timber. He was almost certainly standing on the other side, watching the closed door, but to what end? What did he want?

Her body trembled in fear, but there was something else. It was a strange sensation that slowly descended over Arabella as she watched the closed door, picturing her husband on the other side. Her heart raced. Her skin prickled. She found herself praying that he would move on, while also wondering what would happen if he did not.

Might he open the door and come inside? Might he take the liberties that any recently married man would expect? And might Arabella enjoy it…

No! He promised me a marriage of convenience. He would not dare!

The minutes dragged on. No sound came that suggested her husband had walked away. Arabella’s body was so hot that she threw back the covers. And the more time that passed by, the more irate she turned; the more annoyed she was. What was he doing?

Arabella had spent her life being told what to do by other men. She had no agency. She had no control over her world and what happened to her. And now, as she lay perfectly still and waited for her husband to make a decision, she knew that nothing had changed.

Is this what her life would be? Always wondering what her husband might do, and always knowing that his word was law? That thought sent a fire burning hot through her body, roaring to life so that anger found Arabella. Anger and a determination to finally put her foot down for once and take control of her life!

Really, it was about time that she did.

With that decision made, Arabella climbed from her bed and hurried across the room. She had the bit between her teeth, the fire inside her burning so hot she felt like she might explode. Because of that, she did not stop to consider if this was such a good idea. If she had, she might have taken a second to think about what she was wearing.

She wore just her nightgown, a white garment, the material thin, almost translucent against her body. Although she was hot, the night air was chilled, and she trembled just a little. Her hair was let down. No make-up on. Totally exposed…

Nonetheless, she reached the bedroom door, and before stopping to think about what she was doing, she threw it open.

“What are you—” Her words caught in her throat when she saw the Duke.

As expected, he stood on the other side of her door. Dressed as he had been for their ceremony, he stood in perfect darkness so that all she could make out was the gray of his eyes. He was a mountain before her, a wall that blocked her path, and where Arabella had felt so confident just moments ago, she felt that confidence vanish like a candle being blown out.

“You are awake,” he said as if confused. He stood just two feet away, and Arabella smelled the alcohol on his breath. “Why are you not sleeping?”

“I…” Her voice cracked as he loomed over her, and she had to fight the urge to slam the door closed. “I heard you come home.”

“You were waiting for me?” The question seemed to excite him, and she saw that excitement pass behind his eyes. Just as she saw those same eyes roam her body.

Arabella was suddenly made aware of what she was wearing. On instinct, she moved a hand to cover her chest, at which point the Duke snapped his eyes back up and found her face.

“I was not waiting for you…” Her voice cracked further. “I… I was trying to sleep, and I heard you.” Despite how she trembled, she fixed a scowl on her face. “What are you doing? Why are you standing outside my door?”

“This is my home,” he said. “I ought not have to explain myself to you.”

“As I ought not have to worry about strange men lurking outside my bedroom of a night.”