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A sudden lump caught in her throat, but she admitted, ‘It gave me a way to fill the hours of my day when I was alone. My parents made every decision for my life, but in my garden, I could make the decisions.’

He was staring at her, his expression pensive. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, so she leaned down to get a closer look at the figures.

‘Did your brother and sister help you with your garden?’ he ventured.

She shrugged. ‘Evelyn and Nelson had no interest in it. So it was something that belonged only to me.’ Unexpected emotions suddenly welled up inside her, and she had no idea why. Instead, she continued talking, to keep herself from becoming upset. ‘You could also have your tenants leave the field fallow for a year and buy more sheep and cattle.’

‘I plan to add to the herds.’ He pushed one of the ledgers closer to her. Charlotte started to look over the numbers, but she was caught by the pine scent of his shaving soap. Oh my, but he did smell good. The more she thought of it, the more she realised her husband smelled like Christmas. Between the cinnamon, cedar, and pine, she wanted to lean in and breathe the scent of his skin.

Instead, she took a deep breath and rested her hand close to his without actually touching him.

‘If you like, when I hire the gardener in the spring, he could help inspect the soil quality of the fields.’ She wanted to help as best she could.

This time, he reached for her hand and said, ‘Come and sit closer.’ A moment later, he pulled her onto his lap. Charlotte was so startled, she nearly got up, but he said, ‘You can see the numbers better from here. Unless it bothers you.’

Did he honestly believe she could concentrate on ledgers while sitting on his lap? No, he was entirely too distracting. And she suspected he’d done this on purpose.

‘Your Grace, I—’

‘Alaric,’ he corrected. ‘When we are alone, you may call me by my first name.’

Every part of her body was on edge, and she ventured, ‘I… I don’t have to sit on your lap, Your Grace. I mean, Alaric.’ Her anxiety was increasing with every second, and she couldn’t seem to grasp a rational thought. ‘I can see perfectly well seated in my own chair. I can bring one over here right now.’

‘It’s clear enough that you’re afraid of me,’ he said. ‘And in just under three weeks, we will consummate our marriage. You should take the time to get used to the idea.’

‘I’m not afraid of you.’ Terrified, more like.

‘Liar.’ His voice was resonant in her ear, and the warmth of his breath held her spellbound. He reached for his pen and dipped it in the inkwell. ‘I can feel you trembling.’

‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this. It’s entirely unnecessary.’ Her voice held entirely too much of a quiver, even though she was annoyed with herself.

‘I think it’s quite necessary to get better acquainted,’ he said quietly. ‘In a physical way.’

Heat rose upon her cheeks, and she let out a shuddering breath. ‘I promise, I will obey my duty when the time comes.’ She could almost hear her mother’s advice: Submit to your husband. Let him do as he pleases.

But what did that even mean? Was she supposed to simply sit here and endure this? Every part of her was aware of him, of the intimacy of sitting so close.

‘Relax,’ he said quietly. ‘All you have to do is sit. I’m not asking anything more than that.’

Relax? It was the very last thing she could do. She was entirely aware of his body enveloping hers. His strong thighs beneath her bottom evoked visions that weren’t at all what a lady should be thinking of.

But then, she wasn’t supposed to be an innocent young woman any more. She was supposed to be a wife with carnal knowledge of her husband. And yet she remained completely ignorant.

The duke was writing numbers in a column, adding them up as if she weren’t there at all. Charlotte didn’t move, hardly breathed while she remained on his lap. Then, at last, he set his pen down and faced her.

His hands rested at her waist, yet he did nothing except study her. His grey eyes were cool, like a morning rainfall. And he appeared utterly unaffected by her closeness.

‘Was that so awful?’ he asked. ‘Being this close to me?’

She knew he wanted her to say no. But instead, she admitted, ‘It made me feel clumsy and unsure of myself.’ Although her cheeks burned, she added, ‘I apologise in advance for our impending wedding night. I feel certain that I’ll be doing everything wrong.’

‘Is that so?’

His hand moved up to her spine, but his expression never changed. He, apparently, was completely unaffected by their proximity. She wanted to bury her face against the desk.

Instead, he took her hands and brought them to his shoulders. She followed his unspoken invitation and explored the lines of his muscles and neck. The cords were so tight, she gently massaged his nape, and he let out a slight exhale.

Instantly, she pulled her hands away.