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Chapter Ten
While her parents and Selina were out in the barn, looking at the new foal, Leah remained indoors. There were new foals all the time. Why would this one be any different? Thus, she was the only one in the house when the Duke’s arrival was announced.
“What brings you here, Your Grace?” she asked. Mr. Wickes remained standing beside the door.
“I had come to see your father, My Lady,” the Duke explained. He gave her an abrupt bow.
“He’s in the stables,” she replied. She looked at her fiancé. “One of the mares has given birth.”
“You didn’t want to see?” he asked.
“What do I care for another horse, Your Grace?” she asked, setting her needlepoint aside. She was working on elegantly monogramming her new initials on handkerchiefs—LM in a soft grey along with a little sprig of lavender, her favorite.
“I see,” he replied, walking over to the window. She watched him, feeling proud of him. He stood, his hands clasped behind his back, which was held so straight. He was impressive, and she knew it.
“Can I have something sent up for you, Your Grace?” she offered. “Wine, perhaps?”
He didn’t turn, watching out the window. “Thank you, My Lady. I’m fine.”
“Will you be dining at Sandbourne tomorrow evening, as well?” she asked, even though she knew he would be. She felt a little nervous about being like this with him, despite Mr. Wickes’s presence by the door. She wanted to prove to him that he could enjoy this—just the two of them, together.
“Yes, My Lady,” he said, turning away from the window. When he looked at her, he didn’t smile. His bright green eyes looked at her, studied her. She gave him a demure smile back, confident that he would not find her lacking in anything. Her heart beat quickened as he walked over to stand behind the settee where she sat.
He looked over her shoulder, at the embroidery that she was working on. “Your initials?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Grace,” she replied, holding the embroidery hoop up, so he could see her handiwork.
“It’s very nice, My Lady.” He stood there and was quiet. She wondered if he had something that he wanted to say. She waited patiently.
“Would you care to have a seat, Your Grace?”
“Yes, thank you.” He strode to the settee across from her, then sat. He picked up the paper from the coffee table and then began to look at it. Leah continued her work. She smiled to herself. This was nice—how they would spend thousands of nights of their lives.
* * *
Jasper sat, looking at the paper, meanwhile, in a state of horror. Now, there were handkerchiefs to go along with the marriage that he had no plans of going through with. So much would need to be changed, left unfinished or finished, but never used. He needed to put a stop to it.
“Your Grace, I was thinking of improvements to make to the parlor at Gillingham Manor,” Lady Leah said.
“Improvements?” he asked, surprised. Following his father’s death, he’d allowed his mother to make small changes in that parlor. They were all still very recent—a new wallpaper, and a carpet.
“The Dowager Duchess said that I could fit it up for my own use,” Lady Leah went on in earnest. “It will be where I will entertain guests.”
“What were you thinking?” he asked, expecting her to say that she wanted new curtains or wallpaper.
“I…I was looking at Lady Morton’s parlor at Tilney Wood,” she said. “She has a beautiful little stained-glass window.”
“You want a new window?” he asked, incredibly surprised. “That’s quite an expense.”
“I’m sure we can afford it, Your Grace.” She was right—they could. But it would require a large amount of effort.
“Has my mother said so?” he asked.
“She agreed that it would make the light in there absolutely splendid,” Lady Leah said, smiling proudly at him. “And then, we could get in a new carpet and curtains to match the colors in the window.”
Jasper felt, for a very long moment, that he had missed something big. He didn’t know what to say. As his future wife, she was right—it was up to her to plan décor. However, Jasper hadn’t been planning to go through with the wedding for almost an entire week.
“Do think about it,” Lady Leah said, turning her eyes back to the embroidery hoop in her hands.
