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The driver sent the carriage forward, pulling his hand from hers. Seeing the carriage fade away down the drive was more than she could bear, and she could hold back her tears no longer. Sobs wracked her body, and she pressed her fingers to her mouth and turned away from the house. She could not stand to think the whole household could be watching her cry. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to find the Duke behind her, just beyond arms reach.
“Your Grace,” he said, “come back inside.” She nodded, trying to stop her tears. Wiping her eyes, she breathed deeply and folded her hands in front of her, casting her eyes down to follow him back into the house.
“I do hope you will be happy here,” he told her in a soft voice.
“I will try my best,” she replied, trying to sound brave, but she turned away from him, unable to bear pity from him. He did not reach out to her to take her arm. He barely looked her way. Once they arrived in the foyer, he cleared his throat, standing awkwardly.
“Do you wish to see your suite?” he asked. “You have not even been upstairs yet.”
Afraid to be alone with him quite yet, she quickly shook her head. “No, thank you, Your Grace.”
They stood in awkward silence a moment longer. Edwina could not think of anything to say to him. She twisted her hands together, avoiding his gaze. The wedding ring felt heavy on her finger, strange and cold. She twisted it around her finger, feeling the awkwardness.
“Let me fetch the housekeeper,” he offered.
“Very well,” she nodded.
He hesitated for a moment, giving her a sliver of hope. “Your Grace?” she asked.
“Yes?” he asked, turning. She met his gaze, his blue eyes staring into her soul. She searched him, trying to see anything in his expression, a hint of interest, desire, passion, anything. She felt as though the mask he wore created a barrier between them, allowing him to hide what he thought and what he felt.
“Do you regret it?” she asked, desperately. She wanted him to say something, give her any sort of emotion.
“No,” he replied quickly, without any sort of the emotion she sought. He turned again, heading down the corridor, leaving her in the foyer.
Standing awkwardly in the middle of the foyer, she looked around the big empty house, trying to figure out why it looked so strange and barren. She felt like a fool, waiting for the Duke to return. She sought out the parlor which was also sparsely decorated. In spite of the large gardens around the house, she did not see a single cut flower. She realized there were also no artwork, no paintings, and no portraits. Everything felt stark and lifeless.
“Ah, here you are,” the Duke said, coming into the parlor with the housekeeper. “Mrs. Wright, this is the new Lady Hillow.”
“Pleasure, Your Grace,” Mrs. Wright said, curtseying for her. Edwina nodded to the woman. The housekeeper was an older, slender woman, her expression as blank as the Duke’s.
“I shall, uh, leave you two to it,” the Duke said, bowing to Edwina before leaving the room.
