AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When she put it like that, he had to admit that it sounded rather insane. No person of sound mind and body would even consider something like that, let alone go through with it. She was right. But again, he would rather die than actually tell her that.
"This mansion is filled with memories of my parents, of my childhood," he pointed out. "Why would I set it on fire myself? Again, with me in it?"
"Perhaps it was all too much for you?" she said, and the moment those words crossed her lips, she pressed her hand over it. He could just see her eyes wide and curious... and apologetic.
He swallowed heavily. Regardless of everything that had happened, ending it all never even crossed his mind. He valued his life far too much to even consider such a thing. He owed it to his parents to continue with his life and be happy. Anything less than that was out of the question.
"I am sorry," he suddenly heard her say when she pulled her hand away from her lips. "That was a mean thing to say."
"It was," he nodded. "But I appreciate the apology."
"I lost my mother," she added. "I know that pain. I should not have used it to make you feel worse or to win this argument."
He tilted his head a little, as if to take a closer look at her. Only now did he see how breathtakingly beautiful she was, with those deep-blue eyes, those rosy cheeks and those plump lips which he saw pouting so often.
"I suppose we can agree that setting the mansion on fire with us in it was not something either of us would be inclined to do," he said, hoping to meet her halfway. Strangely, she accepted.
"Yes, wecanagree on that," she nodded. "None of those things make any sense."
"They don't, do they?" he chuckled. She smiled back at him. It was a smile unlike any other he had seen, a smile of sunshine in this bleak old mansion which had been chained in darkness for far too long. "Do you suppose we can also agree that we aren't each other's enemy here?"
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded again. "But that still doesn't explain how I ended up in your chamber at night."
"I know," he inhaled deeply, feeling that burden find its place deep inside the confines of his chest, resolute to remain there for a very long time, regardless of what he thought of that. "That is what worries me the most. Something must be happening here, something neither of us knows about."
"Something dangerous," she added.
"Absolutely," he agreed. "The fire perhaps wasn't a direct attempt to kill us, but it certainly was a threat." He shuddered at the thought of someone trying to kill him. And her as well. Why on Earth would anyone want to hurt Leah? He had been the object of much hatred, but why her? What had she done to deserve this?
Still, he kept all of this to herself. He didn't want to worry her more than she already was. "Why don't I show you that library?" he suggested again. This time, his offer was welcomed with another smile. "You can wait for Mrs. Livingstone there. I need to go into town, to see my attorney. When I return, we can have dinner together and perhaps discuss this more."
"All right," she managed to nod.
He could not tell if she liked the idea of having dinner with him or not, but he wanted them to have at least some semblance of a normal married life... whatever that might mean. Then, he remembered something else, something that would probably be of much interest to her.
"If you wish to freshen up, Mrs. Livingstone will show you to your chamber," he added.
"My own chamber?" she echoed.
"Of course," he confirmed. "We are married, but I know that we shall never be true husband and wife, in the real sense of the word, and I want you to feel safe here, to have your own space where you shall not be bothered by anyone."
She thought about it for a moment, then granted him yet another smile. "Thank you," she said softly. He smiled back a little awkwardly, then turned around and started walking.
"This way," he said, and she followed.
He could only hope that he knew where exactly he was heading from this point on.
CHAPTER7
Leah did not know if she could trust her husband.
Every fiber of her being urged her to be cautious. She was constantly reminded of the reason she ended up here in the first place, but the way the duke spoke, the way he looked at her assured her that he could not be the monster everyone deemed him to be. He did not seem to have it in him.
Of course, he had a tendency to be mad, like everyone else, but she understood where that was coming from. She knew the pain of a lost parent. He suffered that curse twice, at the same time. She only lost her mother. He lost both his mother and his father, all at once. She could not even imagine the extent of that pain, the knowledge that now, one was left on one's own, without any family.
She looked at him across the dinner table. He was eating in silence, holding his fork and knife delicately as he cut the roast fowl. Leah was not particularly hungry, but she knew she had to eat something. So, she did. As soon as she took the first bite, she realized that the meat was made to perfection. She must have smiled or showed her astonishment in some other, noticeable manner, because he commented on it instantly.
"It is good, isn't it?" he inquired.
