by Wendy Vella
“I, uh…should go up then,” she finally managed to say.
“That is the duke’s wish, your Grace.” Luton smiled.
“All right then, I will,” Eva said this time with more force.
Pausing in the mirror, she checked her appearance and was pleased she still looked presentable. Squaring her shoulders, she then made her way upstairs. Pausing briefly outside the door, Eva drew a deep, steadying breath and then tapped lightly on the wood.
“Enter.”
Pushing it open, she walked inside.
Daniel looked up as his duchess walked through the door and his first thought was that she’d played him for a fool.
“Good evening, your Grace. I had not expected your return or I would have been here to greet you.”
She was beautiful. Her hair was the color of midnight and piled on top of her head, leaving the length of her pale elegant neck exposed. A delicate blush filled her cheeks and her eyes were the deep blue color of the Stratton sapphires and surround by thick, dark lashes. Her white outfit with peppermint trim did little to hide the gentle sway of her hips or the full curves of her breasts. Daniel’s eyes travelled the length of his wife’s body and wondered how he had failed to notice what had obviously been beneath those ugly dresses she had worn. Elegantly arched brows rose as he remained mute.
“You should have told me Huxley had visited you,” he finally said because he couldn’t think of anything else.
Color leeched from her face at the words. He saw the fear in her eyes and if Daniel had needed confirmation of the threat Huxley presented, she had just given it.
“There was no need, your Grace - “
“There was every need,” Daniel said, moving closer until that subtle rose scent reached his nostrils. “What if he returns?”
“I would have taken measures to have him removed again.”
She was trying to stay calm as he crowded her but her breathing was rapid and her hands were clenched together. She’d gained weight, he noticed. Her checks had filled out, as had her wrists, and she was now a woman who would draw any man’s eye.
“I was told that he threatened you, Duchess. Is this true?”
Rather than dropping her eyes as she had when first they’d wed, she kept them on his, and again he wondered if she’d played him for a fool.
“Daniel, must you interrogate your duchess when we have yet to be introduced?” Simon came to stand beside him. “Good evening, your Grace,” he added, holding out one hand. “My name is Viscount Kelkirk and it is an honor to meet you.”
“Good evening, Lord Kelkirk.”
She offered Simon an elegant curtsy, unlike the lopsided affair she’d been prone to when he’d first met her.
“If you will excuse me, your Grace, I am bound for my bed now, but shall look forward to becoming better acquainted with you in the morning.”
“Of course. Good evening, Lord Kelkirk.”
Daniel grunted something to Simon as his friend left the room.
“Did Gilbert Huxley threaten you, Duchess?”
“It matters not, your Grace, only that he left,” she said in a quiet voice.
He ran his eyes over her again, lingering on the curves of her breast. Damn, Daniel had never wanted a wife he could lust after.
“It appears much has changed in my absence, Duchess. Had my carriage reached the end of the drive before you threw away your dowdy clothes?”
“Wh-what are you accusing me off, your Grace?” She wasn’t precisely glaring at him but to Daniel’s mind it was pretty close. “I was informed by Mr Neil, your steward, that I was allowed to spend some money on my clothes. Would you rather I had not?”
It seemed the timid mouse had found a backbone.
“I have no problem with you spending money on clothes, Eva, as long as the change in you is an honest one.”
Color washed her face, and she took a step backwards. Daniel wondered if she was protecting herself or him.
“I will ask again, what are you accusing me of, your Grace?”
What was he accusing her of? It was true he was an untrusting devil but had she really duped him? Now he had got over the shock of seeing her, he thought not, especially considering where she had come from. Daniel did not often speak without thought but in this case he believed he had.
“Forgive me. Your appearance surprised me.” He was like any man in that an apology never came easily and his words sounded gruff.
She nodded.
“Why are you here, your Grace? Surely you did not come just for the purpose of censuring me about Huxley and questioning my clothing?”
“Need I have a reason to visit my home and my duchess?”
“I had thought when you left that it would be for some time.”
His eyes roamed her features before he spoke.
“My reason for returning to Stratton is twofold, Duchess.” She looked up at him, silently waiting for him to continue. “Firstly, I wish you to return to London with me.”
“But I had thought my life would be here.”
Daniel saw that the idea of going to London did not sit well with her. In fact, it terrified her.
“You are my duchess and under my protection and it is time for you to take your rightful place in society.”
“But I was not born into society, your Grace, and have no idea how to behave amongst them.”
Her words were calm, yet her eyes told another story. The deep blue depths were anxious.
“My grandmother told me you were tutored in what was required, Duchess, and I shall be with you to help ease your path.”
“Wh-what was the second reason?”
Daniel decided to leave the subject for now, there would be plenty of time to discuss it further over the coming days.
“I want us to have a child.”
He knew it was what she wanted and knew it had been wrong of him to deny her simply because he wanted to thwart both his father and hers by not having an heir.
“You want to have a child?
Daniel saw the flare of hope that accompanied her words.
“Do you wish to have a child?” he countered.
She bit into the soft flesh of her lower lip and he had the urge to lean forward and kiss her. “I do wish it, your Grace, with all my heart.” It was a solemn vow. “And are you no longer angry, your Grace?”
Daniel briefly closed his eyes at her question, remembering how she had begged him not to take her in anger. “I have promised to never touch you in anger, Duchess.”
For some reason, the intensity in her eyes made Daniel hold his breath. He released it when she nodded.
“Will you want to…I mean will you come to my room tonight?”
He wanted to, Lord how he wanted to, yet Daniel knew she needed time to grow comfortable around him.
“Not tonight, Duchess, go to your bed and I shall see you in the morning.”
He watched her go, following the sway of her hips and then she was gone. Shaking his head, Daniel poured himself another drink and went to stare into the fire. He thought to find his timid, dowdy duchess threatened and scared by Huxley, yet he had found a woman whose beauty rivaled many, a woman who still feared yet had grown strong enough to face those fears. A woman he now wanted.
CHAPTER FIVE
Eva usually woke early and this morning was no different. After a night spent tossing and turning over her husband’s unexpected return and his reasons why, she was eager to leave her bed.
Pulling on a pair of Reggie’s breeches, she then stomped her feet into boots. Eva only wore the breeches in the morning when she was sure no one would see her. Riding astride was wonderful, yet she was not foolish enough to do so at any other time of day. Buttoning up the jacket from her riding habit, she quickly plaited her hair and tied a ribbon around the ends. She didn’t think her husband or Lord Kelkirk would rise until late morning, so there would be plenty of time to change before she saw them again.
She tiptoed down the stairs, walked to the
front door and picked up the small basket sitting beside it, then opened and closed it softly behind her. The sun was beginning to rise and the ground smelt fresh and crisp as Eva made her way to the stables. She had tried to persuade Holby that she was more than capable of saddling Posy and that he could stay in bed but he would not hear of it. Therefore it was a blurry-eyed boy that greeted her as she walked into the stables.
“Good morning, Holby.”
He mumbled something which Eva knew from experience was his greeting. She did not engage him in further conversation, but once he had finished tightening Posy’s girth, she handed him the piece of jam and bread she had Mrs. Stimpel place beside the front door every morning.
“Thank you, Holby. Now go back to bed.” Eva gave the boy’s arm a gentle pat as she nudged him toward the loft he had crawled out off. Minutes later, she was leaving the stables.
Little puffs of white formed in the air as Posy snorted her pleasure at the exercise she knew she was about to have. Eva had ridden many of the vast acres that made up Stratton and she never tired of her morning rides. Sometimes she rode up hills, other times she followed the stream. There were tracks she galloped down, too, and this morning, she chose one of those. Gathering the reins, she gave the mare a gentle nudge with her heels and she sprang forward. Eva loved the freedom of galloping - the wind in her face, just her and Posy as they raced over the ground. She laughed as Posy stuck out her neck, eager to run and stretch her long legs.
Sleep had not come easy to Eva last night; visions of her husband had filled her head. How long would he stay at Stratton? Would he stay until she had conceived? Did he really want a child?
Her brothers had told her in detail exactly how a man got a woman with child. They had used foul language and descriptions of the act, then told her all she would need to do was lie still until it was over. No husband wanted a wife for any other reason than breeding; anything else was left to his mistress.
What would it feel like to have the duke’s big body lying on top of her? Eva knew it would be painful when he did what had to be done - her brothers had relished telling her that fact - but she also knew that to have a child, she had to do what was necessary.
Veering right, Eva directed Posy onto the path that ran between the trees and urged her over a fallen branch. Splashing through a puddle, they thundered along the shadowed route. Bending low over the mare’s neck, she let her go. Posy knew exactly where they were going and Eva just held on, enjoying the ride. It was exhilarating and she felt the last of the sluggishness from lack of sleep leave her head. Minutes later, breaking free of the trees, Posy headed for the trail that led up the side of the hill. Reaching the top, Eva reined the horse in and walked to where she could see the village below
Smoke puffed from chimneys as slowly the little village roused. Eva imagined families waking and sharing their morning meal. Mothers would be dressing and caring for their children, a routine they took for granted. She would do that one day, care for her own child.
The church spire rose highest and she wondered if Miss Potter’s night attire was as outrageous as her day wear.
Eva thought of Reggie and how he would love to ride over Stratton with her. He was never far from her thoughts and she vowed now the duke was back that she would discuss getting him here where he was safe. She would get him a tutor and then he would go to university as he had always wished to do. She just needed to pick the right moment, one when the duke was in an agreeable mood, preferably.
“If you have no care for yourself, Duchess, then at least care for your mount!”
Eva spun so quickly in the saddle, she tumbled straight off Posy and landed on her bottom. She heard curses as she struggled to draw in the breath that had been knocked from her body.
“Give me your hand.”
Bracing them behind her, Eva ignored the duke and scrambled to her feet. Mortified that she was dressed in breeches and had fallen in front of him, she reached for the saddle, preparing to remount.
“Are you unhurt, Duchess?”
Shaking her head, Eva busied herself with collecting the reins
“Then perhaps you can address my earlier concerns.”
Realizing that ignoring him would incite his anger, Eva reluctantly turned to face her husband. He, too, had dismounted, although she doubted it had been in such a spectacular fashion.
“I have been riding these paths for over two months now, your Grace. Posy was quite safe.”
Dark brows lowered as he scowled down at her. Unlike her, he was once again impeccably dressed in grey breeches, black jacket with polished boots and a neatly tied neckcloth. The only thing not in order was the hair that stood off his head.
“You rode through those trees too fast, madam. There could have been more fallen branches in your path.”
“I would never put Posy in danger, your Grace, and I apologize if you thought otherwise.”
For weeks Eva had lived without the constant knot of anxiety in her stomach that had plagued her most of her life. The fear that at any moment someone would take her to task had been absent and she had reveled in that freedom…until now.
“It was folly for a woman to ride in such a manner.”
She didn’t want to be intimidated by the duke. He would not hurt her. Hadn’t she believed that after the night he visited her room? The words they had spoken then had been open and honest.
“You think a woman is not as competent as a man in the saddle, your Grace?” Be quiet Eva. Don’t antagonize him.
“A woman is not as strong as a man, Duchess, even if she is riding astride.” His eyes ran over her legs as he spoke and her discomfit increased. What must he think of the way she was dressed?
“Strength does not necessarily determine skill, Duke.”
“Are you suggesting you are a more skilled rider than me, Duchess?”
“I would be foolish to suggest such a thing.” Eva reached for her saddle, eager to finish the conversation and head back to Stratton.
“Foolish because I am a man and you know I am more skilled or foolish because I am a man whom you feel threatened by?”
Eva gripped the leather so tightly, her knuckles went white. He was trying to provoke a response from her but she did not want to answer such a loaded question. Putting her foot in the stirrups, she was about to pull herself up when two large hands grabbed her and tossed her onto Posy’s back.
“Accepting defeat, Duchess?”
His taunt hit its mark. “I have no need to brag over my accomplishments, your Grace, nor do I willingly seek to incite your anger. However I will say that my skill in the saddle has never been tested, as I have never felt the need to do so.” Turning Posy before he stopped her, she headed quickly back down the hill. Eva had all but called him an arrogant braggart and had no wish to wait about for his reply.
Tibbs waited for them as they entered the stables. Stopping before him, she then kicked her feet from the stirrups and prepared to dismount, but again, the duke was there and reached for her. Her heart thumped painfully as he lifted her off Posy and placed her gently on the ground before him.
“We will address the matter of your recklessness another time, Duchess.”
That made her chin lift. “I was not reckless. Now please excuse me, your Grace.”
He didn’t release her immediately, but pulled her closer.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
He kissed her, just a soft brushing of his lips over hers, and then he pulled back, leaving her breathless.
“We will also address who is the better rider when time allows us to do so, Duchess, and I will add, once again, that you are under no threat from me and that I would never use force against you.”
“I…I must go.”
He released her and Eva tried to walk calmly from the stables when inside, her heart fluttered and her skin felt warm and all she wanted to do was run away from the large, disturbing male behind her.
She tried to push the memory of the kiss aside as she e
ntered the house.
Why had he kissed her?
“Good morning, your Grace.”
“Good morning, Molly,” Eva greeted her maid as she walked into her room.
“Your bath is ready.”
“Thank you,” Eva said beginning to pull off her clothes.
Why had he kissed her?
Thoughts tumbled through her head as Molly assisted her to bathe and dress and she was still consumed with the kiss minutes later as she made her way to the breakfast parlor.
Lord Kelkirk was already seated when she arrived.
“Good morning, your Grace.”
“Good morning, my Lord.” Eva waved for him to reseat himself as she took the chair opposite him. He, like her husband, was dressed immaculately.
Eva had never entertained guests at her breakfast table, especially a man she hardly knew. What should she say?
“I had a very sound sleep, I don’t mind telling you, your Grace, and woke with a foggy head, however a cup of fortifying tea and one of Mrs. Stimpel’s substantial breakfasts should rectify that,” Lord Kelkirk said.
Eva looked at the many silver covered dishes on the sideboard and thought that Mrs Stimpel must be very happy with men to cook for again.
“May I recommend the grilled trout with white butter sauce, your Grace? Mrs. Stimpel does it better than anyone.”
Eva couldn’t quite hide the shudder at the thought of trout for breakfast.
“I tend to go for rolls and honey, my Lord.”
“Good God, really? How do you keep body and soul together on that?”
She laughed at his horrified expression. Then, rising, she began to fill her plate. She still struggled to know that someone else had prepared all this for her when for years it had been she doing the preparing.
“I have the feeling nobility hold quite a lot of importance in food, Lord Kelkirk. In fact, my cook nearly took to her bed when I told her I liked simple food when first I arrived at Stratton.”