Just as a true feeling of concern was starting to build. The front door opened and his wife stepped in. Her hair was down, and she was dressed in one of the dresses from before their marriage.
“Where have you been?” he demanded.
Ann stepped back, obviously surprised to be challenged.
“I went for a walk,” she said as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Why?” he asked as he looked past her to the door, waiting for the footmen to come in.
“Because it is a nice day,” she said as if that was a perfectly satisfactory answer.
“Dressed like that. And where are the footmen? … Stevenson,” he bellowed.
“Yes, Your Grace,” the butler said as he stepped into the entrance hall.
“Don’t blame Stevenson,” Ann said as she brushed past him to the library. “I didn’t inform him I was going out. As for why I am dressed this way. I didn’t want to dirty one of my nice dresses. It was just a walk in the park.”
The Duke’s insides flashed with anger. His wife, alone in a London park. What had she been thinking?
No, don’t make this worse than it is, he thought. Push too hard and she will feel trapped.
“Ann,” he said as he followed her into the library. Looking over his shoulder, he shook his head to dismiss Stevenson. This was between him and his wife.
“Ann,” he repeated. “You can’t go off alone like that.”
“Why ever not?” she asked as she warmed her hands by the fire.
“Because,” he answered.
She laughed and shook her head. “You will have to give me a better reason than that.”
He sighed heavily. “Because I am rich.”
“So?”
“So, there are a thousand men in this city who would jump at the opportunity to take you and hold you for ransom. Hell, there are two thousand men who would take you just because of your beauty. This is London. Not the safe village of Brookenham.”
She frowned at him for a long moment then pouted sadly as she nodded her head.
“I am sorry, Your Grace,” she said. “I won’t do it again.”
He sighed with relief. “If you do want to go for a walk. Tell Stevenson and he will send some of the footmen with you. This is why we have them after all.”
Again, she frowned sadly then nodded.
He looked at her closely then pulled her into a quick hug.
The sudden realization of just how worried he had been surprised him.
.o0o.
The Duke of Norwich stuck his head in the library and frowned.
His Grace, the Duke of Norwich smiled out over the crowd. They were all here to meet his new bride he realized, but that was perfectly acceptable because he liked showing her off.
The woman was a small miracle. She had adapted so quickly to the life of a duchess. The servants loved her. Even Old Stevenson was want to take her side in any discussion.
Just the prior day, he had seen Stevenson change his mind. A fact that he had always thought was impossible until he had seen it with his own eyes. She’d talked Stevenson into allowing her to redecorate the parlor.
And she hadn’t achieved this by demanding or pouting or even slamming her foot on the ground and ordering. No, she’d simply discussed the matter as if she valued Stevenson’s opinion. Listened to him, then gently guided him into thinking the way she wanted.
He chuckled to himself. If he was not careful, the woman would do the same to him.
“So, Your Grace,” Lord Brookenham said as he stepped up next to him to join in looking over the crowd. “How are the bonds of matrimony treating you?”
Norwich bit back a quick retort. The truth was that things were working out much better than he had expected. Every night for two weeks, she had taken him to new heights. Who would have known that such an innocent could be so curious? So willing.
In addition, his household seemed to be quiet and without drama. What man could ask for more? Ann and his mother got on famously. In fact, at the time, he wondered if they were becoming too close. The last thing he needed was a trio of Ann, Stevenson, and his mother coming together. He would have no life of his own.
No, things were going well. Yet, something was bothering him. Some hidden need in Ann that he was failing to meet somehow.
“It is acceptable,” he said to his friend.
Lord Brookenham laughed slightly as he took a sip of his punch. Then frowned when he remembered it wasn’t whiskey.
“Tell me,” Norwich said. “How are my new sisters faring?”
Lord Brookenham choked and coughed as he shook his head.
“I am thankful that I will never marry. It is the only way to ensure I am not saddled with sisters-in-law.”
Norwich laughed and raised an eyebrow, asking for an explanation.
“Miss Isobel,” Lord Brookenham said as he rolled his eyes. “The young girl does not know her place. I do believe she delights in pointing out my many failings. Even when there are none.”
Norwich laughed. “Really, a poor slip of a girl has brought you such discomfort.”
Brookenham shook his head. “You don’t know what it is like. I made the effort to check on them personally. I mean, I could have gone hunting, fishing. I could even have read a book. But instead, I chose to visit the Stafford sisters and make sure they were doing well.”
Norwich smiled, “I do appreciate it.”
Lord Brookenham frowned. “At least you did. But not Miss Isobel. It seems I am lacking in character because I didn’t know the status of a barn cat named Fluffy.”
Norwich laughed.
“I have only been an earl a short period. But I do know that earls do not normally bother themselves with such matters.”
Again, Norwich laughed. “Well, it is only for a short time. I will send for them when we return from our tour of my estates.
Lord Brookenham nodded as he examined the crowd. “It appears there is a nice turnout. Your mother must be happy. My mother says it is the event of the season. Everyone wants to meet the woman who caught the elusive Duke of Norwich.”
Norwich winced inside. He knew that some of his friends laughed at him behind his back for allowing himself to be trapped into a marriage. Some even thought him foolish for going through with it for a commoner. Very few of them would have. He realized.
The rules were different for commoners. If not, then what was the point? That was the prevailing belief of the ton.
Shaking his head, he turned to Brookenham. Thankfully, the young Earl was not such a friend. He seemed to understand. Or at least pretended to.
“And how did it go when you confronted the mill owner?” the Duke asked.
Lord Brookenham frowned and shook his head. “I never got the chance. The blaggard absconded before I could brace him.”
The Duke frowned.
“My agent,” Lord Brookenham said. , “I believe he warned the man. I had to let him go of course. The man was useless. But luckily, I have found someone else to manage the estate. A young soldier just returned from France. He seems to know his stuff. And agrees with you by the way. About crop rotation.”
“The man sounds intelligent,” the Duke said absently as he looked across the room.
“If you will excuse me,” Norwich said, “I need to find my wife and hope she has saved a dance for me.”
Brookenham smiled as he nodded. “I believe I saw her in the far corner with our mothers. Surrounded by a rather large crowd of young men. Your wife, it seems, has become a bit of a find.”
Norwich ground his teeth. The thought of other men paying attention to his wife was unacceptable. A surge of energy flashed across his shoulders as he instinctively clenched his fists. If this continued, he would need to schedule another sparring match to burn off the energy.
Nodding to his friend, he wove his way through the crowd to find her surrounded just as Brookenham had said. He shook off the flash of anger and made his way through the circle without apology to stand next t
o his wife.
She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, a surprised smile on her face. God, the woman was perfection, he thought as his loins demanded he take her upstairs at that very moment and bury himself in her.
“My dear,” he said as he bent over her hand to kiss it. Al the while, his finger caressed the palm of her hand, sending a secret message to her.
She blushed furiously and stammered, “You … Your Grace.”
He smiled as he tucked her arm into his and lead her to the dance floor.
“I believe Lord Clairmont is scheduled for this next dance,” she said hesitantly.
He turned and stared down at her. “To hell with Lord Clairmont. Let him get his own wife.”
She blushed again but couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Norwich marched through the crowd of gathering dancers to the musicians.
“A waltz,” he told them.
The lead musician frowned as he looked down at the paper in front of him. “Your Grace, A quadrille is scheduled.”
Norwich simply stared at the man and raised an eyebrow.
Ann looked up at him, then to the musician and then back at him. He had to hold that pose a good two seconds before the man understood his very lively hood depended upon his next statement.
“Of course, Your Grace, a waltz it is,” the musician said as he and his partners scrambled to find the appropriate music sheets.
Norwich ignored them as he returned to the center of the dance floor and took his wife in his arms in preparation for the dance.
The two of them looked into each other’s eyes lost in their own little world.
“You really shouldn’t do that,” Ann said without taking her eyes from his. “People select partners depending upon the type of dance it is. People will become upset at you.”
He laughed, “Do you really think I care?”
She frowned for a second and shook her head. “You care sometimes, at others, not so much. It is all rather confusing leaning what rules can be ignored and which must be followed at all costs.”
The music started and he stepped off as he processed her words. “You are correct, my dear. Knowing when to break the rules is key.”
She frowned for a second as he whirled her around the room. “Then why didn’t you break them when we were discovered. You could have survived such a scandal easily. Despite your claims to the contrary.”
He frowned, mostly because she was right. Why had he forced this marriage?
“Because my dear,” he answered as if that was explanation enough.
Her brow narrowed in confusion as she tried to understand. Before she could press him on the issue though, he leaned forward and whispered. “Everyone is watching, everyone is thinking about us being discovered waltzing in Brookenham’s garden. Now they know why.”
She faltered for a step, but he held her in place until she could regain her balance. She continued to look up at him as if trying to decipher a puzzle. He looked out over the crowd and maneuvered them through the other dancers. All the while, focusing on her. Only her.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” his wife said when the dance was done.
He smiled down at her then whispered. “Remember, you are to waltz with no one but me. It is to be ours alone. Understood.”
She bit her lip as she nodded acceptance of his demand. But he could see deep in her eyes that she was not upset. No, a flash of passion hid there. A need that matched his own.
Smiling, he tucked her arm into his and led her back towards his mother.
Before they got there, he leaned down again and said softly. “If we are careful, we could sneak away for a few minutes.”
He expected her to gasp in shock, but instead, her cheeks grew very pink as she looked up at him and nodded slightly.
Swallowing hard, he changed direction and led her to doors leading out into the garden. She frowned at him, obviously wondering what he intended. He smiled down at her then opened a door and escorted her out. Once in the night air, he took a deep breath then took her hand and led her to the library door at the other end of the building.
Looking around, he made sure they weren’t being observed when he opened the door slightly. Ann slipped inside, he followed closely.
“Here, Your Grace?” she asked with a questioning frown.
He pulled her close, kissing her as his hands came under her rear and lifted her onto the desk. She moaned as he pulled at the hem of her dress while she fought to open his pants. God, he needed her now. Never had he ever wanted something so much as his Ann at that moment.
Fighting to maintain control, his fingers found her folds. The woman was more than ready for him. He smiled to himself. She was as desperate for him as he was for her. Her lips continued to nip and caress as her hand found him. Stroking him, pulling him to her.
He slid into her and the world was right again.
Ann, threw her head back as she wrapped her legs around him.
“Yes,” she hissed as he thrust into her. “Yes, please.”
He held her hips in place as he filled her over and over until at last they both exploded in pleasure then collapsed in each other’s arms.
God, what a woman, he thought. His woman.
Chapter Nineteen
Ann fought to keep from blushing as Daniel led her back to the ballroom via the inside hallway. Would everyone know what they had just done? How could they not? Yet, she wouldn’t have changed things for the world. The man took her places she had not known existed.
Even now, she could still feel him inside of her. The strength and tenderness at the same time. How could people not see it on her face?
Before they turned the last corner, she pulled to halt to check one last time that her dress was arranged correctly and that he was dressed appropriately.
He looked down at her with a smirk that tumbled her insides. The man was a rascal and a prince. How could she not love him?
“What will people think?” she asked him.
He laughed. “Most won’t even notice, most of the rest will assume we slipped off for a quiet conversation. A few, a very few, will know the truth and be happy for us.”
She swallowed as she set her shoulders. “You go in first. I will follow a little later. That way they won’t jump to the wrong conclusion.”
He laughed again as his eyes sparkled. “Need I remind you, it would be the right conclusion. But, as you wish, but do not tarry or I will come find you and take you back to the library.”
She blushed again as she pushed him to go forward.
Once he was away from her, she was able to take a deep breath and reset her soul. The man was a mystery. He didn’t love her, yet he snuck her away from his own ball to have his way with her? Was it nothing more than animalistic need? Was that all she was to him?
And yet, he didn’t want other men to waltz with her. She had seen the look in his eyes when he found her surrounded by admirers. That was the look of a wolf protecting its own.
It was all so confusing.
Once again, she took a deep breath and stepped into the ballroom. The laughter and music filled her soul. Who would ever believe that she would host such a gathering? Oh, how she looked forward to sharing this with her sisters. Particularly Lydia, the girl would swoon with happiness.
As she made her way around the edge of the crowd, she kept her head up and her eyes forward. People smiled their welcome, nodding, occasionally mentioning how nice things were. All Ann could do was smile and accept their praise. In reality though, it had been Stevenson, the staff, and her mother-in-law who had done all the work to make everything perfect.
Speaking of which, she found the Dowager where she had left her. The woman’s eye narrowed as she examined Ann. A feeling of shame filled the young Duchess as her cheeks grew warm.
The Dowager smiled slyly and shook her head then held her hand and pulled her close.
“My son is besotted. Good for you.”
Ann’s insides flared with tension. His mother was wron
g. Her son was a man, nothing more. He was seeing to his needs.
But, that was not the type of thing you could tell a man’s mother. So instead, she smiled weakly and turned to watch the dancers.
.o0o.
Ann glanced over at her husband as the coach rocked from side to side. What was he thinking? she wondered. She could never tell. His normal stoic expression. The firm countenance. The man was a puzzle that she would never decipher.
They never discussed their most inner thought. At least the Duke didn’t. Daniel would have, she thought. Daniel, she could have come to understand. But never the Duke of Norwich.
Sighing internally. She thought over the last two weeks. Their marriage was surprising in so many ways. Not least of which was their time together at night. The man was perfect on so many levels and had opened an entirely new universe to her.
Unfortunately, it still remained that he did not love her. Not really. No, she was but a new toy to be played with until he became bored again.
Twice this prior week he had not returned until the early hours of the morning. Why? What had been so important that it could keep him from their bed? Both times, he had not come to get her.
Had he been with another woman. A true lady? Or a harlot? Was that why he hadn’t needed her?
The thought sent a sickening feeling through her entire body. How was she to compete? A thousand women would gladly take him to their bed. How could she ever hope to compete with that?
Each of those mornings, after she had heard him get up and go downstairs. She had snuck into his room before Watson could come in to search for clues as to where he had been. Even sniffing at his clothes for any hint of perfume.
But there had been nothing. No clue as to his whereabouts.
Of course, she didn’t confront him at breakfast. She could never let him know the worry that ate at her soul. She could never give him such power over her. Instead, she had bit her tongue and forced herself to remain light, and gay. As if nothing bothered her.
To make it even worse. The idiot wasn’t even aware that he had worried her. No, to him, everyone else must adapt and accept. He was the Duke after all.
Duke In Disguise (The Stafford Sisters Book 1) Page 14
