Page 22 of His Scottish Duchess

Once Mrs. Starling was gone, the formality of the day dissolved, and Catherine’s restless spirit emerged. She still found the quietude of the manor stifling, the absence of her husband a constant reminder of her isolation.

It had begun to feel as though she was the only one who remembered that they were married. They rarely shared meals, crossing paths only briefly in the vast expanse of the estate.

Even those stolen moments barely awarded her with the attention she had begun to crave. Ever since that night, when she had bared herself to him, she had been having odd… feelings. Strange notions continuously swirled around in her mind, filling her with a thirst she could never seem to quench.

Catherine thought of Sampson far too much, far too often. She had begun to wish he would have touched her then, just as he had on her first day in the estate. She even wondered if he might have done just that, had she been another woman—one of his usual companions.

She did not understand where these ideas were coming from, as she had never experienced anything like it. Eventually, shedismissed it as a consequence of her longing for a sense of normalcy.

She needed a moment of shared laughter, a connection to break the monotony. And now that she had the rest of the day to herself, she went to the one person she knew wouldn’t deny her what she wanted.

“Anna,” Catherine said, approaching the maid as she returned from an errand, her voice laced with a hint of mischief. “I am a bit browned off. Let us play a game.”

The maid paused, her brow creasing with confusion. “Browned off?? What does that mean?”

Catherine laughed, for once not feeling bad about her slip-up. In fact, she had begun to worry about it less and less ever since Sampson had told her that he liked it.

“It means I’m bored, dear. I have done nothing but oversee my duties and responsibilities. I need a reprieve.”

Anna, ever loyal, smiled at her gently. “A game, Your Grace? Which one did you have in mind?”

“Hm.” Catherine paused thoughtfully, her eyes sparkling. “Something fun, something… spontaneous. I cannot bear another lecture from Mrs. Starling about how a proper lady should conduct herself. I need a reason to indulge in some gallus behavior.”

She missed her home, her family, and the easy laughter that filled their days. Apparently to the point where she wished to recreate the chaos that usually occurred there.

Anna, sensing her longing, couldn’t refuse. “Well, I did not play a lot as a child because I had no siblings and not a lot of friends. But if you do not mind teaching me, I’d love to play whatever you suggest. Do you have a game you’d like to play now, Your Grace?”

“Hide-and-seek!” Catherine declared, her voice filled with childlike enthusiasm. “My siblings and I loved to play that game as children. And it is incredibly easy to learn. I can teach ye!”

Anna chuckled, her eyes filled with warmth. “Very well, Your Grace. But you must be careful not to hide in any of the Duke’s private chambers.”

“I promise,” Catherine said, her lips curving into a playful smile. “Now, ye will close your eyes and count, and I will find the perfect hiding spot. When ye have counted up to… twenty, ye will have to come and find me. That is how the game is played.”

The maid nodded with a thoughtful expression. “All right, that does sound easy. I will stay and count to twenty while you hide, Your Grace. Good luck!”

“And to ye as well! Do not steal a peek!” Catherine said as she stepped back.

The moment Anna closed her eyes, Catherine darted away, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls. She glanced down different hallways and corridors, contemplating the potential hiding spots for a moment before she kept moving.

She needed to pick a spot that Anna would not expect her to hide in. Somewhere she did not usually go. Without realizing it, she explored the less frequented areas of the manor, seeking a hiding place that would challenge Anna’s keen eyes.

She stumbled upon a room she had never seen before—a small, dimly lit chamber that resembled a bathing room. It was secluded, tucked away at the end of a long corridor, and she decided it was the perfect spot.

She slipped inside, closing the door behind her, and held her breath, listening for Anna’s approaching footsteps. The room was warm and humid, filled with the scent of soap and herbs. Catherine’s eyes adjusted to the dim light, and she noticed a large, ornate tub in the center of the room.

Oh, it really is a bathing chamber.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and the excitement in her veins caused her to smile as she shuffled backward into a corner. But then she noticed that the footsteps were heavier and more deliberate compared to Anna’s dainty ones.

Catherine froze, her heart pounding in her chest as she prayed that she would not be found. The door opened, and she pressed a hand to her lips to keep quiet.

It was Sampson on the other side, and he was completely naked. Mr. Oswald had informed her that the Duke had a business meeting in town and would be gone for most of the day, so it had not been surprising that they had not crossed paths all day.

Maybe it was a tad disappointing, but the butler had also told her that he would likely return in the evening. And if his naked state was anything to go by, she guessed that he had only just returned and decided to take a bath to freshen up.

Sampson’s body was slightly angled away from the door, and much like their first meeting, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander down his perfect figure. He looked… firm. Each tiny movement made her notice how his muscles rippled deliciously. If he were a sculpture, then the artist certainly put a lot of dedication and thought into creating him.

His arms looked strong, and she wondered how it would feel to be embraced by him, to revel in his warmth as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

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