Page 41 of His Scottish Duchess

“Thank you, Mrs. Starling,” she repeated, her tone sincere as she gazed warmly at the housekeeper. “I have learned a great deal from you.”

“It has been a pleasure to teach and guide you. I must say that you were exceptionally easy to instruct, and I appreciated that greatly. Although you will be left to your own devices most of the time moving forward, I remain at your disposal, Your Grace. Your needs are my priority,” Mrs. Starling said, curtsying.

Catherine felt greatly honored, the older woman’s compliments making her more proud of herself.

It seemed it wasn’t only the housekeeper who loved the changes around the house. Anna had sung her praises at length, and it seemed that the other servants were excited to do their jobs, now that their environment had been given a makeover.

More than anything, Catherine was eager to show Sampson the results of her efforts. He had been the one to strongly reinforce what he wanted to see, and he had also trusted her to do right by him.

But strangely enough, they hadn’t really found time to speak since the ball four days ago.

After the ball, he had escorted her to her chambers, bidding her a polite goodnight with a gentlemanly formality that was quite different from his teasing and flirtatious demeanor throughout the evening. It had stunned her, how she had been returned to her chambers without so much as a goodnight kiss.

Then, she had nearly collapsed at the thought of wanting a kiss from him.

“I cannae believe this,” she grumbled as she walked down the hallway, peering out of the windows she passed for any signs of him. “It had been difficult to avoid him when I wanted to, but now that I am actively seeking him out, it seems he has vanished. Utterly ridiculous, that man.”

Her desire to boast about her good work and be complimented by him were not the only reasons why she was looking for him. She wished to thank him for standing up for her at the ball.

She had been too flustered, and eventually too tired and distracted when they arrived home to do so, but it was important to her that she express her gratitude. She wanted him to know that she did not take his kindness for granted and that she greatly appreciated everything he had done for her.

Catherine wandered through the house, checking the library, the music room, and even the gardens, but there was no sign of him. Finally, having grown sick of this cat-and-mouse game, she approached the unflappable butler to ask about her husband’s whereabouts.

“Oh, His Grace left the estate rather early to attend a meeting, Your Grace. He should be back in the evening. Shall I inform His Grace that you were looking for him?”

“Oh, no.” Catherine shook her head quickly, feeling strangely caught. “I will see to this matter myself. Do not worry at all.”

The butler let her be, but she couldn’t help wishing that she could have done something more than just wait.

It was odd, how the part of her that wished to resolve the situation had twisted the longing into a void only the presence of her husband could fill.

While she waited, Catherine handled a few more of her tasks, and she even went to the gardener so he could show her how he replanted seedlings that had been grown in the nursery.

She felt tortured by the slow passage of time, and eventually, she convinced herself to forget all about it until he returned.

That evening, after Anna had smiled secretly and told her that the Duke had arrived shortly before dinner, Catherine found herself drawn to his study. It was an idea that held a strange mix of intimidation and intrigue for her. She had been there only a handful of times, always at his invitation, and yet she felt compelled to seek him out.

“Ye’re getting bold, or foolish, Cathy,” she mumbled to herself on her way to see him.

As she had several times in the past, she hesitated outside the heavy oak doors, her hand hovering over the polished handle.

He had not invited her tonight. She hoped it wouldn’t matter that he had not. She wanted to believe that all those times shehad arrived and he had greeted her in a voice filled with such joy meant something—even though he mostly did it to tease her.

But this was a matter of gratitude. Simple but necessary.

With a deep breath, she knocked on the door. She waited until she heard his voice telling her to enter before she turned the handle and stepped inside.

Sampson was seated at his desk, a stack of papers spread before him. He looked up as she entered, his blue eyes widening in genuine surprise.

”Do my eyes deceive me?” he drawled, his voice laced with amusement. “Has my wife truly sought me out without my requesting her company? Is the world about to end? Am I dying? Areyoudying? You know what they say about people acting out of character.”

Usually, his words had a way of getting on her nerves, but this time she found them slightly amusing.

Catherine rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “Dinnae be ridiculous, Your Grace,” she replied, her tone light. “Surely I am allowed to seek you out. We are married, after all, and it would be bad to go days without seeing each other.”

Sampson stared at her for a moment, then nodded, a slow smile spreading across his lips. “That is true, Duchess. How fortunate I am to have such a lovely, intelligent woman like you as my wife.”

“Hmm, yes. You are fortunate,” she agreed, nodding sagely.

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