Page 25 of Her Bear of a Duke

She did not wish to leave her bed.

CHAPTER 9

"Why can I not meet her yet?"

Morgan groaned. Catherine had asked for him to come to her room, as she always did, but that day she was armed with questions that he did not wish to answer.

"It is too soon, Catherine. I have already told you this."

"I know, but you are married now. I am to be her daughter, so it is only fair that I meet her."

"You will not be her daughter," Mrs. Herrington reminded her. "As far as she is concerned, you are my granddaughter and that is all she needs to know."

"Well, if I am your granddaughter, why can she not see me?"

Morgan exchanged glances with his housekeeper. It had been a recent idea of Mrs. Herrington to claim that Catherine was her granddaughter, and though he was not completely happy with it he had no other ideas and so he had to go along with it. He wanted to tell his wife the truth, but he did not know where he would begin if he did so. It would mean telling her about his brother, and all that had come to pass leading to his niece coming to him, and though he knew Dorothy was a kind lady he could not be certain that she would take the news well.

"You can meet her soon," Morgan promised her. "I simply would like her to settle into her new life beforehand. You know how vast the manor is."

Catherine nodded at that, though she did not seem satisfied.

"Can I go outside today?"

"You already know what I will say to that, Catherine. We cannot have you seen by my wife."

"You cannot have me seen by anyone," she grumbled.

Morgan sighed, and at last Mrs. Herrington steered the conversation to safer territory. They remained there for the morning, and then Morgan had to leave for his study. He took his lunch with Catherine and then left the room. His housekeeper followed after him.

"You cannot hide her away forever, Your Grace," she said gently. "You have nothing to be ashamed of her for."

"I am not ashamed of her. I am trying to wait for a better time to introduce her into society, but it never seems to arrive."

"And it never will. A child born out of wedlock shall never be accepted, but the sooner you do it, the less she will notice that."

"Mrs. Herrington, I do not wish to discuss this right now. I do, however, require a word with you. Might we leave Catherine with her nanny for a while?"

Mrs. Herrington looked back to the door in thought. Morgan knew that she treasured the young girl, but she had grown far too attached. Should she have to leave Catherine, she grew unsettled, and he could not allow that with all that she had to do as a housekeeper.

"Very well," she nodded, and they left for the study.

He offered her a seat, and sent for a tea. It was the way he preferred to spend time with the lady who had known him since he was a boy, for though she was his servant he respected her a great deal. It was precisely why he valued her advice about his niece, and why he allowed her to speak to him in a way that was perhaps seen as otherwise unacceptable.

"So, how is she?" he asked once the tea had arrived.

"Catherine is very well. She seems not to have recovered completely, but she has been spending time by the window and the sun is helping a good deal."

"I was asking about my wife. You saw her two days ago for her tour. How was she?"

She circled a fingertip around her teacup.

"She is very quiet."

"Indeed, but she is good in conversation when encouraged. What did she think of the household?"

"She seemed frightened, if anything. I could see that she was overwhelmed by all of the work that she will need to do. Is she not prepared in that way?"

"I do not believe so, no. Her family likely did not expect her to marry someone with my status."

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