Page 37 of A Virgin for the Duke of Scars
Today was bound to be a long day. He would need something to fortify him ahead of spending time with her, when the only activity he would like to partake in was stripping her out of her clothes and?—
He shook his head, trying to push that thought away.
Instead, he poured himself another glass of whiskey and thought about how best to go about getting to know his bride. Perhaps she was right, and they merely needed to spend time together. What was the rule she set if she were to perform her wifely duties? An hour a day?
Surely, she wasn’t asking much of him, but he had been a solitary beast for far too long.
With a sigh, he set down his glass and made his way down to the breakfast room. Juliette and his grandmother would be able to smell the whiskey on him, but he bet that Theresa would not recognize the smell, having grown up in a convent.
“Nice of you to join us,” the Dowager Duchess said when he walked into the room.
She sniffed, and he knew instantly that she smelled the alcohol.
It was unlikely for her to say anything. His grandmother often looked the opposite way when it came to his vices.
The three women were already nibbling on the food placed in front of them. Theresa, he noticed, was only eating the sweetest things on her plate. She had pushed the bacon and sausages to the edge of her plate.
Aaron took his seat at the head of the table and reached over to pluck the bacon off her plate. She sat to his left, the place usually occupied by the Duchess, and it suited her.
She smiled at the familiarity of him eating off her plate.
“I must confess, I have developed a sweet tooth since I arrived here. You may have the rest of my plate, if you like, dear husband,” she offered.
Before he could answer, the servants brought him his own plate, piled high with all of his favorites.
“No need to clean up your scraps,” he said with a smile.
“But it would be wasteful not to eat them,” Theresa argued.
There were times when his breath caught as he realized how different her upbringing was from his own. He never thought twice about what was left on the table. He was sure the servants ate it. He had never seen bundles of food tossed out with the rubbish—not that he had seen much rubbish at all.
“Not your concern,” he said with a shrug.
He couldn’t care less if there was a bit of waste, one of the many perks of his station. They could afford more food ifandwhen they needed it.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” Juliette asked, drawing his attention. “You seem like you’re in a fine mood this morning.”
Ah, so she could smell the whiskey, too.
“We have an appointment with the dressmaker today. It seems that my wife here needs some clothes that fit her appropriately. The wardrobe we had made was intended for another, and it shows.”
His eyes roved over her body. The bodice of her dress was too tight, showing off her curves and pushing up her breasts. She had more curves than most ladies of theton,and he loved to look at them. Loved to imagine trailing his hands over each dip and swell.
That was what her dresses did to him.
He could never take her out looking so indecent. Not to mention, it made it hard for him to think of anything but ripping the fabric and slipping his hand inside to cup her breasts. He remembered the way she moaned when his fingers found her nipples, her sweet center.
Before he knew it, he was hard and unfocused on the conversation around him.
“The dressmaker!” Juliette exclaimed. “You will have such a fun time, Theresa. It is one of my favorite places to visit. I try to go a few times each Season.”
“Do your dresses only last through one Season?” Theresa asked. “Our dresses at the nunnery lasted us forever. The only times we had to get new ones were when we outgrew the old ones. And then they were recycled.”
Aaron smiled at her innocence. “Fashion is important to theton. It’s not that the dresses don’t last, but that they fall out of fashion.”
“Then it should be important to buy something that will stand the test of time,” Theresa declared.
A blush crept up her cheeks, and that made him want to smooth out the wrinkle between her eyebrows.
