Page 50 of A Virgin for the Duke of Scars
Whatever he saw, she was grateful for it.
And she knew she would not be able to live long without his touch, not anymore. Now that she had experienced the touch of a man, she would convince him to do more of it. To remove his mask and let her truly see him.
It would just take time, and she had plenty of that.
CHAPTER 17
“Juliette, could you please eat faster?” Theresa pressed. Her plate was clean, and she was pacing the length of the table. “We could have left five minutes ago if you had not opted for a second scone.”
“I thought you loved blueberry scones,” Juliette teased. “Any other day, and you would be the one licking the plate clean.”
“Breakfast will take as long as it takes,” the Dowager Duchess interjected with a small smile. “Though I, too, agree that Juliette is taking an inordinately long time to finish her breakfast.”
Juliette popped the last of her scones into her mouth—a decidedly unladylike move. She was still chewing on the pastry when Aaron entered the breakfast room.
“You are wearing one of your new gowns,” he noted, eyeing Theresa’s cerulean blue gown, which accentuated her curves in a way that drew the eye and made it impossible to look away.
She hoped he would want to undo the buttons in the back, as he had the night before.
Theresa twirled in front of him with a laugh. “What do you think, dear husband?”
“I think it is utterly indecent for you to go out in that dress. Some poor man may believe you are unmarried and try to snatch you from me.”
“Then you will have to exact revenge on him,” she said with a smile meant just for him. “You seem the kind of man who can stick up for his rights and his wife.”
“But I would prefer no bloodshed,” Aaron teased.
“If you two are done flirting, we should get going,” Juliette blurted, suddenly the one in a hurry to get to the art exhibit.
Theresa jumped away from Aaron without a second thought and made her way to the door without so much as a goodbye.
“I thought you wanted to spend time together every day, dear wife,” he reminded her, arching his eyebrows.
She knew he wanted her to play his game, to spend time with him when it was convenient for him. But this washerrule, and she would decide how they would go about it.
There were better opportunities to spend time together than during breakfast. There was nothing special about scones and sausages. Today, she had something more exciting planned than simple banter with her husband.
“I do want to spend time with you, but Grandmama and Juliette promised to take me to an art gallery today. And I’ve never been to see so much art in one place. Not this kind of art. Can you believe it?” She was nearly breathless.
“You will have a lovely time there,” Aaron said with a nod. “Though I would rather be with you, I trust Juliette and Grandmama to show you a good time. Isn’t that right, ladies?”
“Don’t tell me what I can and cannot do,” the Dowager Duchess huffed.
“I wish I could join you, but I have a few things to take care of today—I’ve just received your dowry from your father and the Queen. But I will make it up to you.”
“What did you have in mind?” Theresa asked, thinking of the evening they spent together and desperately hoping for a repeat of that kiss, with or without the mask.
“How about we attend the garden party the Duchess of Ashton is hosting tomorrow night? There will be a fireworks show afterward.”
“Fireworks,” she repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “I have never seen these either. So many firsts this week! I accept your invitation, dear husband.” She paused and then pivoted back to the original topic. “What will you do with the funds?”
“Is there anything you would like to remodel?” Aaron asked. “You can renovate anything you like with the money. I’ll make sure that both dowries are deposited in an account in your name, in case you need to… run.”
Theresa furrowed her brow in confusion. Why would she need to run? And from what? The husband who fulfilled her every desire, who had taught her what it meant to want and need someone else? From the family that had taken her in and taught her how to behave like a lady?
Absolute nonsense!
“I’m grateful you thought to include me in your plans,” she said instead. “Perhaps we could put some of the money to good use by helping families in need.”
