Page 69 of A Virgin for the Duke of Scars
She did not think she could handle going back to her old life after experiencing life in the city.
But it was not Aaron who knocked on her door. When she did not respond, Juliette simply barged into the room without an invitation, just as Margaret would have once upon a time.
“You did not come down for dinner.”
“I did not wish to see my husband,” Theresa said flatly.
“Then you are both too obstinate to face one another. He did not come down for dinner either, but I dared not venture to his tower.”
Theresa did not say anything. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she thought about what her husband’s avoidance might mean. They had to attend a house party tomorrow night. How could they pretend to be husband and wife at this rate?
“I will not presume to know what you are quarrelling over right now, but I came to give you some advice about my brother.”
“I would heed your advice,” Theresa said, curious about what her sister-in-law might reveal about him.
Aaron was so multifaceted that she was eager to understand the reasons for his odd behavior.
“He acts like he does not care what others think of him. I am here to tell you that it is obvious he cares for you, even though he pretends that he does not.”
“He does not trust me.”
“His trust is earned with time,” Juliette explained gently. “You have been married for so short a time. It will take longer than you think for him to let down his guard around you.”
“I trust him already,” Theresa argued.
“It is in your nature to trust easily. The sisters have taught you well about forgiveness and love. Aaron has not had the same experiences in the time he has been back from the war.”
Theresa mulled over Juliette’s words. The kitten snuck out from beneath her skirts and bounded over to Juliette, rubbing against her. She could not think of a single thing to say.
“I do not require an answer. I just wished to share this with you so that you would be kind to my brother,” Juliette sighed.
Then, she stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.
“Is it truly just you and me?” Theresa whispered to the kitten. “We are all alone here in this huge manor. It seems that everyone has taken sides, though no one knows the truth.”
She called for the maid to help her undo the buttons of her dress and help her into her nightgown. If there was nothing else to be done this evening, she would retire to bed early so that she could be well-rested for a late night tomorrow.
She knew she would dream of Aaron and the afternoon they had shared until the point she walked away from him. The time they had spent dancing in his study was one of the highlights of her new life.
Why shouldn’t she remember it fondly?
She would have so few memories to hold on to when she went back to the convent.
The maid came and helped her out of her gown before turning down the bed.
Theresa sank into the plush mattress and let her dreams carry her away to a time when this was not her life. When things were simpler.
When Aaron awoke the next morning, it was with dread of going another day without his wife. He wanted to go to her, to tellher that he did understand her frustration with him. That he did know why she would react the way he envisioned—because Isabella had already shown him.
Theresa was a lady and a nun. She had lived a sheltered life and would not be able to comprehend his disfigurement. She would realize once and for all that he was a beast.
The servants drew him a bath in the morning, and he tried to still his mind as he relaxed in the waters. He thought about his wife and the kiss they had shared in the kitchen, how easily it came to him this time around. He did not look to make sure that no one else would see.
Theresa made him feel more than anyone else ever had. He could not name the emotion she made him feel, only that it was unique to her. She made his heart feel lighter, and he knew he was more prone to laughter since the moment she walked down the aisle. While he sometimes laughedather, he also found plenty of occasions to laughwithher.
He enjoyed her company and her innocence. He never thought he would enjoy his life so thoroughly again. Not since the war.
When he emerged from his bath and dressed, he poured himself a glass of whiskey to help pass the afternoon.
