Page 6 of A Bride for the Beastly Duke
“She is five years old.”
Then Ava did something very unexpected. She smiled. Edward stopped breathing. He had thought her beautiful before, but that was nothing compared to when her face lit up in delight.
We can’t have that,he thought incoherently.
“Well, let us hope she is not much of a nuisance. My staff and I are not accustomed to little brats running amok.”
Her face fell, and his heart broke to see it, but he was also relieved. It would not do to mislead her. “Lily is perfectly well-behaved,” she said coldly.
He nodded, dismissively. “That is good. Perhaps we shall all trundle along together amicably.”
She stared at him. “Is that your wish, Your Grace? To simply ‘trundle along’?”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Of course.” Then a thought occurred to him. “You surely do not assume that this is a traditional marriage, do you? Well, never fear, I have no intention of imposing upon you in any way. This marriage shall be one of convenience in every way possible.”
“But… Your Grace, we cannot deal with each other as a married couple if we have not consummated.”
He sneered, “And who will tell? I assume you wish to remain as a duchess? Your dowry has already been paid and spent.”
Her eyebrows flew up in surprise.
“Oh yes. Barrington Castle was in disrepair. I assumed you would want to live in a palatable environment.”
She just blinked at him.
He took a deep breath. “In any case, repairs were conducted on much of the common spaces, and debts were paid, so your dowry is gone. If you wish to complain to the local clergy about lack of consummation, that is of course your right?—”
“I have no wish to report us to anyone. I was simply inquiring.” Her color was high, and her eyes bright. She seemed upset. Edward took a deep breath, wanting to slap his own wrist at his clumsy delivery.
It is as if I have never spoken to a lady before!
He would have shaken his head if he was alone. He frowned, trying to think of the last time he had spoken to a woman.
Was it with Justina? When she rejected me so cruelly?
He nodded absently, realizing that his erstwhile fiancée, the woman he had loved with his entire being, was the last lady he had spoken to. His frown deepened as he thought about his feelings for her as contrasted with how he felt about Ava. His feelings for Justina felt curiously muted in comparison.
It is because it has been two years. Of course, my feelings for Justina have faded.
Still, he could not recall feeling any animalistic desire for Lady Justina or a need to possess her body and soul.
I was probably a lot more civilized then.
“What is wrong?”
He jumped, turning to face Ava, having half-forgotten she was present as the carriage lurched along. Then quickly, he faced away, remembering his hideous face.
“Absolutely nothing. Why do you ask?”
“Well, you were frowning quite hard.”
Edward worked hard to keep the blush from his cheeks, leaning forward, so his hair covered his face. “Well, you will come to realize with time that I frown quite a lot. It is an effect of being quite the unhappy gentleman.”
She looked surprised and then giggled quietly into her hand. “Oh…” she whispered.
He blinked at her, surprised to have said something that tickled her literally pink. Her button nose shone in the sunlight, and he had an almost uncontrollable urge to lean in and kiss it.
What is happening to me?he thought with alarm.
