Page 10 of Wedded to the Beastly Duke
“Come, wife,” he said, holding out his arm to her.
She accepted, slipping her small hand in the crook of his elbow. Despite her height, her hands were small and dainty, with neat, half-moon nails and elegant fingers—two facts he did his best not to notice.
The less they had to do with one another from now on, the better.
He led them down the aisle and out the door, where a carriage was waiting. Not entirely bereft of manners, he handed her into the carriage and climbed in after her. Knocking twice on the door, he signaled for the driver to take off, and the carriage lurched forward.
“Wait,” his new duchess said, pressing a hand against the window and peering out. “Wait. What about my family?”
“I presume you bid them goodbye before the ceremony began?”
“I was not expecting us to leave so abruptly. What about the wedding breakfast?”
He settled back in his seat and gazed out the window instead of at her lovely face, which was flushed with irritation. “I did not think you were celebrating any more than I was.”
“Where are we going?”
“My seat.”
“And where is that?”
His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath, trying to come to terms with her talkativeness. “Not far.”
“Well, I suppose I expected we would not remain in London,” she mused. “Not far. Does that mean it is in Kent?”
He closed his eyes.
“Not Kent. Surrey, perhaps? My father’s seat is much further north. We have several estates, actually, but I spent the majority of my childhood in Cheshire.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “Have you ever been to Cheshire?”
“That is hardly your concern.”
“Oh, but I am yourwifenow. You insisted on marrying at least one of us, and so you have. I presume it was for my dowry?”
“That is none of your business.”
“I heard that your brother was very fond of cards,” she mused, and he clenched his teeth so hard, he was surprised none of them cracked.
“You will not speak of my brother,” he snapped.
“Very well,” she said after a long pause. “I suppose it is good to know now which subjects you would rather I steer away from. After all, I wouldhateto irritate you.” The way she said it suggested that she was not as opposed to the idea as she made out. “Do you have any younger sisters or younger brothers?”
He remained silent, wishing he could somehow block off his hearing so he was not obliged to hear all her impertinent questions. Admittedly, he could accept that now that they were man and wife, she might expect to be entitled to these answers, but he had not married her with any expectation that they would share their lives in any meaningful way.
“Do you keep horses, My Lord Duke?” she asked, and as another wave of irritation shot through him, she smirked as though she knew exactly what he was feeling.My Lord Duke. What an intolerable turn of phrase. No one had ever called him that before. “I am an avid rider, you know. And I love to read. Is there a library?”
“Do you have an endless well of questions?” he demanded.
“Well, what else is there to do in a carriage? Do you propose we sit in silence and do nothing but stare at one another for the duration of the ride?”
“Yes.”
“Then I am afraid you are in for a disappointment, My Lord Duke. I am incapable of sitting still and not speaking. My mother says it is because my mind is always busy, but I believe it is because my mind is doing nothing at all, and so my mouth must take up some of the work.”
This had been a terrible mistake. Marrying her had proven one of the worst things he ever could have done.
“And if you are so determined to say very little, then you leave me with no choice but to speak more to make up for it.”
He could endure this. He had been in the Navy, after all, manning cannons and surviving the sea when it had been at its worst. He had eaten nothing but dry biscuits for days and watched his fellow men succumb to seasickness and other illnesses. He had learned how to sail, climbing the rigging with a skill and speed few men had.
