Page 6 of A Gamble with the Rakish Duke
“You believe that, Duchess?” Oliver asked with a frown. When there was no response, he muttered, “Fine. Believe whatever you want.”
Husband and wife fumed silently throughout the short journey, but Alexandra could not help but feel something else.
Oliver was sitting too close, and she was a woman who had never been with a man—not even her own husband.
Chapter Three
“Here’s my townhouse,” Oliver declared as he helped her out of the carriage.
Alexandra did not refuse his hand, gingerly stepping down and mentally preparing herself for what seemed like a new chapter in her life.
She looked up at the three-story Georgian townhouse with a red stuccoed brick facade. It was not what she had expected; she knew Oliver had also run into financial trouble because of his lifestyle, and the country house was already grand enough for her.
She did not know what she had imagined before—perhaps she had imagined her husband sleeping in a small room in an inn or with another woman.
The last thought made her uneasy, even though she felt she had no right to be. Neither of them wanted to get married, and evenbefore they got married, she had heard about his frequent visits to brothels and dalliances with high-born ladies.
Oliver was no saint—far from it.
“Do you like it?” His voice broke through her thoughts, too arrogant for her liking.
He was enjoying this, seeing her gaping at his home.
“It’s beautiful,” she admitted grudgingly as she tried to ignore the knot of anger forming in her stomach.
“This is where you’ll stay while you’re in London,” Oliver said, re-igniting the anger that had somehow died down while she stared at the townhouse with awe.
“You do not get to tell me where I’ll stay, Your Grace,” she snapped.
Someone would think Alexandra was being difficult, but she genuinely did not want anyone to control her movements.
The country house had made her forget about the men in her life pulling at her strings. She longed to be back in the fresh air, tending to her garden, away from her father and the likes of Gideon Lockwood.
“Just as I could not stop you from causing chaos at Devil’s Draw?” Oliver drawled, loosening his cravat.
Alexandra didn’t like the smirk on his lips, as if her response was amusing to him. While his attitude made her furious, the casual way he was undressing in front of her made her pulse quicken.
“Well, I couldn’t stop you from being a reckless fool!” Alexandra protested, but she felt a thrill when his voice dropped.
“Reckless? Didn’t that recklessness just save you from thugs?”
“You saved me? Perhaps you are the one who needs saving, Your Grace.”
“Are you certain about that?” Oliver asked teasingly, his grin widening.
Alexandra’s eyes darted left and right. There was nobody around. The townhouse was quiet, and they were on the top floor.
Again, she did not feel in danger around Oliver, but what if he asked for what a man needed from his wife? It would be well within his rights.
Her father had made it clear that she should obey her husband. Thankfully, she did not have to make such choices, so far. Oliver had chosen to leave her.
But now?
His chuckle broke through her thoughts.
“Are you laughing at me?” Alexandra demanded.
“You look like a caged animal. Not like a woman with her husband in their home. The servants are asleep, by the way, but they are here if you choose to scream. Most will be awake in two hours.”
