Page 42 of A Deal with her Forbidden Duke
His tone was still teasing, hoping to ease that stiffness in her. Madeleine swallowed.
“Well, I would disagree.”
Hmm, he thought. He raised a brow but said nothing further. He could not push her away.
“Well, in that case,” he said after a few moments, “please enjoy your first dinner at Silverton Hall.”
Madeleine blinked at him, as if surprised at his sincerity. He cut his meat, eating it indulgently.
The taste burst over his tongue. Fresh and fruity, something new for him, yet there was a hint of spiciness to it, bringing him back to the full taste of the venison.
He could not help wondering: did this choice reflect his wife, too?
They ate in relative silence, and Alexander found himself unexpectedly stumped. His wife had quickly become a mystery, and he wanted to unravel it immediately.
But things like this took time—and he would enjoy slowly unraveling her, finding what made her fall apart into him.
When they finished eating, Madeleine set down her cutlery and stood. She hovered, and Alexander watched her, finishing his own meal.
She hesitated, as if unsure of what to say. There was a strange fidgeting to her as she toyed with a bracelet around her wrist. She lowered it when she saw his attention stray there. It was one from a collection he had prepared for her, and she played with it as if unfamiliar with its adornment.
A flare of anger went through him. Just how much had Lord Kinsfeld deprived her of?
“Yes?” he asked.
“About tonight?—”
Ah.
He quickly held up a hand. “There is nothing to say. I am not coming to your chambers tonight, Duchess.” He set down his cutlery and stood as well. “Rest. That is all I ask.”
He saw the flicker of surprise pass over her face as he left with a nod of his head.
Chapter Fourteen
Madeleine was becoming accustomed to the noises of Silverton Hall. After living in what felt like a mausoleum for so long in Kinsfeld House, the noises surrounding her now had her feeling on uneasy footing.
Yet it was a comfort, and over the next week, she adjusted to the sounds of Silverton’s full staff on duty, the conversation between maids as they went about their daily duties.
She had written to Tessa several days ago, asking about her friend’s wellbeing.
There is a ball being held at Lord Banbury’s estate. It is to celebrate his courtship and no doubt impending engagement. Please come, Madeleine. It feels like an eternity since I have seen you. You must let me show you off as my friend, the Duchess of Silverton. It will also give me the perfect chance to get to know your husband more.
Although Tessa’s letter overall had shined with enthusiasm and happiness, it only left Madeleine with a curling dread at being invited into society.
With her wedding to Alexander being small, and her departure from London swift, she had not had to hear any gossip.
Nerves fluttered through her as she ventured to Alexander’s study. She knocked before entering and found him swiftly covering a few documents.
She paused but said nothing, recalling her lady’s maid’s words—her husband was a private man. Simply because he had sifted through all of her through his investigation, it did not mean she was as entitled to know all of his business.
“Yes?” he asked.
Ever since their first dinner, Alexander had been… not quite silent or avoidant towards her but it was as though her answers during that first meal had made him unsure of how to speak to her.
From their kiss in the carriage, to their investigations, and now this, Madeleine was not sure where they were with one another.
She had the terrible suspicion that she had caused such uncertainty.
