Page 28 of Claiming His Lost Duchess
“As I stated previously, I expect her to be cared for properly, alongside my daughter. Any complaints or reports of disrespect I received will not be taken lightly. As you were,” Graham waved them away, steering her towards the direction of her room.
Two days after she had been certain that Sophia had recovered completely, she took the offer to move into a separate room, away from her daughter. If she were to be married, it was best to have separate quarters, as she couldn’t… entertain her husband in the same bed as the one she shared with her daughter.
Sophia had only pouted about it at first, but quickly, she soon saw the benefits of having a room to herself and swiftly forgot her initial upset.
Now, as he led her to her room, she couldn’t help but feel nervous again, wondering if she would be able to fulfill her wifely duties. But instead of making any demands or letting his hands wander, Graham pulled away and stepped back once they reached the door.
“I will leave you to get settled. The staff are at your beck and call, but if you need anything, you can also come to me,” he said, his voice still holding onto the earnest tone he had a habit of using around her.
It did something to her, beseeching her to view him differently and let go of the scrutiny and distrust she had against him.
And to her utmost confusion, Graham simply nodded curtly and took his leave.
For hours after that, Joan nervously waited for a summons that never came. She had dinner with Sophia and put her to bed an hour after that, smiling as her daughter regaled her with stories of the adventures she had experienced around the estate that afternoon.
After she drifted off into a peaceful slumber, Joan’s anxiety returned as she made her way back to her room.
She couldn’t help but pace around once she was there, unsure of what to expect. Her husband… he was unlike any man she had ever met, but a man nonetheless.
Although he had expressed no intention to visit her chambers that night, he was still a man who needed an heir for the sake of his dukedom. Surely that meant he would require her to produce one?
She had only just managed to convince herself to sit down before a knock at the door caused her to spring back to her feet.
“W-Who is it?” she called nervously.
There was silence for a moment, and just as Joan thought she might have misheard, a gruff voice stated from the other side of the door,
“Your husband.”
CHAPTER TEN
Joan was on her feet immediately, practically running to answer the door.
He looked… just as calm as he had been all day, which made Joan wonder if she was the only one who was unsure of how to deal with their new relationship.
Perhaps,she reasoned. After all, she was the one with the most to lose if she was unable to utilize their union to her benefit, without remaining on his good side.
“Ah,” she gasped, stepping aside when she realized she had simply been staring at him. “Please come in.”
He did so with a nod, and once the door was closed, Joan wandered back to the bed, but did not sit, waiting for him to state his intentions.
“How are you?” he questioned to her surprise.
“I –” Joan paused, caught off guard.
She had been forcing herself to put on a brave front for Sophia, despite the silent terror this situation had awakened within her. She was plagued by worries about her daughter, about what lay ahead of them, because she had no other choice than to trust this man.
She feared what would happen if she were to get to close to her husband, all too aware of the strange effect he had on her rationality. But… it could not be all bad, could it?
“I am well. As one would expect, I suppose. This has all been quite the change – and it happened rather suddenly, too.”
Graham nodded sagely. “I understand, completely. I know that this must have disrupted your lives – both yers and the lass. But… I’ll do everything I can to ensure that you both are comfortable and taken care of here. And I’ll do what I can to make this as seamless for Sophia too. I’ll do whatever I can – even make my speech as English as possible, so as not to confuse her.”
He sounded earnest, determined to go above and beyond for their comfort and Joan wanted to ask why. But she was afraid of what the answer might be, so she lowered her gaze for a moment.
“Thank you.”
She raised her eyes to see him nodding again, his demeanor slightly dismissive.
