Page 77 of Claiming His Lost Duchess
“You are healing quite nicely, Your Grace,” the physician noted with a nod of approval as he examined Graham’s injuries.
He continued to peer closely at the wound that had come as a result of getting shot at, dabbing at it gently with a ball of cotton dipped in disinfectant.
“I would like to emphasize how important it is that you avoid any strenuous activities that would cause the wound to reopen. Although I might not need to, seeing as you have been an obedient patient this far. Still, do avoid swimming of any sort, as the wound could get infected,” the physician added as he redressed the wound in fresh, clean bandages.
Graham nodded, trying his best not to glance in the corner of the room where his wife was seated, watching the physicians every move.
He had managed to avoid her for days, in need of some space to sort out his thoughts. He was still quite angry at her for her behavior, and for thinking he saw their marriage as nothing more than a ploy to gain sole custody of their child.
He needed some time to sort through his thoughts and understand what to make of their situation, and he knew that he would get no thinking done with her by his side.
Not when he still yearned for her so much.
Graham was not sure what would happen to them, if their marriage would overcome this crisis, but did the first time since he had seen her all those years ago, Graham wondered if perhaps he should have simply let Joan be from the start.
Only to shake his head immediately. He did not regret meeting her or helping her. He regretted nothing from their past together, but he wished that his heart had been better taken care of in the long run.
Once the physician was done, he took his leave after bowing to the duchess on his way out, his hurried footsteps saying that perhaps the tension between the Duke and his wife was thicker than they might believe.
With a sigh, he rose to his feet and pulled his shirt back on, walking towards the door.
“How are you?” Joan asked quietly, rising as he approached her.
“Fine,” he said gruffly, trying not to look at her.
He could not bear the awkward silence between them, the discomfort that hung heavily in the air was set to wear him out and he simply did not have the strength for it.
So, he nodded curtly at her and left the room.
Once he was outside, he sighed deeply.
More than anything, he missed her. His heart longed for her and his body craved her warmth. But until they had managed to work through their issues, he was unsure if he could be with her.
That is, if they could even work through things.
Graham kept up the distance between them for two more days, still honoring the rule of having dinner with his family, although it made for a tense setting. Thankfully, Sophia has been blissfullyunaware, chattering enough to fill the silence on behalf of both her parents.
She gave him hope that they would navigate this unease somehow, one way or another.
While trying to handle some work on his in his study, a knock at the door cut through his concentration and he say back, calling out,
“Come in.”
To his surprise, the person on the other side was none of her than his wife.
Joan made her way into the office, looking remarkably lovely for a simple afternoon and he felt his heart stir at the sight of her. It was a chore, Graham discovered, to force himself not to dwell on such observations. He had been working quite diligently to maintain distance between them these past days, and acknowledging how lovely she looked would not serve his purpose.
If she really did not love him, his life might as well be over.
Clearing his throat, he lowered his gaze.
“What can I do for you, Your Grace?’ he asked, trying to focus his attention and gaze in the work beneath his fingertips.
“Graham,” she began, her voice barely above a whisper, uncertain in a way that made his chest tighten despite his resolve to remain unaffected. “Might I… might I have a word with you?”
He raised his eyes and studied her face carefully, searching for some clue as to her intentions and finding only nervous vulnerability. It reminded him of the early days of their marriage, when she was so reluctant to open up to him and enjoy the life their marriage had provided her.
The sight of her like that again hurt him greatly and he could not help but raise his head.
