Page 18 of An Arranged Betrothal with a Contrite Duke
“Well, I think you will find it problematic to see those that have turned to dust,” he quipped.
Lydia giggled as his eyes sparkled with his gentle teasing. He was quickly changing her mind about the rumors of him being a cold recluse. There was certainly more to him than met the eye. And she was enjoying his company more by the second.
As they made their way through the various rooms of the house, Lydia took the opportunity to point out more of her favorite features and share more of her childhood memories. She reached a panel where a secret passage had been, before her father had redone the wall there and filled in the passage behind it.
“There used to be a passage here,” she said, dropping her voice. “I would run all through the house, from here to right beside the kitchens. I still have no idea what it was used for, but I used to pretend that people escaped from troublemakers who got into the home that way. I would imagine all kinds of scenarios like that. It was the greatest fun.”
The duke looked at her with bemusement.
“What an imagination,” he said. “Whatever happened to the passage?”
She sighed.
“Father had some remodeling work done and had it filled in,” she said. “I had nearly outgrown it by then. But it would be fun to see it again, at least one more time.”
Lord Strawbridge chuckled and nodded.
“I would have liked to see that,” he said. “My house doesn’t have anything like secret passages. I had always assumed those were something from storybooks.”
Lydia shrugged and laughed.
“I imagine it was just an accident in the architecture,” she said. “It did not serve any practical purpose that I could see. But it brought me so many hours of fun as a child.”
The duke nodded, still smiling.
“I likely would have gotten myself locked in a secret passage, had I had such a thing as a boy,” he said, shaking his head. “I was too curious for my own good, and I was always determined to investigate any mystery until I was satisfied with the answer.”
Lydia beamed up at him.
“I love a good mystery to solve,” she said. “That’s another reason I enjoy history. There are still many mysteries that scholars have yet to be able to solve.”
Lord Strawbridge nodded again.
“It would be something to see some of them solved in our lifetime, wouldn’t it?” he asked.
Lydia nodded once more.
“It certainly would,” she said.
She told him more stories of her childhood adventures, from accidental falls in mud puddles to hiding books in her room and reading them until all hours of the night after she was supposed to be in bed. She was delighted to find that the duke remained an attentive listener and seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He even laughed as she explained how her now retired nursemaid, Lara, often hid her muddy dresses and covered for her when she got dirty trying to investigate her mysteries outside. And he even shared a few stories of his own.
As she guided Lord Strawbridge through the dimly lit corridors of her family's ancient castle, her heart fluttered with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. As they strolled along, she pointed out the more interesting paintings and artworks adorning the walls, as well as the exquisite architectural features that made the castle unique. The entire time, she couldn't help but feel the thrill of being near him. It was an attraction she had never experienced before. And she couldn’t help wondering if he felt it, too.
They approached a painting that always touched Lydia’s heart. She smiled up at it, pointing to it to the duke.
“And this portrait,” she said, gesturing to the ornate frame, “is of my great-grandmother, Lady Annabelle. It's said that she was quite the beauty in her time, and that her charm was matched only by her wit.”
Lord Strawbridge studied the portrait for a moment before replying, his voice warm and engaging.
“She certainly does have a striking countenance,” he said. “I daresay her charms have been passed down through the generations.”
Lydia's cheeks flushed at the compliment, and she quickly turned to lead him further along the corridor. She was desperate to know why he had chosen her as his wife. But she couldn't bring herself to ask such bold questions, not yet. Instead, she focused on how well they seemed to be getting on, and the possibility that they might make a good marriage after all.
As they approached the entrance to the castle's famed collection room, Lydia hesitated for a moment. She knew that was the final part of the tour, and that brought her sadness. She still had a few other things to show him before they got there. But she wished she had drawn out the tour even longer still. But she knew her parents would be expecting them back soon, as well. So, she smiled to him, moving slowly toward the door to the room. She glanced at Lord Strawbridge, hoping to gauge his interest as she spoke.
“The collection room will be coming up pretty soon,” she said. “It’s a place where my father has housed most of his most treasured artifacts over the centuries. Would you care to take a look in here, as well, after we’ve seen everything else?”
Lord Strawbridge's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
