Page 102 of An Unwanted Widow for the Duke
“You’re here!” Hector squealed.
Three days later, Wilhelmina returned. She had barely set foot in Talleystone House when he bolted toward her.
It wasn’t a hug, but a lunge. The force of his enthusiasm nearly knocked her off her feet. As for her, she was nearly in tears, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him close. She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair.
“I’ve missed you, my darling,” she croaked.
“Please don’t leave us again. It was so dreadful not having you here, Lady Mina,” Hector said, pulling free from her hug just so he could grin at her.
He was missing another of his front teeth. Gerard managed to keep it for him, thankful that he didn’t dismiss his son when heran toward him with what he considered to be a matter of life and death.
“I will try my best, sweetheart,” Wilhelmina promised with a chuckle, straightening. “I did notice that you are missing one more baby tooth. You’re a big boy now, eh?”
Gerard could only watch from a distance. He didn’t think she would like him up close at that moment, not when he had pushed her away because of his fears.
Samuel was right. Perhaps he had been ignoring the happiness that had finally been served on a silver platter.To him. To Hector.
At the moment, though, Wilhelmina’s attention was solely focused on Hector. Not that it was bad. Gerard liked the fact that she truly cared for his son. Another stepmother would not be as generous with her time and affections. But her eyes never drifted to him, never searched for his.
Therefore, he let the chasm between them grow and grow until it became suffocating. He had already lost her, anyway.
“Do you think people will know if I am not breathing in this thing?” Wilhelmina asked, smoothing the skirts of her gown.
She was feeling a little self-conscious about the new fit. It looked wonderful in the mirror, but it felt so constricting. Or perhaps she was just acutely aware of everything.
Even the beautiful silk gloves felt like they were scratching her skin. And that could not be further from the truth. The material was specially sourced for its softness.
“You’ll breathe,” Gerard said softly, glancing down at her as they entered the Emersons’ grand hall. His arm felt too heavy and stiff around her.
“Mhm. So commanding,” she said dryly, raising an eyebrow at him.
Wilhelmina guessed that she just had to take whatever it was between them. Hector seemed happy enough with this arrangement.
“Oh, you know that it’s necessary in events like this,” Gerard muttered, his jaw clenched so tight that she wondered if his teeth hurt.
She almost giggled at the thought.
They descended the steps and into the hall. It was almost as if they had never fought.
“We are not quite as early as we hoped,” Wilhelmina remarked.
The party was indeed in full swing; only two more names were announced after them.
“We don’t need to be early for these things. We just have to be here,” Gerard said.
She understood him well enough. After her brief stay with her sister, their return together was a quiet declaration: their marriage remained unshaken.
Violins swelled, the grand piano answering in turn, and as they stepped into the room, the music seemed to wrap around them like a vow. The sweetness of it pressed upon her, almost too tender, almost too solemn.
Wilhelmina was not a shy woman, but she didn’t like the attention either. After the fight with Gerard, she felt just like how she did before. It was as if everyone could read through her, see her for who she truly was—an outsider.
Tonight, she wore a particularly fashionable gown. It stood out from the silks and lace that surrounded them. She wondered if it was a good choice for a dress, as heads turned wherever they went.
“There they are,” a lady nearby murmured.
Wilhelmina could never believe the audacity of some people. Some believed they were perfect enough to judge anyone they didn’t know much about.
“The Duke and Duchess of Talleystone,” another lady whispered to her friend.
