Page 66 of An Unwanted Widow for the Duke
On their wedding night, he had nearly gone to her. Nearly lowered his hand onto the doorknob. But in the end, he had not. He had not done so in years, not since Pamela, and then only outof a sense of duty, a habit developed through their grim quest for an heir.
Wilhelmina had asked him if he wanted another child. Her cheeks had flushed scarlet as she posed the question. He had told her no.
But had he meant it? He already had Hector—his heir, his legacy. This marriage was meant to keep up appearances, to settle accounts, to shield them both. Nothing more.
And yet?—
“If that is what you think.” Wilhelmina gave a delicate shrug, as if dismissing the entire quarrel.
Damn him, but his eyes followed the movement, traced the slope of her shoulder, the fine line of her collarbone revealed by her gown.
Desire, unwelcome and insistent, coiled low in his belly.
“It does not matter what I think,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.
Days later, Gerard was gripped by a strange kind of tension. He had always been reserved, but these days, the tension seemed tohave heightened. It simmered under the surface, rendering him restless.
It was what pushed him to ride out early in the morning with Samuel. His friend was glad to accompany him, albeit a little surprised.
“Isn’t it still your honeymoon, Talleystone?” Samuel asked, his eyebrows arched comically.
“Spare me the interrogation, Berkhead,” Gerard responded irritably.
Then, he urged his horse to go faster.
For a few moments, he let the stallion thunder through the forest. Samuel followed. They slowed down, eventually, settling into a canter.
Gerard did not really like tiring his horse unnecessarily, but sometimes the feel of the wind on his face made him want to ride at a full gallop.
“You keep saying it is a marriage of convenience. But do you really believe that?” Samuel asked, a little breathlessly. “Why do you look so irritable? Perhaps you should go back home to your dear wife.”
“My home has been upended by my new wife,” Gerard muttered, almost to himself. “She has taken over nearly every aspect of thehouse—Hector, meal times, the decorations… Even the servants seem to favor her over me.”
Samuel chuckled, shaking his head.
Gerard knew how his complaints might sound to an outsider—petty, perhaps—but he clung to the idea that he should have some measure of control over Talleystone. Over his life. Overeverything. Then came Hector. And now Wilhelmina.
She seemed made for his boy; together, they were chaos and laughter.
“That does not sound so bad, Talleystone,” Samuel replied lightly. “Hector seems happier with a stepmother who can keep him in line when you are otherwise occupied.”
“He is a wild child,” Gerard admitted reluctantly. “I thought the Duchess would be a steadying hand, more constant than I could ever be.”
“Oh, she is, my friend. She was a widow grateful for a second chance, fortunate to marry someone of your standing. It is working exactly as it should,” Samuel said, the amusement in his voice barely restrained. “You need to ease up on yourself.”
“I—” Gerard exhaled sharply, the sound betraying the tension in his body. “I can’t seem to do that.”
Everywhere he went, he caught a glimpse of her.
A flash of loose hair cascading nearly to her waist, the tempting curve of her neck when her hair was pinned up.
Each glimpse ignited something within him—a restless, almost dangerous desire. He imagined the feel of her, the warmth, the softness of her body hidden behind doors that led to privacy… where such displays were welcome, expected even.
“Are you certain it is not irritation born ofphysicalfrustration, my friend?” Samuel asked, a knowing smirk playing on his lips.
Gerard shot him a glare, sharp and unamused. Yet as they cantered back to the house, he could not shake the thought.
That connecting door between their chambers, the one he had avoided, taunted him still. He could picture pushing it open and claiming his wife for himself. Let her resist if she dared.
