Page 72 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
How much would he have enjoyed undoing the laces on that stunning gown?
Taking a deep breath, he rounded the corner and stepped into the breakfast room.
But the room was empty.
His eyes scanned every corner, before his heart sank. His enthusiasm for breakfast was forgotten as he realized he would have to eat alone.
Breakfast remained on the table, so he grabbed a biscuit and took a bite. He hurled the rest of it against the wall for no reason other than the fact that it felt good to take out his frustration on it.
Margaret lived here now. How long was he going to wait before he ran into her?
“Why did you throw that biscuit?”
Of course, the girls saw me lose my temper.
Leo paused and closed his eyes, thinking of how he would explain to two six-year-olds that he was frustrated with himself. With this situation that he found himself in, where he suddenly had a wife and nieces to take care of.
“It was not to my liking,” he finally said, turning to find Annie staring up at him.
“Your uncle has poor manners.”
He stiffened at the voice that came from behind him. Had he known that his outburst would be witnessed by his entire family, he might have decided to hold it together.
How juvenile throwing his food must have looked.
Annie walked around him and picked up the biscuit. She placed it on the table before walking over to Margaret, who offered her a hand. The little girl took her proffered hand, and the two of them left the breakfast room.
But not before Margaret cast a look at him over her shoulder.
Her warm brown eyes met his, and he felt heat ignite deep inside him. Leo wanted to follow her wherever she and his niece were going, whether that meant climbing trees in the orangery or hiding in the nooks and crannies of the old mansion.
Her glance back was quick, but it was enough.
When she turned around to head back to the kitchens with Annie in tow, he felt the emptiness of the breakfast room.
Leo sat down at the table, putting his head in his hands. He took a bite of the sausage that was on the table and chewed with vigor, trying to remember why he came down here in the first place. It would not be easy to learn to live with a woman whom he did not care to get close to.
Leo slammed his fist on the table so hard that the silverware clattered. This was going to be a long life if he could not control his thoughts around his new wife. How dangerous it was for him to get close to her—for both of them.
A Beast deserves to be alone.
And he would see to it that no harm came to Margaret—the real reason why he had married her in the first place. It would have to be enough knowing that she was protected here, even if he could never lay a hand on her again.
Margaret strolled through the orangery, enjoying the light floral fragrance that filled the warm air. Her skirts rustled in the breeze as she paced the rows, trying to locate the little girls.
Annie and Kitty were eager for her attention. Margaret had an inkling that they were desperate for attention fromsomeone. Margaret, Joan, the cook—anyone but Leo. When she offered to play with them this morning, she knew it would be an all-day distraction from her husband.
She could hear their giggles a few rows down, but she paused for a few moments to prolong the game. The fruit on the trees was ripe, so she reached up and plucked the closest one from the branch. Pressing it to her nose, she inhaled the citrus scent.
She could not help but think of the first time she had been here.
It felt like a different lifetime when she was here to seek refuge from her grandfather, putting herself under Leo’s protection. A blush crept up her cheeks at the memory of asking him whether there would be a book club while she stayed with him.
Slowly, she peeled the rind off the orange and separated a small section from the fruit. Popping it into her mouth, she savored the bite of the citrus on her tongue.
“You are not supposed to eat the fruit,” Kitty called.
“You are supposed to find us,” Annie chimed in.
