Page 4 of A Scandalous Love for the Enticing Duke
Nodding to the women in her drawing room again, she lifted her skirts and let Edward lead her to her husband.
As they walked, she nodded at servants who greeted her, none of them able to meet her gaze. It pleased her greatly that they revered her so. Although she knew they only respected her so much because of the fear she had instilled in them. Well, it worked perfectly for her. She was of the opinion that inferiors had to be afraid of their superiors, tremble constantly in their presence, so as to be constantly reminded of their place. She was a ruthless woman who loved power and wealth, relished it, took maximum advantage of it, and felt no guilt, whatsoever.
Indeed, she was an arrogant aristocrat, through and through. The model for propriety and a perfect example of the personalities the ton comprised. She knew that she had very few true friends because of this, but it bothered her not in the slightest.
Soon, they arrived at the Duke’s study, and she dismissed Edward.
“I do not have to be announced to my own husband in my own home, Edward.”
Her ladies-in-waiting stayed behind, not needing her instruction to do so. It was common knowledge that the Duchess did not welcome an audience when she wanted to have a private word with her husband.
She found her husband, the Duke of Cambridge lounging on the chair by his desk.
“You called for me?”
He looked up at that, and upon meeting the eyes of the only person she had ever genuinely loved, a bright smile spread across her face.
“Ahh. Victoria. There you are,” he greeted, rising on his feet so he could come to her. She gave him her cheeks as he reached her, and he promptly placed soft kisses on them as he loved to do.
“I am terribly sorry for calling you from your tea session. You must forgive me. I only could not keep this exciting news to myself any longer, you see.” He was already going back to his desk. She too began to follow, but his words caught her attention, halting her in mid-stride.
“Exciting news, you say? Pray, tell me what it is!”
The Duke chuckled at this, and she flushed. She knew he must be thinking about how much she loved gossip, or in this case, news. He stopped and turned to look at her.
“First, you have to affirm that you are no longer angry at me, dear wife; you know I hate it so much when you get cross with me.” He took her hand in his and lifted it to his lips to press kisses along her knuckles. She watched him until his eyes pulled her and held her hostage. The feel of his cool lips against her skin and the intensity of his gaze sent thrilling sensations up her nerves, travelling to settle down in a pool of arousal, just beneath her belly. His eyes began to twinkle as a smirk stole across his lips, and she knew her arousal must have sent flashes through her eyes.
She looked away quickly, withdrawing her fingers, but it was already too late, and again, William laughed at this.
Her lips twitched with a smile that was fighting to break free, regardless of how hard she tried to keep her frown on. Darn him!
“Give in to it Victoria. You know you can never stay cross with me. As soon as you smile, I will take it that I have been forgiven, and share this good news with you. I can only imagine that you are dying to hear what it is. I promise you it is worth it.
He knew how to get her, alright. More eager to hear this news than she was to keep playing mad at him, she gave into the smile that tugged at her lips and flashed him her perfect dentition.
“Now, that is the Victoria I know.”
“Oh hush! This had better be worth it, or else, the Victoria I love will be back in a snap of fingers. Now, out with it! Tell me.”
“Tsk tsk tsk. Still lacking of that virtue, I see?” He winked at her, and she smiled cheekily. While he hardly ever made her feel beneath him, Williams was the only one who could tease her and go scot-free.
“Tell you? Oh, but Victoria, why in the heavens shall I do that when you can see for yourself? Come, my dear.” He took her hands, and she quietly let him lead her to his desk.
As they got to his desk, he dropped her hands so he could rummage through his desk for the envelope that had arrived earlier. He sighed when he found it and then retrieved it to hand over to her. She eyed the mischievous grin on his face as she took the envelope. The seal caught her attention, and she began to examine it.
“This seal looks awfully familiar, Williams. I simply cannot recall whose it is at the moment. It is broken. If you have read it, why can’t you just tell me?”
“And what will be the fun in that, my love? Come on now, read for yourself.”
Eyeing him suspiciously, she opened the envelope and brought the letter out of it, curious to know what the mystery was all about. She handed the envelope over to her husband and proceeded to unfold the letter. When she was done, she began to read.
As she read, her brows furrowed as she tried to fathom why Williams was showing her a correspondence from his business partner and friend. Then she saw it, and her eyes widened, as her heart started to thump in delight. Still, she kept her excitement in until she was done reading.
“Oh my, Williams! But this is amazing!”she cried out. “TheDuke of Yorkshire wants Agnes to be married to his son, the future Duke? Oh, but Williams! However, did this happen?”She was beyond excited; she was thrilled, and it rang in her voice as she spoke. This was great news indeed! Seeing her daughters married to nobles had always been her dream. To see that would come to pass, it pleased her so.
“I think it is as they have said. They feel it is high time Nicholas took a wife for himself, and they believe Agnes will be a perfect match. The footman arrived with the letter just as your session began. I knew this would be something you would make an exception for as you would not want to receive the news late. Now, was it worth it?”
“Oh, but a thousand times over! I would have been much more put off if you had kept this from me any longer. You did good Williams. Now, you are forgiven.”
