Page 37 of The Scottish Duke Tames the Bluestocking
She did not wait for his nod, instead fleeing up the sweeping staircase and looking around desperately for the sanctity of her new bedchamber. She breathed a sigh of relief once a quiet servant led her to the room and her heart pounded wildly in her chest when she closed the door firmly behind her.
If Harriet had hoped that her feelings for her husband would cool down the longer she played the part of duchess, she was sorely mistaken. Rather than cool down, she found that her feelings were growing to a simmering boil despite her careful attempts to avoid him as far as possible.
In fact, Harriet rose each morning, then slipped out of the house before he could corner her with his gentle inquiries and searching gazes. She spent her days exploring the sprawling gardens and quiet nooks of the estate - and soon found that being a duchess was far more than a title.
Of course, though, there were times when she could not avoid her husband without being blatantly rude. Breakfast and supper were two of these times - and it was during breakfast on her third morning there that Abigail came down to the table, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
“I have exciting news,” she announced as she took a seat, and a bright grin settled on her face.
Harriet could only smile at her new sister-in-law’s enthusiasm. It was impossible not to feel one’s own heart lift with joy at the sight of the young girl.
“Do tell us, Abigail,” Hugh announced, glancing at his sister with a lifted brow.
Abigail looked from Hugh to Harriet, her grin widening. “Now, I know the two of you have only just recently gotten married,” she started, and Harriet felt her cheeks flush at the reminder. “And it cannot possibly be easy, what with my being here and all - you, lovely Harriet, not only received a husband but a sister to look after and it is quite unfair...”
Harriet frowned at this assertion. Despite Abigail’s obvious enthusiasm, she did not feel wholly comfortable with where she thought the conversation was going.
“And as such,” Abigail continued, “Our Aunt Eugenia has invited me to come and stay with her at her country estate for a few weeks.”
When Harriet frowned, Abigail explained quickly. “Aunt Eugenia is Mother’s sister, and she followed Mother to England - but she and Father did not get along well after Mother passed. Still, she’s remained in our lives.”
She turned to Hugh now. “She says the fresh air and quiet will do me good. It will help me to prepare for my debut next season.”
For Harriet, it felt as though a steely fist clenched around her heart. Abigail’s presence over the last three days had made her marriage bearable. Focusing on her budding friendship with the young girl helped her with the most difficult challenge she had ever faced: avoiding her husband.
“You... you want to leave?”
Her voice was small and Abigail reached out to take her hand suddenly, looking at Harriet with a furrowed brow.
“Please, Harriet, no,” the girl insisted earnestly. “It is not that I want to leave - I love being here and having you as a sister is delightful, but... I merely do not want to be in the way. You are married now, newlywed, and you and Hugh deserve to spend some time together... get to know one another properly.”
“Oh, codswallop, Abigail!” Harriet exclaimed at once. “You will stay right here and I will not hear any of this nonsense again. You are not in the way at all, not in the slightest.”
Her cheeks flushed when Hugh flashed her a quick look and she stared down at her hands, her voice faltering.
“Right... right, Hugh?” she asked, looking up at him. “I mean... Abigail doesn’t have to leave, does she?”
Hugh smiled stiffly, though he nodded after a short silence. “Nay, of course nae,” he said and Harriet released a sigh of relief. “Abigail can stay right where she is.”
He turned his attention to Abigail, who was looking from one to the other with a thin frown between her brows.
“This is yer home, Abigail,” he said simply. “Ye are staying right here, where you are. You can visit Aunt Eugenia, of course - whenever you want to - but certainly nae because of mine and Harriet’s marriage. There is absolutely nay need for ye leavin'.”
Abigail nodded slowly, though a knowing grin appeared around her lips.
“Then it’s settled,” the girl said at last, much to Harriet’s relief. “I will not go anywhere.”
Though she was immensely relieved at Hugh’s agreement with her keeping Abigail in the house longer, Harriet could not deny the small part of her that had doubts about it.
Did Hugh want his sister to stay because he did not want to be alone with her? Harriet was reeling from this thought, her mind running a thousand miles a minute.
She wanted to avoid her husband because she feared falling deeper in love with him. Why would he want to avoid her? Did he regret marrying her already?
It was these thoughts that caused Harriet to maintain an even more careful distance from Hugh, even within the confines of their shared home. Even Abigail’s presence was no longer enough to keep her calm, she realized when time for supper came.
“I... I’ll have supper in my room. I have a headache,” she explained quickly when a servant came to call her to dinner. The young woman looked at her with wide eyes, then nodded.
“Of course, Your Grace.”
