Page 21 of Wedded to the Loveless Duke
Phillip glanced back at the house, remembering that Annie was preparing a picnic lunch for them. He went and joined Eleanor, sitting on the grass a few feet away so that she wouldn’t feel crowded by his presence. “The debts left against the estate because of my uncle’s dreadful management of finances have been paid. Now, I wish to turn my attention to repairs and renovations within the house. Nothing terribly extravagant, of course, but much of the wood needs re-staining and polishing, carpets and drapes need replacing and the furniture in the sitting room needs new upholstery.”
Eleanor stared demurely down at her hands. “None of that explains what you need of me, Your Grace.”
Phillip suppressed a scowl.
Why can’t she stop using my title?
He was beginning to hate the sound of his title on her lips. It sounded like a verbal attack every time she uttered it, and he wanted to hear anything from her lips but his title now. “I thought you might like to be involved in the design, Eleanor. It is your home too. It feels wrong to make all the decisions about it without you.”
She shrugged. “You are my husband, Your Grace. It is ordinary for you to make all of the decisions. Why should this be any different? You do not require my assistance on this matter.”
“Please, let us not do this today.” Phillip’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed. “I came out to request your help in good faith. I understand that I do notneedyou to make decisions about our home, but I would like to involve you. I want you to like the estate as well.”
“I care little for what my prison looks like, Your Grace.” Eleanor looked him in the eye. “You may make whatever decisions you like. I do not care. So far as I am concerned, if you and my father could make the decision to force me to wed, there is no other more important decision that you can make for me, and I will not concern myself with the less important ones, since you did not think I ought to concern myself with the most important one. You are the lord of the manor, Your Grace. Decide how your manor will look on your own.” She rose and began to walk towards the house.
“Eleanor, wait!” Phillip rose too but did not go after her.
She paused and turned to look at him.
“This was never meant to be a prison. I only wish you to be happy.”
Eleanor’s shoulders slumped. “Property is not intended to be happy or unhappy. It merely changes hands to be used as the owners see fit. I am perfectly aware of it, even if you are not. Good afternoon, Your Grace.”
“Stop.” His voice lacked its usual force, and he sounded as tired as he felt, even to his own ears. “Eleanor, stop. I asked them toprepare us a picnic lunch to eat outside after Annie told me you had yet to eat. Stay and eat with me.”
“I am not hungry.”
“Do it anyway.”
“Is that a command, Your Grace?” Eleanor turned to face him, clutching the book to her chest.
“It is a request… Please, do not make me beg.”
She shrugged and returned to his side, sitting on a bench a few feet away with Bella at her feet. “As you wish, Your Grace.”
“What I wish is not always the most important thing,” Phillip murmured. “What you wish also matters a great deal.”
Eleanor laughed in genuine amusement, though the look in her eyes told him she laughed because she believed his statement was ludicrous. “What I wish does not matter at all. Not to you. Not to my father.”
“What can I do to prove to you that it does?” He stood and joined her on the bench, daring to bridge the gap between them to take her hands in his. “Tell me, and I will do it.”
“You could annul this farce of a marriage.” She pulled her hands free, all laughter gone now.
“I cannot. You know I cannot. It would ruin you, Eleanor.”
“Good. Perhaps my father will not try to force me into another man’s arms afterwards.”
“You cannot mean that!” Phillip grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. “Look at me, Eleanor. You cannot mean it. Surely life here with me is not so bad that you would prefer such shame over being my wife. Tell me it is not.”
Eleanor didn’t look at him. “Life here is like living in a cage. My desires are to be subject to yours, and I have no freedom or standing of my own. I will never live on my terms.”
“None of us ever live fully on our terms,” he murmured. “Not even I can claim the power to do such a thing. There will always be someone to whom we all must submit. Am I such a terrible man to submit to? I would cherish you dearly if you let me.”
She pulled away from him. “This is a marriage of convenience, Your Grace. Yours and my father’s. There is nothing about it that invites warmth or love. Let us not pretend otherwise, if you please.”
“It does not have to be that way!” Phillip stood up and paced in front of her, ignoring Bella, who was at his heels with an agitated whine. “I do not want it to be that way. Do you?”
“I can see no other path for us.” Eleanor set the book on the bench with a frown. “You lied to me by omission. You looked mein the eye and told me that things might turn out better than I had hoped while knowing that you would be the one to ruin my life. You told me nothing of my father’s plans even when you could have!”
