Page 30 of A Duke's Scandalous Obsession
“Catherine,” he called out again. “Please. Be upset with me all you want, but I did promise your brother that I would take care of you. You not eating would make me break that promise, and despite what you think of me, I’m not a man who breaks my promises.”
He had no idea where those words came from. It seemed that they came from somewhere within him, but most importantly, they were all true. He did make a promise, and he had been taught that if a man didn’t honor his word, then he was no man. Catherine, of course, could not have known that. Just like hebarely knew her, he was also a closed book for her. They were strangers to each other, and yet, they were the closest two people could be. The irony of it all.
Suddenly, he heard the doorknob turn. A moment later, the door was ajar, and Catherine peered through. He could see only one eye and a strand of her fiery hair falling over her forehead. She must have been still lounging in bed. She looked at him, then at the tray in his hands.
“See?” he grinned a little awkwardly. “Breakfast.”
Her eye narrowed. “Is that strawberry jam?”
“Mhm,” he nodded. “It’s splendid. Mr. Jenkins makes it herself.”
That same eye was now frowning. “I… I love strawberry jam.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Then you will absolutely adore this one.”
She opened the door then tried to take the tray, but he pulled it back, away from her grasp. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“I forgot to mention one little thing,” he added mischievously. “Breakfast comes with my company included in the service.”
He could see that she was fighting off a smile. She ended up winning and that beautiful face of hers remained grave. “I didn’t come down for breakfast exactly to avoid your company.”
“Yes, well,” he grinned, adamant not to be beaten, “I sort of figured that out on my own. But you see, you need to eat. And only I can place this tray down, seeing I’m the one holding it.” He pretended to think about it for a moment. “How about this? Endure me for five minutes, then I will leave you to have breakfast in peace.”
She didn’t say anything at first, then she nodded, stepping away from the door. Dominic stole a glance at her silhouette as she was closing the door behind him. The soft fabric of her elegant house robe draped gently around her slender frame, accentuating her feminine curves.
Her hair, usually bound in intricate coiffures, now flowed down her back in a cascade of silky waves. Loose tendrils danced delicately around her face, and upon noticing that he was staring at her, she hastily slid a strand of stray hair behind her ear.
“There,” he said, placing the tray on a small table by the bed. “Just a simple breakfast, but if you want anything else, you can have it brought up here to you whenever you like.”
“Thank you,” she nodded. “This will be enough. Like I said, I’m really not that hungry.”
He resisted a chuckle. “I thought you said it just because it meant eating with me.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Not everything I do is somehow connected to you; you know.”
This time, he did chuckle. “I’m actually glad to hear that.” He looked around, remembering how much thought he invested into this chamber. “Do you like it?”
“The room?” she wondered. “Yes. It is… lovely. Thank you. Mrs. Jenkins told me that you supervised the arrangement of everything.”
He shrugged. “I wanted you to be comfortable, if not glad to be here.”
“I am comfortable, thank you,” she nodded. She didn’t mention anything about being glad.
He inhaled deeply, raking his fingers through his hair. “Listen… I just received a letter from my aunt, inviting us over for the garden party or if I can’t make it, to come for a visit afterwards.”
This time, her response surprised him. “Whichever one you wish.”
“Really?” He stifled a gasp.
“Yes,” she nodded calmly, ignoring the fact that he was taken aback by any of this. “You made a promise to my brother and I… well, I made a promise when I married you. Of course, it is expected of us to visit your family together. I… I was just angry when I said it last night. That is all.”
He wanted to ask her if she was still angry, but he changed his mind. He didn’t want to question his good fortune.
“In that case, I think she would be very happy if we could make it to the garden party tomorrow afternoon,” he said, clearing his throat a little as he spoke.
“That is fine,” he responded, giving him a single nod of the head. “Are we to go for a longer visit?”
“Several days, yes,” he confirmed, still not sure if this was a dream and whether he should pinch himself.
