Page 22 of Her Tiger of a Duke
“I thought it was a pleasant morning, and so I went for a walk. What I had not realized was that it had rained in the night, and so the ground was wet. I at least wished for my shoes to dry before I came in, so as not to traipse dirt through the house.”
“I thank you greatly for that,” Beatrice smiled, turning to her mother. “There was an incident where I found dirt on the hem of my gown because I had walked through a mud-covered hallway.”
“And it will not happen again, I can assure you. Good morning, Lady Jennings. Are you here to visit your daughter, or myself too?”
“Well, if you are not otherwise occupied, I should very much like to see you too.”
Beatrice was surprised by her husband’s demeanor, but it was a welcome change. Whatever he had been doing that morning, it had lifted his spirits, and she was grateful for it.
They left for the drawing room and more biscuits were brought out for the Duke, who Beatrice had noted ate like a ravenous soldier. He chewed more than he said and it appeared that he immensely enjoyed the feast, including the delicate things she had crafted. He licked his fingertips afterwards, savoring the sugar, and Beatrice watched as he did so. She had tried not to think of her husband as handsome, but as his eyes met hers, she had to admit that there was an attraction there.
“The household is different without my daughter, lonelier” her mother said. “Then again, I have received so many visitors that it has more than made up for it. Thetonhas been happy to accept the marriage, though there have been whispers about the disappearance of poor Lady Helena. I have only spoken highly of her, of course.”
Owen looked at them with a puzzled expression, and Beatrice sighed at the knowledge that her mother had said too much as always.
“I had to tell my mother the truth,” she explained. “My father knows nothing, but I had to explain why I was marrying you, and why it was going to be all right with Lady Helena.”
“And I understand more than you might expect,” her mother continued. “You see, I… I had a friend in the same predicament.”
Beatrice raised an eyebrow at her, but it was clear that she was not going to elaborate any further.
“Very well,” Owen said carefully. “As long as Lady Helena is protected, all is well. I thank you for your discretion.”
“Might you know where she is?” her mother asked.
“I do. She is in an estate in the North, and they will be married soon. I believe that we have received an invitation, Beatrice. Should anyone ask, Lady Jennings, we have decided that Lady Helena will tell people that she went to stay with an aunt to forget the ordeal, and she will one day return with her husband and say that she fell in love there.”
“Will thetonaccept that?”
“When she has the favor of four dukes and duchesses, they will have no choice but to. In the meantime, they are going to be well taken care of.”
Her mother slowly stirred her tea, sipping it.
“You are a good man, Your Grace. There are very few of those. I am pleased that my daughter managed to marry one, even if I am not the best at showing it.”
It was the closest thing to a compliment that she had heard from her mother in a very long time.
When her mother left, Beatrice planned to continue her day as normal, not wanting to break her routine, but Owen did not walk away from her, and no facade was revealed and dropped, and so she did not leave him either.
“Your mother is a very interesting lady,” he said simply.
“She means well, I believe.”
He chuckled, looking at the now empty dishes for more cakes.
“Shall I send for more?”
“I believe you finished them. I only made twenty, and I counted all of them as they were devoured.”
He paused, looking at her as if she were about to laugh and reveal she was telling a joke.
“Did you make them?”
“Of course. I told you that I enjoy baking, did I not?”
“You did, but I thought that meant simple biscuits and cakes. I never would have expected such delicacies.”
“Ah, well then you should not have assumed,” she quipped. “I can make more, if you wish. I am trying to perfect them, and so the more I make the sooner I will achieve that.”
