Page 68 of Her Tiger of a Duke
She scoffed, for he had to have known. The night before, he had told her boldly that he did not trust her and might never feel inclined to tell her all his innermost secrets. The words still stung worse than any insult she had been pricked by in the past. They had shared the room the night before, but the moment was gone. She did not enjoy it in the way she hoped to.
“Very well, do not tell me,” he sighed. “In any case, you might like to know that I received a letter from Lady Helena this morning. She has asked that we visit them in the north, and I am going to respond today, accepting it, unless you have any qualms about it.”
Beatrice paused for a moment, then looked back at him.
“Are they living together?” she asked. “I thought that they were yet to marry.”
At that, he bristled. Once again, his eyes drifted away from her, and he pushed his food around with his fork.
“I think it might be best that we ask her ourselves, when we arrive.”
Beatrice did not like that as a response, but it was not as though she could do anything to change it. There was so much that her husband was keeping from her, and she had been patient, but that patience was wearing thin. She wanted to know what he did, and as his wife that was her right.
At least, that was what she had always expected.
Owen left the room once he had finished, having not said another word to her. Beatrice followed suit and prepared for them to leave. Though uncertain of what they were to learn of, she was excited to see her friend again. She had missed Helena and had been hoping that she was well.
They left that afternoon, and the journey was miserable. It was raining, which made looking out of the window not as entertaining as usual, and they had to travel more slowly, which was not what she wanted to hear when the journey would already be long, and her husband was not speaking to her.
“Have I done something wrong?” she asked two hours in.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“You have been quiet. I do not like it.”
“My apologies. I have a lot to think about, and it is using a lot of my energy. That is all.”
“Well, if you share it with me, it will be easier. I am your wife, after all, and there is no harm in it.”
“There is,” he said simply. “I do not wish to burden you, for it is not something that can be easily fixed.”
“But it would be better if you and I faced it together, surely?”
“No, Beatrice. I can assure you that it does not concern you, nor am I angry with you at all, but this is something I must do alone. I cannot share it with you.”
And that was that. She was shut out again, and once again it had been after they had enjoyed one another's company. It was as though he was afraid of being close to her, which did not make any sense because he had always seemed so fearless.
They stopped at an inn that night, for the journey was too long to do in one day, and Owen arranged for them to have separate rooms. He left for his immediately, leaving Beatrice to go to her own.
However, she did not want to sleep.
Instead, she made her way to the sitting room, where people were drinking and laughing together, and took a seat. There was comfort in knowing that she was not known by anyone there,and she did not have to be a powerful duchess nor a perfectly behaved lady. She could simply be Beatrice, which she had not been able to be in a while.
“I have not seen you here before,” a lady said, handing her a drink. “I am Serena.”
“Beatrice,” she replied with a smile.
“Are you visiting the village?”
“No, I am traveling with my husband to visit a friend of ours. It seems a nice village, though.”
“It is, indeed. Where is your husband?”
Beatrice bit her lip, uncertain of how to respond, and Serena chuckled softly and sat beside her.
“My husband used to be like that,” she continued. “I shall assume that he has gone to his room, yes?”
Beatrice nodded, taking a sip of her drink.
