Page 20 of The Duke's Unclaimed Bride
“But I want to know now,” Tilly sighed, leaning into her.
“Well, we still have a way to go before we arrive,” Edith said, while offering Laurence an apologetic look.
He huffed and turned to look out the window.
“Can you tell me a story?” Tilly asked, pouting slightly.
Edith nodded, wrapping her arm around the small girl.
“Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived in a big estate with her mama and papa…” she started, repeating words she had said many times to the little girl.
It didn’t take long for the rumbling of the carriage and Edith’s soft voice to lull the girl to sleep.
Edith sighed and leaned back in her seat.
“Remember our arrangement,” Laurence said, turning his attention back to her. “You and Tilly are to live your own lives, separate from me. You’re coming with me to Alderbourne for appearances’ sake, but you’ll both stay out of my business.”
Edith frowned. “I understand that, but Tilly is a child. It will only be natural that she will be curious about her new home. Saying that she isn’t allowed somewhere will only heighten her curiosity,” she said firmly.
“Curiosity is one thing, but overstepping is another,” he replied. “The girl must learn to respect the rules.”
“Tilly is only five, yet she’s already endured more rules than most adults can bear,” Edith said, looking at Tilly and gently rubbing her arm.
She sighed and looked back at Laurence, whose jaw was tightly clenched.
“I only mean I expect decorum,” he gritted out. “In return, I won’t interfere in Tilly’s upbringing, or how you decide to manage the household as the Duchess.”
“And if a child who has not been taught such a thing until now fails to understand the nuances you’re expecting of her? What then?”
“There is no nuance. She’s to stay out of my affairs. I won’t have a child meddling with the delicate duties to which I must attend.”
“Did you have no curiosity as a child?” Edith asked pointedly.
Laurence’s glare sharpened, and he leaned forward, his blue eyes now icy. “My childhood is not up for discussion,” he snapped.
“I am only asking you to have some compassion for the girl,” Edith replied softly.
“I will be compassionate, provided she shows me and her new home respect. Instill that in her, however you wish,” he said firmly.
“As you wish, Your Grace,” Edith muttered.
Her eyes drifted to his scars, then she forced her attention back to his face.
“You’re curious too,” he murmured.
“I don’t mean to be,” she said, only then realizing how near he was.
He had leaned in further, and she could feel his breath on her cheek. Her heart leaped at his unexpected nearness, so close that their noses nearly touched.
Looking into his eyes, she could see how the color shifted from an inky blue at the edge and gradually lightened into a cobalt blue toward the center. His pupils widened slightly as he watched her. His gaze then dropped to her lips, and her breath caught. For just a moment, she let herself imagine the space between them disappearing.
“Your Grace,” she whispered.
Edith noticed that the hand resting in his lap shifted ever so slightly, as if he meant to reach for her face but was hesitating.
The carriage stopped suddenly, and Laurence glanced out the window.
“We have arrived,” he announced.
