Page 44 of Two Blessings For His Duchess
She swallowed the lump in her throat, quickly gathering the pieces of her scattered thoughts before offering them a soft smile that came straight from her heart. “Growing up, I always dreamed of a household filled with life and warmth,” she explained. “I always wished for a home overflowing withchildren who loved to play, who would run through the gardens with me, and who would want to sit together for hours sharing their favorite storybooks and talking about all the wonderful things they love. I simply wanted to be part of that kind of beautiful relationship. Marrying your father gave me the grand privilege of having both of you in my life, and I am so deeply grateful for that.”
Cordelia’s little face softened completely, and before Euphemia could even register the shift in the room, the girl lunged forward and threw her arms tightly around Euphemia’s waist.
Euphemia gasped softly, her arms hovering in the air for a second, utterly surprised by the sudden embrace. A wave of emotion rushed through her chest, and she slowly lowered her arms, wrapping them securely around the young girl’s shoulders.
“So,” Euphemia murmured as she gently rubbed Cordelia’s back. “Does this mean I have passed your grand tasks?”
Cordelia broke the hug, sitting back with a bright grin, but she did not answer right away. Instead, she looked over at her sister, waiting. Georgianna sat perfectly still for a beat, her small hands loosening their tight grip on her doll. Then, slowly, she gave a firm, decisive nod.
Cordelia looked back to Euphemia, her eyes dancing. “Yes. You have passed.”
“We can go and play in the garden now,” Georgianna added.
For whatever reason Euphemia’s heart leaped with such joy, it felt as though she had won a grand prize. She moved closer to the two girls, a brilliant smile lighting up her entire face. She leaned down, her fingers gently stroking the soft curls of Cordelia’s hair before reaching out to tenderly tuck a stray strand behind Georgianna’s ear. “I should like nothing more in this world,” she whispered.
As they gathered their things and began the walk downstairs toward the garden, the twins trotted slightly ahead, murmuring to each other about which path to take. Euphemia followed a few steps behind, watching them, completely overwhelmed by how happy she was.
She thought to herself that she had never expected any of this when she first agreed to the marriage, but winning the trust of these two girls was easily the best thing that had happened to her since her arrival at the estate. Just when everything was starting to work out, and the confusing fog of the past few days was beginning to lift, it felt like a true sanctuary.
With Georgianna’s hard-won approval finally secured, Euphemia felt a deep sense of relief settle into her bones. She figured she could simply dwell on this joy for now, using it as a beautiful means to fill her days. She would play with them, read with them, and pour her heart into being the companion they needed.
It would be more than enough to occupy her mind, keeping her safe from her own spinning thoughts up until the time camewhen she and Nathaniel could finally face one another and figure out where they were.
Or what they were doing.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“You got a letter from your sisters?”
Nathaniel didn’t look up from his desk immediately, his quill continuing its scratching across a stack of heavy parchment.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Euphemia answered, her fingers tightening slightly around the edges of the missive in her hand. “They wrote to say they wish to pay a visit to the estate. Leonora and Seraphina are eager to see how I am settling in, and I wanted to tell you about it first to see if it would be agreeable to invite my family here.”
It had taken her considerably longer than it should have to knock on his study door.
She had stood in the corridor for a full two minutes, letter in hand, telling herself she was simply collecting her thoughts, which was not true. The truth was that she had not spoken to him properly in nearly two weeks, not since the ball, not sincethe stairs, not since she had laced her fingers through his hair and felt his breath change beneath her palms... and she was not entirely sure what she would find on the other side of the door.
Whether things would be different.
Whether he would be different. Whether she would be able to stand in a room with him and behave like a rational woman.
Yet, the sheer excitement of hearing from her sisters had overridden her hesitation. Beneath that excitement, a small part of her was simply relieved to see him again, to hear his voice, and to break the agonizing silence that had stretched between them.
Nathaniel finally paused, resting his quill in its inkwell. He leaned back in his leather chair, his eyes fixing onto hers.
“Euphemia, you are the Duchess of Greymoor.” He said it without particular emphasis, as though he were pointing out something that should have been obvious some time ago. “You do not require my permission if you wish to invite your family to your own home. You may host whomever you please, whenever you please.”
A smile broke across her face, the anxiety that had weighed on her shoulders instantly evaporating. “Thank you,” she said softly, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
Nathaniel looked up at her, his posture finally giving way as a soft, rare smile touched his face.
“You do not have to thank me,” he said and shook his head. “Don’t think of it as seeking permission. If you wish to be thoughtful, you may simply inform me of your plans so that I might note them, and should your sisters require my presence at any point during their stay, you need only say the word, and I will be there.”
Euphemia felt a warm flush of gratitude at his words. “Thank you, Your Grace. I shall send a letter to them this afternoon telling them they may come right away.”
As she spoke, the initial rush of excitement began to fade, allowing her to truly look at him for the first time since entering the room. Her smile faltered. In the afternoon light streaming through the window, she noticed how remarkably pale he seemed. Dark, heavy shadows bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and his jaw looked tightly set, as if he were holding himself together by a thread. He looked entirely worn down, his usual presence muted by sheer exhaustion.
“Have you truly been confined to this study all through the week. Your Grace?” she asked, her voice laced with sudden concern as she took a small step closer to the desk.
