Page 28 of Single Desire
She ran a finger along the elaborate stitching on the arm of the chair. “With estates…where?”
“Two others in Scotland, two in England. And a town house in London.”
“I’ve never been to London,” she said sweetly.
“Well, if you’re thinking of taking up residence elsewhere, Duchess…do not.”
“And why not?” She was inclined to be as lofty as he.
“Because I wish to keep you close. It’s as I stated before. Because you are my lady. Because you are my wife. Because you are my duchess.”
Hah! Maura longed to roll her eyes.
“Are you hungry?”
His sudden change in tack startled her. “Famished, actually,” she admitted guardedly.
“I have some business to attend to in my study, but it shouldn’t take long. I’ll have Mrs. Yates show you to your room and have a tray sent up.” He paused. “And then…”
Wrapped in his silky tone was something that sent Maura’s gaze skidding up to his in alarm. She was on shaky ground, and he knew it. His expression—the light in his eyes, that rakish hint of a smile—confirmed it. He relished her nervousness, damn him!
“What?” she asked faintly.
His slow-growing smile added to her unease.
“We will share our first night of marital bliss.”
He drained his glass, set it on the tray, and strode through a doorway she hadn’t noticed until now.
Maura didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. If she hadn’t already been sitting, she’d have surely collapsed.
My lady,he’d called her.My duchess.
But she wasn’t his lady. She wasn’t his duchess.
She wasn’t even his wife.
Chapter Eight
Alec installed himself in front of the fireplace, long legs crossed together at the ankle, one arm dangling over the side of the chair, the one with the wine. Every so often he raised it to his lips. Before long Mrs. Yates appeared. He declined the meal she offered to bring, but stopped her when she would have left.
“My wife is established in the duchess’s chamber?”
“Aye, your grace. Aggie is helping her unpack her belongings.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Yates. You’ll see that the staff fulfills any requests that she has from now on?”
“Of course, your grace.”
The housekeeper bobbed a curtsy and left. Alec decided wryly that there would be a good bit of gossip in the servants’ quarters tonight.
He stared into the fireplace. It wasn’t lit, for the day had been warm. He took another swallow of wine, pondering. No, notpondering, he decided with a rare touch of self-deprecation. He was brooding. And he was a man who brooded but rarely.
Lord above, he was married. Married! The very thought set his teeth on edge. He chided himself bitterly for his lack of self-control.
It wasn’t that he was averse to marriage. It wasn’t that he was determined to remain a bachelor. He was attentive to his title and his duties. He would never disregard his responsibilities. Family was important to him. After all, he’d been raised in a warm, loving family. He wanted an heir someday, with a woman with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life. He wanted a child—children!—however many he was blessed with. Children who would know the same happiness here at Gleneden as he.
Which brought up the question…how the hell was he going to explain his sudden marriage to his family? Perhaps it was a blessing that none of them was expected at Gleneden soon. His mother had written that she planned to spend the entire summer in Brighton.
