Page 17 of Duchess Needed
He watched her for another moment, then a slow smirk spread over his lips and she somehow knew it did not bode well for her.
“I imagine,” he began, putting his hands together as if he was about to lecture her on an important subject, “That producing an heir will require us to spend a considerable amount of time together. In close proximity. Strangely, I find I do not object to that prospect.”
There it was again. That particular quality to his words, the careful placement of them, just at the edge of propriety. Phoebe looked at him steadily.
“How reassuring,” she stated blankly.
His lips curved, somehow making him devious and faultless at the same time.
“I only mean that it needn't be an unpleasant arrangement. I have every intention of making it –” he paused to deliberate on what word to choose. “Worthwhile. For both of us.”
The sudden rush of warmth into her cheeks stung and rendered her dizzy. She turned to look out the window purposefully in aneffort to conceal her embarrassment, and replied curtly, “I shall take that under advisement.”
He said nothing more after that, but she was fairly certain she could hear the satisfaction in his silence.
Soon after, they arrived at the Montford estate, which was even more imposing in daylight than it had been in the dark.
Phoebe stood in the entrance hall and tried not to look as overwhelmed as she felt, which was a considerable challenge given that everything in sight looked tall and polished. The final straw had been the line of staff members positioned to greet her.
Edward stepped forward to make a brief introduction,
“This is the new duchess of Montford. I trust that she will be cared for and her needs will be met accordingly.” He gestured at an elderly woman who had been at the front of the line and added, “This is Maude, the housekeeper. She is the reason why this estate still stands.”
“Goodness, Your Grace,” the woman beamed bashfully before she curtsied to Phoebe, the action mildly surprising. “It is an honour to meet you, Your Grace. Welcome to the Montford estate.”
“Maude will introduce you to the rest of the staff and show you through the house,” Edwad informed phoebe. “I have some work to attend to. I'll find you later this evening.”
Phoebe looked at him, her breath stuttered as she echoed, “This evening.”
“Yes,” he nodded, his expression all knowing without a hint of smugness as he turned away to leave
Phoebe watched him go, then turned back to Maude, who was looking at her with a pleasant expression.
“Your Grace,” Maude said warmly. “Shall we begin?”
The staffs’ kindness was the thing she noticed most, as Maude made introductions before leading her through the rooms on a tour of the house. Arnold – the butler she had met briefly on her first visit – gave her a respectful bow and welcomed her formally, and there was warmth in his voice that told her his efforts were genuine rather than merely obligatory. She had been assigned a lady's maid, Jenny, who was young, bright-eyed and seemingly suppressing considerable excitement at the prospect of attending the new duchess.
By the time Maude had walked her through the main rooms and shown her to her own chambers – spacious and well lit, with windows that looked out over the garden – something in Phoebe had begun, cautiously, to relax.
She did not know what this marriage would become. She did not know if Edward wanted more from her beyond what he had stated, or what he was when he was not testing her limits. She did not know if she would manage it well – the marriage, the household, the social expectations, all of it.
But the rooms were warm, and the staff had been kind, and when Jenny showed her the dressing room with a kind of barely-contained delight, Phoebe found herself smiling back before she had quite decided to.
Perhaps I could manage this, she thought. She had managed harder things.
It was easier than dwelling on what was to come that evening, so she let herself have the reprieve, for however long it would last.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Time moved strangely in the late afternoon.
Phoebe had imagined that she would spend the remaining hours doing something sensible – unpacking, or familiarising herself with the space she was expected to live moving forward. She had even expected that she would begin to compose a letter to her siblings, as she thought it would be good if she were to put her thoughts together, little by little.
But none of that had been the case at all. She had settled down in the room and found herself unable to move as exhaustion from the days earlier wore her down. She had not felt at ease ever since they had heard about Anna’s scandal, her mind and body existing in a perpetual state of unrest while they scrambled around in search of a solution.
And before she realized it, Phoebe had gone from planning to save her sister, to planning her wedding. Her soul felt heavy as well, from all the emotions that she had nestled within her as her wedding approached.
Now, sitting silently, she felt as though she could collapse, so she climbed into the bed, relishing the feeling of the soft sheets against her skin. Moments later, she had fallen asleep.
