Page 40 of A Duchess Untouched

“It was precisely what my sister wondered about!” Mrs. Pike replied excitedly. “And such a fine man, she said. Tall, broad-shouldered. He had a dog with him as well. Oh, what I would not give to be that dog, accompanying him everywhere…”

“Mrs. Pike! Shame on you! You cannot speak like that in front of Her Grace!” Mrs. Debbs said.

“Oh, you are still too young, Mrs. Debbs. A woman my age can only daydream, can she not? It is one of the few joys I have left in life. Is that not right, Your Grace?” Mrs. Pike asked Selina with a giggle.

“I… I am not sure.” Selina felt cold all over. She could not even think; could not even speak. At first, she had thought that they must be talking about someone else, but now it was confirmed. The description matched perfectly, and the dog… Matthew had left her again, looking for another woman.

“Your Grace?” Mrs. Hartley’s voice sounded distant. “Are you unwell? You look quite pale.”

“I am fine,” Selina said, though her voice sounded odd. “Forgive me. I just remembered an engagement I almost forgot.”

She could not remember saying goodbye; only that minutes later, she was back in the carriage, with her cloak wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her thoughts kept returning to the woman’s words and the implication that her husband was out looking for another woman who was important to him.

She remembered Matthew’s hands on her in the study and how he had given her pleasure. With a sick, plummeting certainty, she wondered whether she had been nothing more than a diversion from where his heart truly lay.

Who is this woman he is looking for?

Chapter 19

“And how do you find your return to London so far, Your Grace?” Lady Marlow asked in her loud, clear voice.

Lady and Lord Marlow were at Wentley House for dinner. Selina was not certain it was a good idea, given the situation, but she did like having her grandmama and grandpapa over. Selina had been shocked to see her husband back in less than three days after his departure, and she was not sure what to make of it. Had he found the woman he was looking for?

“London is hardly my favorite place, Lady Marlow,” Matthew admitted, sounding more like a polite stranger. “However, it seems I will be extending my stay in the city for an indefinite period.”

Lady Marlow’s face brightened at the response. “I am truly elated that you have decided to stay, Your Grace. A duke’s place should be here during the Season, staying by your wife’s side, and representing your house.”

Selina gave them a tight smile and tried to focus on her meal. Oliver leaned forward, his eyes burning with curiosity.

“What brought about the sudden change of heart, Matthew? When you left two days ago, you looked as if you were in a hurry. I was under the impression that we would not see you for another four years.”

Matthew did not answer right away. He carefully chewed his roast, swallowed, and took a sip of wine before looking at his brother.

“I had an enlightening time in the nearby village,” was his quiet reply.

Across from him, Selina clamped her jaw so hard her teeth ached.

An enlightening time!

She contemplated the weight of those three words as she sat stiffly in her seat. Her grandmama would be proud of her choice of pale blue silk with lace trim, which exposed her collarbones and the top of her bosom. Yet her husband would not even look at her, as if his mind were on something else entirely. Or maybe she should say someone else?

Selina told herself that she did not care. So what if he was not looking at her? She was used to not having him around. What she wanted from him was an heir. She needed to remain the Duchess of Wentley to make a difference and help her family and others. That was all there was to it.

Yet another part of her felt differently. She hated him for keeping secrets and treating her like an inconvenient duty. She hated herself for stealing glances at his handsome face and those long-fingered hands that had given her pleasure days earlier. His mere presence was enough to bring it all back—to make her think of surrendering herself completely.

Who was the woman he was searching for in the village?

The question would not let her rest. It circled through her mind like a bird of prey. Why would a duke search for a stranger? A common woman? If she had understood the talk correctly, he was searching with some urgency. Did he have a mistress? Had they quarreled, prompting her to flee and him to chase after her?

Selina could not even get him to glance her way at dinner; he was openly looking for another woman, unconcerned about what anyone else might think.

And yet, he had the nerve to tell me that I was affecting him. The liar!

The whole situation made Selina’s face flood with heat. She was dizzy and overwhelmed, her hand reaching for her wineglass. As soon as she had it, she downed the contents in swift, unladylike gulps. She immediately set it aside, and a footman quickly refilled her glass from a silver carafe.

Selina’s next few movements were instinctive, fueled by rage, shame, and suspicion. She quickly drank the contents of her glass in two big gulps. If the footman was ever shocked by her actions, he was trained not to show it. He again refilled her glass at her request.

“Selina, my dear,” Lady Marlow interrupted Selina’s chaotic thoughts. “What has gotten into you tonight? Do you intend to take on your father’s drinking habits?”