But even so…
“I can’t have you interrupting my conversations,” he told her. “That was important. That was Lord Hartford, and he’s a business associate of mine.
She laughed. He couldn’t believe it.
“Is something funny?” he demanded.
“Perhaps notfunny,” she said. “But I just can’t believe what I’m hearing you say. This is our wedding day. I knew you were too carried away with your work, of course. Nancy’s told me that, and so has Margaret.”
His mood darkened. “Margaret said that to you? That I’m too carried away with my work? Were those her words?”
“I don’t remember her exact words. But what she told me matches what I know from Nancy, which is that your work is the most important thing to you. Do you say different? Was I misinformed?”
“You weren’t misinformed,” he told her coldly. “But my work is important. It’s how I keep this manor running. This is your home now, so you ought to understand that there’s no point in complaining to me about that.”
“I haven’t complained,” Lydia objected.
“Your complaint was implied. You said that I wastoo carried awaywith my work. That suggests to me that you want me to spend less time working. I suppose you don’t like having fine things.”
“Maybe fine things don’t matter as much to me as they do to you,” she shot back. “Maybe I’m less interested in that sort of thing than you are. What would you say to that?”
“I’d say you’re arguing for the sake of argument. I’ve never known a lady who wasn’t interested in finery.”
“You’ve never known me. This is one of the first conversations you and I have ever had,” she pointed out. “So, it would be foolish to act as if you know all about me. Perhaps, instead of doing that, you ought to take the time to get to know me.”
“We have all the time in the world to get to know one another,” he protested. “We’re married to each other. Was this really so urgent that you had to interrupt my conversation?”
“I wanted to dance with my husband on my wedding night,” she said. “If you’re honest with yourself, you have to admit that it’s not an unreasonable request. Any lady would want the same thing. The unreasonable thing is that I had to ask for it at all. You shouldn’t have been working.”
“I just told you—”
“I know what you told me, but I stand by what I said. I don’t have any expectations of being more important to you than your work very much of the time. I know that’s an impractical thing to hope for—I understand you well enough to feel sure of that. But I also know that tonight is the one night of our lives when youshouldprioritize me above all else.
“You have a wife. You have a duchess. And I’m to be the mother of the heir to the dukedom. You should want to share those things with everyone you’ve invited here tonight—and frankly, everyone here should appreciate those things. They should understand that, for one night, something is going to be more important to you than your work. Your friend there seemed to understand well enough.”
“Lord Hartford is not afriend, Lydia. I told you this already. He’s a business associate.”
“All right, yes, you told me. He’s a business associate. Be that as it may, he didn’t seem surprised or bothered to discover that you were going to suspend your conversation and spend a bit of time with your wife. If it doesn’t bother him, why does it bother you?”
He looked at her, exasperated. “Are you saying these things deliberately to try to aggravate me?”
“Why would I want to aggravate you?”
“I don’t know. I can’t figure out what you’re trying to do.”
“Well, it really isn’t that complicated,” she said. “I wanted to dance on my wedding day. You treated me as if I was being unreasonable—even inappropriate—for wanting that. And now I’m telling you why I think you shouldn’t have acted that way.” She hesitated. “I think I see the problem here.”
“Go on.”
“You thought I would be easily controlled,” she observed. “You thought you could bring me here from my father’s house and do whatever you wished with me—including ignoring me—and I’d never have anything to say about it. Maybe you thought I would be too timid to ever speak up. Is that it?”
Edward wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. If he was honest with himself—something he always strove to be—she had a point. He had thought it would be easy having her here. He hadn’t considered the fact that she would have a mind of her own and might not bend easily to his will.
Everyone always bent to his will in the end. Edward was quite used to having his own way. And she would come to see that, given time.
“I like a challenge,” he said.
“And is that what I am to you? A challenge?”
