“The girls and I only needed a break. A lot has happened, as you know, Your Grace. This is healthy and-”
His patience worn thin, Colin’s tone grew even more commanding, "No excuses, Jane! When I give an order, it is to be followed without question!”
The force of his words resonated with authority, and from the corner of her eye, Jane caught the girls exchanging uneasy glances, their hearts clearly heavy with regret for their transgression.
“This is not the battlefield. What use is giving orders here?”
Colin was immediately dumbfounded by her reply and he was probably thinking why she was such a defiant woman, always having something to say in every situation.
“The girls aren’t to blame…I take full responsibility for this,” she said to him. “However, we were bored inside, surely having a little fun outside wasn’t such a terrible idea.”
His words lashed out like a whip. “You appear as though you belong in a pigsty rather than a refined estate,” he replied, gazing at her, anger evident in his glare.
“They only wanted to play outside, Your Grace,” she said to him. “Do not punish them for being children and doing what regular children do.”
With a deep, ragged breath, he attempted to rein in his anger at last, though the fire in his eyes still burned bright. Pointing towards the grand house in the distance, he growled, "Go back and change! You are not to be seen in such a state!"
The gravity of his command hung heavy in the air. The little girls, caught in the crossfire of the frustrations, exchanged guilty glances, their youthful innocence overshadowed by the intensity of the moment.
With a heavy heart, Louisa and Margaret turned on their heels, their footsteps heavy with the weight of their disobedience, as they made their way back to the house.
However, as Margaret and Louisa obediently retreated towards the house, Jane’s face filled with a frown.
In a burst of thought, her fury was written upon her face. Her legs strode purposefully towards Colin, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Taken aback by her sudden approach, Colin found himself at a loss for words, his usual composure shaken by her sudden action.
With each step she took closer, a sly smile playing on her lips, his confusion deepened, his pulse quickening with apprehension and intrigue.
"What is the meaning of this, duchess?"
His voice wavered slightly, betraying his inner turmoil as he attempted to make sense of her unusual behavior. His demand hung in the air, unanswered by the plotting woman, who continued her advance with a tantalizing air of mystery.
“Stay back!”
He commanded her, emotions in disarray. However, Jane remained silent, her silence a taunting challenge that only fueled his bewilderment further.
"I demand an explanation! Why do you approach me in this manner?" His voice rose with a blend of command andvulnerability, his eyes searching for any hint of her intention in the depths of her gaze.
Yet, with her enigmatic smile unyielding, she persisted in her silent advance, each step bringing her closer to him.
Her fast approach caused his heart to race faster than a galloping horse as he knew that there was no way he would stop her. She did not seem like she was ready to halt or heed to his words.
“What are you doing? I said stay back! Why won’t you listen? You-You!”
A sudden flurry of action disrupted him as she, with a daring move, lunged towards him, catching him off guard.
Colin's startled gasp echoed through the air as he instinctively tried to break their fall, landing amidst the greenery with a thud, much to the shock of the young onlookers.
Gasps of surprise and whispers erupted from the watching girls as they beheld the unexpected spectacle unfolding before them, their jaws frozen in shock.
Colin, still reeling from the abrupt turn of events, struggled to comprehend the situation, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he attempted to make sense of his wife’s audacious actions.
With a devious smile playing on her lips, Jane found herself in a rather compromising position, yet brazenly continuing to straddle him as he lay beneath her.
“What on earth is the meaning of this?!” Colin managed to sputter at last, his bellow echoing the garden.
However, Jane's grin only widened, a devious glint in her eyes as she pointed out the spots of leaves and dirt now adorning his attire.
