Of course. She is my wife. It is my duty to protect her. That is what this feeling is.
When Jane’s eyes landed on her sister and father, a wave of excitement overcame her.
Ever vigilant, he trailed closely behind, his gaze mirroring hers until it fell upon a figure standing beside her family - the Marquess, Graham.
Colin's eyes narrowed as he noted his wife's expression momentarily clouded by the sight as her lips compressed with a flashing annoyance.
She shifted closer to Colin, her shoulder slightly brushing against his arm. He instinctively moved closer, a protective stance, not wanting to lose her warmth..
"Lady Jane, What a pleasure to see you again. I must say, you look absolutely radiant in that dress!”
His words dripped an unsettling familiarity. Jane's brows furrowed as she acknowledged the Marquess with a nod, her gaze quickly shifting to her sister and father.
Turning towards Colin with the most obviously feigned enthusiasm, the Marquess remarked, "A surprise to see you here as well, Your Grace.” He paused, “What a pleasure.” Colin doubted he meant it.
Colin offered a nod in response, masking the multitude of unease within him.
Quick to divert the conversation, Jane greeted her sister and father, as she clutched her sister’s hands affectionately. "Dear Sarah, how are you doing? It’s so great to see you."
"I am well, and I’m so glad to see you, too.”
"You look overly beautiful in your dress, I must say."
Sarah’s cheeks flushed and she let out a laugh that seemed to have been gone for a while. "Thank you. You look radiant in yours as well. I'm grateful to you for giving me this dress. It truly is a beauty, I-"
However, before she could continue, Graham interjected, his focus solely on Jane as he spoke, "And you are most certainly right on that, milady. Lady Jane does look radiant in her dress; it would be impossible for one to look away from her."
Colin felt a tightness in his stomach just from his words. He knew this man was someone he wouldn’t want to associate with. Yet there was more to this feeling than simple disdain. But Colin didn’t have time to intervene.
"Duchess." Jane’s expression had turned stern with her curt words, her tone sharp as a knife.
Taken aback by her abruptness, the Marquess raised a brow and inquired, "What?"
"I'm the duchess now, no longer to be referred to as ‘Lady Jane’. Society demands you address me correctly. I believe the term you’re in need of would be ‘Your Grace’."
Clearly caught off guard by her assertiveness, Graham smirked with a nervous laugh, acknowledging. "Of course, yes, Your Grace, you're now the Duchess of Montford." He gritted his teeth subtly at the humiliation and tried to stay composed
His eyes shifted to Colin, revealing a hint of jealousy in his gaze before he redirected his attention.
Acute to the exchange, Colin met the man’s stare with a fierce and dominating gaze, as he took a step forward.
Jane and Sarah's conversation continued to flow smoothly after that until Graham's persistent interruptions became too frequent to ignore.
The Marquess leaned in, his body angling toward Jane, with a look she found rather disturbing.
Colin's jaw clenched, his fists tightened as he refrained from throwing a punch at this relentless man who clearly had no regard for him.
Jane's body stiffened, her shoulders squaring as she subtly leaned away from him. She took a step back, her hand reflexively reaching for Colin's arm.
“Have you lost your balance, my lord? I think you've overstepped and I would hate to see you hurt yourself.” He glared at the Marquess who in turn returned the gesture.
For the next few seconds, an awkward silence hovered over them as the two men wouldn't break eye contact.
Finally, before things could escalate, the Marquess finally budged.
“You’re right, Your Grace. The wine must have gotten to my head.” He chuckled lightly. “Now, if you'll excuse me, there are more important things that need my attention.”
He once again cast a subtle glare at Colin before taking his leave. Colin felt like he going after him. He wanted this man to never talk to his wife again. Never look at her again…
