“That will not be necessary. They all seem very kind and competent.” Margaret took a seat at the end of her bed.
Distracted, Theodore kept his gaze firmly outside. The memory of her torn dress from that night of the ball was hardly helping matters now as she sat there beside her bed, draped in nothing but a very thin and very lacy nightgown.
“Good. Over the next few days, I have much business to attend to. I will spend most of my time in my study. You are free to do as you like in the house in the meantime.”
“You will surely take mealtimes with me?”
Theodore didn’t answer her. Margaret was a wife in name, but he would not fool himself into thinking he could actually have a wife.
The memory of his mother’s words as she had pursued him across the heathland, cursing him, shone brightly in his mind.
“Will you force another woman to marry a demon? Will you really insist on this misery perpetuating itself forever more?”
“I have made arrangements for our story to be left out of the scandal sheets from now on.” He turned on his heel and movedback toward the door adjoining their chambers. “There will be a short announcement in the papers this week, detailing our wedding. In a few weeks’, none will be gossiping about us.”
“I see.” Margaret nodded.
Theodore clasped the door handle, about to escape when she spoke again.
“Wait…”
“Yes?” Theodore stood there, the door ajar as he looked at her.
She had stood and was now nervously wringing her hands together.
“It is our wedding night.” She looked rather nervous, even chewing her lip for a second before she stood that inch taller. “Aren’t you going to stay?”
He felt as if he had been kicked in the gut by her words.
“You expect me to?”
She blushed such a deep shade of red, it was a wonder her cheeks hadn’t been set alight.
“I may not know exactly what takes place here at night –”
“I beg your pardon?” he cut off in alarm.
“But I do know a husband and wife are meant to spend their first night together. You asked me to marry you, Theodore.” Her use of his Christian name at that moment wasn’t helping matters.
He turned in a mad circle, struggling to look at her at all.
“I presumed you would at least want this first night –”
“I do not.” He stood his ground, balling his hands at his sides. “For one matter, I am not about to stand here and detail to you exactly what passes between men and women, though I’m alarmed you have got this far into life without knowing it –” He regretted those particular words very quickly.
She looked down at the rug beneath her feet in shame.
“I also have no wish for a real wife.”
“Arealwife?” she repeated, her brows furrowing together as she jerked her chin upward. “I am a real woman. I made very real vows to you today in church. It sounds like a real wife to my mind.”
“I thought I made it plain.” He hardened his voice so much that to even himself it was something now completely unrecognizable. “We are to be a marriage in name only. A marriage for appearance’s sake. For convenience. I will not be a devoted husband to you, I will not be your lover,” he cast adismissive wave toward her bed, “and I will not be fathering children with you. Do you understand?”
She blinked rapidly, then turned her back on him.
“You have made yourself plain enough, Your Grace.”
“I thought I told you to call me Theodore.” His ire was rising by the minute now.
