Alice jerked at the sound of her name and turned around, matching his frown with an even more exasperated one. "Your Grace," she said and curtsied. "I must ask you not to call my name in such a manner. It’s the same reason I nearly fell from that window two years ago. It’s quite frightening."
Victor’s gaze instantly softened, reminded of that awful night two years ago. He could feel his hands starting to shake, but he clenched tightly, trying not to think about it so he could regain his composure.
"You were asking to come for lunch, were you, or were you not?" he asked, changing the subject.
"I was," she answered. "But I have been quite busy, Your Grace. I will have dinner later."
"The point here is that I asked you to come for lunch," he said. "We were supposed to have lunch together. I believe it’s onlycourteous to honor that invitation, especially as your husband and the head of this house."
Alice crossed her arms. "You know very well that I have many matters to attend to, Your Grace. The construction is not going to oversee itself, and I cannot simply ignore the workers or their needs. Besides, I asked for Roberts to help oversee the workers, but he’s with you, rearranging your study instead. So, I have to do it myself."
"What was the instruction I gave you?" he asked, crossing his arms too.
"I’m afraid I don’t understand, Your Grace," she answered.
"When you came to me, asking for Roberts, I gave you an instruction. What was it?"
Alice paused to think. "To find someone else. But I also explained to you that there was no one else to do it."
"So, you are telling me that you are not capable of managing without Roberts for a short time?" he asked.
"I’m telling you, that someone has to do it, and it’s either me or Roberts," she answered. "You said that it was my problem, my orangery. So, I figured you wanted me to oversee it by myself."
"Roberts," Victor called out to the butler.
"Yes, Your Grace?" he answered, standing behind him.
"I need you to assign someone to oversee this construction," he said. "Since Alice would not take it upon herself to do so, brief someone else and have them report back to her directly."
"I can manage my own affairs, Your Grace," she answered. "Just because you’ve returned does not mean I’m suddenly incapable of doing what I have been doing excellently well for the last two years."
Victor briefly shut his eyes, trying to calm himself. "Go upstairs, change, and come to the dining room for lunch. We will have lunch together, and dinner together for as long as I am here."
"I don’t think that’s necessary," she said.
"Alice, if we are going to be seen together throughout the season, we have to be able to tolerate each other," he explained. "I don’t want this, but it is the only way I can get my peace back."
"I honestly have no interest in tolerating you, Your Grace," she said.
"Are you trying to get on my nerves?" he asked. "Is that it? Are you trying to annoy me?"
"I was doing just fine before you came back," she continued. "I’m not a decorative piece in this house. I’m not sitting and waiting for you to come and play with me. This orangery is importantto me, and I am going to oversee it. I’ve been prim and proper for two years in your absence but that has changed since you returned."
"So, what? You want me to leave?" he questioned.
"I did not say that, Your Grace," she answered.
"Well, that is not happening," he said, taking two steps forward in her direction.
He watched as Alice gasped, her eyes widening in surprise as he came close, and staggered back. A surge of concern jolted through him as he instinctively reached out, catching her by the waist to prevent her from falling over. With his arm wrapped around her waist, he pulled her towards him, steadying her on the ground.
He saw the fear flicker in her eyes as she locked onto his, and he instinctively smiled, recognizing her vulnerability.
"There it is," he whispered.
"You think I’m afraid of you, Your Grace?" she asked.
"Aren’t you?" he asked quietly. "Everyone is afraid of me."
