CHAPTER TWELVE
A week later...
"Maureen...what are the rumors saying now?"
Alice leaned against the stone wall of the newly constructed orangery, taking in the sight of her finished masterpiece. The structure gleamed under the fading light, its glass panes reflecting the colors of the setting sun. The pots and containers, neatly arranged inside, stood bare with seeds that Alice couldn’t wait to see blossom.
After months of planning and construction, she could finally claim she had an orangery. There was so much she could do with the space, and she looked forward to it. The garden was fully restored, and now the orangery was done. She was officially finished with the renovations.
"The negative rumors are starting to fade, Your Grace," Maureen answered. "People are beginning to believe you and the Duke aretruly in love after the ball. It seems your dance together caught the attention of many, and now they’re starting to think that perhaps, the honeymoon phase went on for far too long, that’s the reason you didn’t attend any social gatherings last season."
Alice scoffed. "That’s what they’re saying? That I have been having too much fun?"
"Yes, Your Grace," she answered.
"I suppose that’s good," she said quietly. "I didn’t expect one ball to completely change the notion of our reputation, but I’m glad it did."
"Are you attending the tea party Lady Crowell invited you to, Your Grace?" Maureen asked. "It will help strengthen your efforts."
"I must," she answered. "If I want this new and improved reputation to stick, I’d have to keep up appearances."
It had been a week since the Crowell Ball. A week since she and Victor danced, and also a week since they last had a proper conversation. The wall was back, and Alice would be lying to herself if she claimed that she didn’t see it coming.
This time, the wall was higher than it had ever been. They didn’t eat together anymore. Victor was never around for them to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner together. On the days when he was around, he would be too busy in his study, not wanting to bedisturbed. Alice had tried to talk to him, but she could see he was avoiding her.
This time around, Alice tried not to let it faze her. She had expected more. She had expected that after their conversation at the ball, Victor would be more cordial, but instead, he had shut her out completely. In a way, she blamed herself for it. She blamed her actions. If only she stayed in her room that night. If only she hadn’t invaded his privacy and fallen asleep on his bed, things might have been different.
Even though she had been wanting to talk to Victor, perhaps to apologize for going into his room, she had not found the right time to do it. Until now. The orangery was done, and all the construction was finally over. It was the perfect time to ask Victor to come and see her work, to share, even briefly, a moment of pride and accomplishment with him. He was the owner of the estate, after all. The decision to keep the renovations as they were or make any changes was up to him.
"Is the Duke still in the study?" Alice asked Maureen.
"Yes, Your Grace," she answered.
"Prepare a bath for him in the bathroom," Alice said to Maureen. "The new bathroom. Prepare it like you would do for me."
"Yes, Your Grace," she answered and walked away. Alice silently rehearsed her words as she made her way toward his study, her heart pounding at the thought of facing him for the first time since that night. She wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted toapologize or if, deep down, she simply needed to clear the air between them—to find some sense of understanding. She had already resolved not to push him any further, to avoid stirring up memories that might haunt him. It was one of the reasons she had kept her distance and quietly accepted his silence.
She hated seeing him so troubled. It was a side of him that lingered in her mind ever since that night. And the last thing she wanted was to be the cause of any more pain.
As she reached the door, she took a steadying breath and knocked. A brief silence hung in the air before his voice answered from within, low and restrained.
"Enter," he said.
Alice stepped inside, her hands clasped in front of her to keep them from trembling. She saw Victor’s eyes instantly widen when he saw her as he rose to his feet. He stared at her, silent, waiting for her to say something.
"The construction is done," she started by saying. "The orangery is ready."
Victor lowered his head and placed the document in his hand down. "I heard. Roberts informed me this morning."
"I wanted to show it to you," she continued. "Perhaps, also show you other places in the house that I renovated. It’s your home after all. You should see it. I made a lot of changes."
"That’s all right. It’s your home too," he said, avoiding her gaze. "You can do whatever you want. Change whatever needs to be changed."
"I still want you to see it," she insisted, stepping forward with her fingers on the desk. "I’ll take you on a tour and show you. Maybe afterwards you can take a bath. You’ve been working for so long, it’ll help you relax."
"I’m all right, Alice, thank you," he said.
It wasn’t working. Her heart sank, but she refused to let the frustration show. It had taken a lot of courage to approach him. To do it, she had to push aside her jumbled-up feelings that she had failed to sort out. But he didn’t budge.
