CHAPTER THREE
"Would you say something?" Alice asked.
"I don’t know what to say," Lavinia answered. "There’s supposed to be a talk. My sister had it with my mama. I’ve heard about it plenty of times. It’s the talk about the wedding night."
"Well, what is the talk about?" Alice asked.
"I don’t know," Lavinia said in hushed tones. "It’s just a talk to prepare you for what happens on your wedding night."
"What happens on my wedding night?" Alice asked, tilting her head to the side.
"I don’t know!" Lavinia responded and glanced at Emma.
"You’re to consummate the marriage," Emma chimed in.
"Consummate?" Alice asked with widened eyes. "Well, how am I supposed to do that?"
"Don’t look at me. I have no clue. I only know that’s how babies are made," Emma said.
"Babies? What babies?" Alice asked.
"Well, what do you think happens in marriages, Alice? Obviously, you are going to have to give the Duke an heir. How do you think that’s going to happen? It happens on the wedding night."
"I am not having babies with that beast," Alice rasped.
"Do you think you have a choice?" Emma asked. "That’s the essence of marriage. To produce heirs. From what I know, you share a bed together."
"Oh, I am not sleeping in the same bed as that man," Alice said, shaking her head. "I can’t even look him in the eye without feeling like my heart is about to explode."
"You’re speaking like you have a say in this matter," Lavinia said. "Look, you still have time to ask your Mama what it means to consummate. After the ceremony, make sure to demand for the talk. I reckon it’s important. You need to be prepared."
Alice felt a knot of unease tighten in her stomach. She had not thought that far ahead. She had no idea what was expectedof her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was utterly unprepared for what lay ahead.
"The man has barely said a word to me," Alice complained. "I cannot even guess what he is thinking. He has the same expression on his face every single time. Except for when he smirked at me in the church when I saw his scars. It’s like he could tell they terrified me and he was happy that they did."
"He feeds off terror, I can just tell," Emma said. "You have to be careful, Alice. Take care of yourself and do what he says."
"That might be tasking because you’re a pretty stubborn lady," Lavinia said. "You hate to do as you’re told, and more importantly, you hate feeling scared."
Alice crossed her arms. "Why does he scare me so much? No one should have that kind of power over anyone."
Emma sighed. "You can't control what you feel. Just stay in line. Treat him like your Papa, respect him, fear him, and don't cross him."
Lavinia shook her head. "He’s her husband, not her father."
Emma rolled her eyes. "We can't ignore his scars, Lavinia. Alice, you need to concentrate on your duties and stay out of his way. Don't talk back. I know you, once you get nervous, you snap. That’s the last thing you need."
"She can’t live in fear, Emma," Lavinia argued. "This is her life."
Alice sighed. "Stop arguing. I appreciate both of you, but I can't be romantically attracted to someone who makes my skin crawl. And Emma, could you live in fear, always afraid to speak?"
Emma hesitated. "Then what will you do?"
"I don’t know," Alice admitted. "But I refuse to live in fear. I will fulfill my duties as Duchess, but I won’t cower before him."
Lavinia shook her head. "You say that now, but wait until you're alone with him."
Alice winced. "Don’t remind me. I need this courage to get through tonight."
