He nodded. “I trust you know what you’re doing.”
And then the Duke, a little dirty and much more confusing, left.
Feeling a smile spread across her face, Georgiana quickly hid it behind her hand, even though no one was there. She wanted to be careful. Her heartbeat quickened as she reconsidered his words. Nice wasn’t much more than fine, but it felt like a giant leap in the right direction.
The warmth spread through her limbs as she thought of her husband. He spent so much time frowning and grunting and avoiding her. But if he could say that she was doing nice work, then perhaps he wasn’t the horrible person everyone made him out to be.
Not even half the rumors I hear about him can possibly be true. It’s impossible for one man to steer a battleship alone, after all, and he doesn’t seem the type to trap and kill an entire herd of hogs. What if none of it is true?
As Georgiana sought Mrs. Helen to help her take notes and prepare the next steps for redecorating the room, she attempted to put her husband out of her mind. It was easier to focus on everything else during the day and allow him to consume her wandering thoughts during her meals.
But she didn’t even make it to sunset.
Hearing Marjory’s advice to seek him out and learn about his interests over and over in her head, Georgiana decided to make her first attempt.
She excused herself from the kitchens, where they were reviewing the new menu, and made for her husband’s study. The closed door did little to dissuade her, though her heart hammered as she slowly knocked.
“Duke?” she called tentatively when it didn’t open. She felt silly saying that out loud. “Are you in there?”
“My Lady?”
“Oh!” She jumped, whirling around.
The butler, Wentworth, started in return. He stumbled back a step and put a hand over his heart. “Your Grace, what are you doing?”
Patting her cheek, she shook her head over her foolishness. “I’m sorry, Wentworth. I was only looking for my husband. He wasn’t answering the door.”
“He isn’t inside, Your Grace.”
She blinked as the news sank in. Heat rose to her face. The butler had caught her talking to an empty door.
Trying to brush aside the embarrassment, she forced a smile. “Right, yes, I… I did discover that, thank you. So where might I find him in the house?”
“He isn’t inside the house.” Wentworth paused. Just as Georgiana opened her mouth to request more information, he added, “He is outside, in the greenhouse.”
Goodness me, I forgot all about the greenhouse.
“Right, the greenhouse.”
She quickly recalled how she had seen the glass structure and had immediately been prevented from getting closer to it, since her husband didn’t want her there.
That was where he liked to hide. The greenhouse was where he spent his time. Was the man really studying plants? Jean had mentioned a gardener, so Georgiana couldn’t picture the Duke getting himself dirty. Prodding a plant, perhaps, and watering it, but nothing more. He was hiding away there to do something or another, and he didn’t want her there.
“Thank you, I’ll go speak to him now,” Georgiana said when she realized the butler was still waiting.
“But, Your Grace…”
She waved a hand over her shoulder. The household might like her, but she knew they still ultimately answered to the Duke. At least Wentworth did. She had gathered that from her first day here how some of the servants were particularly loyal to her husband.
I don’t mind that at all. The fact that he can inspire loyalty in anyone is admirable. But I don’t need a servant or anyone else trying to limit my freedom.
Climbing the stairs, Georgiana silently rehearsed an argument about why her husband couldn’t continue to keep her away from there. She liked flowers. It was her home. And she was a particularly tidy person, so really, granting her access to the greenhouse could only have positive effects.
She made it to the roof without being stopped. Breathlessly standing before the door, Georgiana considered the wonders waiting for her inside. Her bare hand curled against the handle and pulled––only to discover it was locked.
“Humph.” She stepped back and crossed her arms. “I did not expect that.”
As Georgiana spent a minute stewing over her options, she tried to think about what she could do here. Could she find a key or some other way to unlock the door? She might have to ask a servant for access. It should be on her master key set, but she had already counted the doors and locks accordingly.
