ChapterSix
“Itruly do not understand,” Nancy told the housekeeper, Mrs. Silverstone, “how can someone despise dogs so much. I thought that lords adore their hounds. At least that’s the way my father was.”
Mrs. Silverstone walked beside her and Dash along the long hallways of Wexford Castle after a long day of running errands. Although she was also reluctant about Dash, she had grown far more accustomed to him than the Duke.
Goodness, she was so perplexed after their interaction the night before. She herself was surprised by the fact that she’d blurted what she had, but what took her aback the most was how the Duke had finally shown some interest in her.
The way he had gazed at her… It had not felt invasive, in spite of her state of undress—because that was the first time her husband had seen her in so little clothing. On the contrary, she welcomed it. Shewantedhim to look at her.
And she had looked back at him, of course. She immediately recalled that a number of buttons on her husband’s shirt had been undone, giving her a good view of his toned chest and torso. His hair had been messy in a way that seemed artfully done, and somehow, he looked even more handsome than he had on the day of their wedding.
“His Grace has his reasons, I am afraid,” Mrs. Silverstone’s reply brought her back to the present.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
Mrs. Silverstone sighed, “I do not know if it is my place to tell, Your Grace.”
“Tell me what? Do you mean thereisa reason the Duke dislikes dogs?” she asked, stopping in the middle of the corridor, and Dash halted right next to her.
From the way Mrs. Silverstone reacted, Nancy could detect there was indeed a reason.
“Please, Mrs. Silverstone. Tell me. I truly wish to understand His Grace better,” she urged.
Mrs. Silverstone sighed again, “I really do not know, Your Grace…”
“I assure you that you will only be helping me by disclosing this information. The more I know about the Duke, the smoother this marriage will go,” Nancy persisted.
The housekeeper stared at her for a moment, her hesitation etched all over her aged features.
“Very well,” she finally said and her eyes darted to each side of the hallway.
Then, she motioned Nancy to come closer, and Nancy immediately obliged.
“What you said about lords loving their hounds is true, Your Grace. But it was true for His Grace’s father,” Mrs. Silverstone began in a hushed voice, “You see, the late duke had several hounds when he was alive, for hunting purposes. He kept the dogs by his side most of the time he ventured outside the house. But… Well…”
“What is it?” Nancy frowned, dreading to hear what came next.
“His Grace’s father was a strict man. Very, very strict. Whenever His Grace behaved out of line, according to his judgment, he… He made his hound go after His Grace,” Mrs. Silverstone said and Nancy’s chest clenched with sadness.
“He made his dogs chase his son?”
Mrs. Silverstone nodded, “Yes. Although His Grace was fast, even as a boy, he couldn’t always outrun them. And when the hounds caught up to him… Oh, Your Grace, I am so sorry!”
Tears welled up in the housekeeper’s eyes and she dabbed them with a handkerchief.
Nancy’s mouth fell open in shock.
“He… he was injured often?” Nancy whispered.
The housekeeper nodded, her lip slightly trembling as she clutched on her handkerchief, “We could not stop him, you see. He was our master. You must understand, Your Grace. I wanted to help His Grace desperately, to shield him from the attacks, but we were all ordered by his father not to. I could not, I could not?—”
She then burst into sobs and all Nancy could do was hug her. Even little Dash whimpered, looking with his big, innocent eyes at the weeping housekeeper.
It all made sense now; the coldness, how decidedly against Dash the Duke was… It was because of his father’s cruel treatment.
By the heavens, how could someone by so cruel?Nancy wondered, devastated now that she knew the truth.
“I understand, Mrs. Silverstone. Please, do not blame yourself. It was out of your hands,” she said, trying to soothe her.
