Richard shifted his gaze to his wife, stunned by her decision to agree with his uncle.
“No,” he stated firmly. “We have nothing to prove?—”
“Then we don’t throw it for the reasons they expect us to. You are right, we have nothing to prove to them. Our marriage is our concern and no one else’s, and we do not need to show them that they are wrong about us. But it is important to build connections with important people and foster good relationships. The gossip does sometimes come in second place compared to the network that could be built,” she argued calmly, lifting her cup of tea.
The only downside of how good a point she made was the fact that she had agreed with his uncle in the process.
“It would also be a good opportunity for me to see my family again.Allof them,” she added after a sip.
Including Suttington.
She was clever indeed.
“We will host a ball in a month’s time,” Richard begrudgingly relented, keeping his gaze on her.
“Excellent. I’m sure I can handle the task of organizing a ball.”
Then his uncle spoke up and reminded him of the murderous thoughts that had been floating in his mind minutes prior.
“There you go! You really did pick a gift of a woman to wed, Your Grace. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders. I have no doubt that you both will bring honor to the family name.” Lord Whitwood grinned.
“Thank you for believing in us, Lord Whitwood. And for visiting without any prior notice. I believe it is time for you to attend to other matters that are more important than coming to my home to instruct me as though I were your housekeeper. Good day.” Richard glared at him.
Lord Whitwood chuckled good-naturedly, rising to his feet. “You are right, Your Grace. There are other things I must tend to.”
He shifted his attention to Nancy and smiled. “It was an honor to meet you, dear Duchess. Welcome to the family, once again.”
She smiled back at him, maintaining the polite air she had affected somehow in his presence. “Thank you, Lord Whitwood. It was an honor to meet you as well.”
The man beamed, bowed, and took his leave moments after.
Silence filled the air again, and Richard lost all desire to continue their earlier conversation, feeling horribly worn out. It was only after his uncle left the room that he realized that he had been sitting stiffly in his chair, tense and anxious.
If there were someone who could scrutinize his behavior as the Duke of Wexford, it would undoubtedly be Lord Whitwood. Richard would rather die than give that goblin something to sink his teeth into.
“You don’t seem to like him very much,” Nancy noted quietly.
He sighed, weary and irritated. “Despite what it seemed like, he harbors no fondness for me. It was extremely disconcerting to have him here pretending that we are on good terms,” he explained.
“Perhaps he came seeking a fresh start. Maybe he wants to be close to you since he wasn’t in the past. You two are the only Harringtons left. It is important that you salvage what is left of your familial bonds,” she replied.
Richard learned, yet again, how different their views were. It was obvious how loved his wife was by her family, given how much she valued them.
And it disappointed him how he could not view such situations from her perspective, how little he could understand the ease with which she made claims that family would only better his life.
“We have different views of family, Duchess,” he said in a low voice, rising to his feet. “And in my experience, family can hardly ever be trusted.”
He had started to turn away from the table when her voice reached his ears, soft and sweet.
“Perhaps it is time to have new experiences, then.”
Richard faltered, unable to look back at her, his chest aching in an odd manner.
Much like before, he found it practically impossible to disagree with her. He likely could have opposed her opinion, but when he searched within himself, he discovered he did not want to.
So, he simply continued walking to the door, letting a single word hang in the air on his way out.
“Perhaps.”
