“I used to come here a lot when I was younger. My father was always irritable, harsh, cold, and cruel, even more so when he drank—and he was always drinking. I dreamt of running away and hiding somewhere, surrounded by nothing but silence. But this was the farthest I could get. Far enough away from his wrath, close enough for William to find me and bring me back before I incurred a heavier punishment than I was due. It was the only place I found solace in before I was old enough—brave enough, if you will—to move farther. I thought of… I wanted you to see it.”
Nancy reached for his hand, smiling sweetly at him when he faced her.
“Thank you for trusting me enough to share this with me. I am thankful you were able to find some respite back then. It might have not been much, but it helped, and that is all that matters.”
Richard held up a cake for her to try, kissing her forehead while she chewed on a small bite. It was soft and sweet with delicate notes of almonds that made her hum appreciatively.
“Oh, this is delicious,” she moaned, cutting a small piece to feed to him. She waited for him to finish chewing before she asked, “What do you think?”
“It’s… sweet?”
Nancy frowned slightly. “Yes, it’s cake.” She paused thoughtfully. “Do you not like sweets?”
“Not particularly,” he said casually.
“Oh. You didn’t have to eat it.” She pouted.
Richard laughed, using a finger to tilt her face up and capturing her lips in a kiss.
“I wanted to, my dear. Ever since you walked into my life, I have found myself doing things I would never have done otherwise. You have… lit up my world. You inspire me to try harder, to long for things, to desire more than I have ever felt I deserved.”
Nancy felt like she was seeing the sun shine for the first time again.
“And what do you desire, exactly?” she purred, running a finger down his arms.
He bit his lip and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to him.
“I think you know exactly what I want from you, dear wife,” he whispered and captured her lips with his own.
Just as she began to straddle him, ready to show him all the things she desired, a distant call made her pull away from him.
They both turned to the side, curious to see the source of the sudden noise.
It was Ernest.
He ran towards them, panic written all over his face as he waved a sheet of paper in the air.
“Your Grace! There is something you must see!”
ChapterEighteen
“What? What is going on?” Richard demanded, his arm tightening protectively around Nancy.
Ernest closed the distance between them, holding out the paper he had been waving to the Duke, who took it from him reluctantly.
Richard’s face was impassive as he realized what it was.The Scandal Gazette, London’s most popular scandal sheet.
Unease swirled in his gut, flaring when he glanced at the front page and noticed the title sitting large and proud to catch the attention of whoever came across it quite quickly.
The Wexford’s Ball, A Rather Dull Affair Compared to the Dubious Marriage of the Duke and Duchess
“What?” Nancy questioned worriedly, her hand coming up to rest on his arm. “What is the matter?”
Richard had already skimmed through the first paragraph and was aware that it detailed speculations about the consummation of their marriage—a subject he had been trying to hide from her last night. So he attempted to pull the sheet out of her sight but stopped when she gripped his wrist.
“It is nothing?—”
“You wouldn’t look so distressed if that were the case.” She glanced at Ernest. “And he would not have rushed here so urgently either. Do not lie to me, Richard.”
