“Well…” Paula began, looking over shoulder conspiratorially before she continued, “he is… quite distant. Always in a foul mood about one thing or the other. He spends most of his time in his study by himself. But whenever a mistake is made within the estate, everyone receives a scolding, and the culprit is sent away. He isn’t as tolerant as his brother—from what I’ve heard, at least. I joined the household only five months ago.”
Nancy nodded, further disconcerted by the image her maid had painted of her husband. “I see. Thank you.”
Later, as Nancy lay in her bed, her gaze fixed to the ceiling as she pondered all that had transpired earlier that day, as well as all that she had heard.
And she began to wonder if the arrangement she had made with the Duke was worth it.
* * *
“I have brought you our best bottle, Your Grace. Your brother kept it for special occasions. And this certainly counts as the most special of occasions,” Ernest, Richard’s butler, said as he crossed the study with a silver tray in hand.
Richard held out his glass and watched as the liquid sloshed around, his mind not as numb as he would have liked it to be when Ernest spoke up again.
“She is just as lovely as your brother described. He always had an eye for beauty. And he would be very happy for you if he were here, Your Grace.”
Richard downed the contents of his glass. “Well, William is not here. If he were here, we wouldn’t be in this damned mess,” he replied, unable to fight against the bitterness that seeped into his tone.
If his brother were there, Richard would still be living his life—fulfilling his whims. Not trying to be someone he wasn’t.
His butler sighed and poured him another glass. “Is it truly such a bad thing, Your Grace? To be married to a pretty young woman?”
The question took Richard back to the carriage when Nancy was pressed against him. His hands had fit perfectly on her hips, and it was all he could do not to claim her perfect heart-shaped lips. Her beauty had been evident, not just by her good looks but also by the way her wedding dress had hugged her ample bosom.
Ernest is right, she is pretty. But…
Richard shook his head, chasing away the glowing embers of desire within him before they could set his mind aflame.
“I did not want a wife. I never did. I married her for the sake of the dukedom and nothing more. I advise you to get rid of whatever expectations you may have. I will never view her as more than a convenient option.”
Ernest nodded quickly. “Of course, Your Grace. I did not mean to imply?—”
“Yes, yes. I know what you did not mean to imply. Now, if you would please leave me alone, I would rather drink in peace.”
The butler bowed hastily and took his leave, setting the bottle of whiskey down on the desk before he exited the study.
Richard inhaled deeply, miffed by how much clarity his mind still possessed, despite all the liquor he had drunk.
He had thought that he would be able to maintain a mildly cordial relationship with his wife, but her character had caught him off guard. Most women held lofty ideas of love, dreaming of a life that included a caring man who could easily provide for them.
He had expected his wife to beat around the bush or that he would have to coax what she needed from him out of her.
Yet, her boldness disconcerted him far too much, and he despised how much it reminded him of his brother.
William never knew when to take no for an answer. It was one of the things that separated them, one of the qualities that made him Richard’s better.
A name he could never hope to live up to.
Richard reached out for the bottle of whiskey and lazily dragged it towards himself.
“I should not go to her tonight,” he muttered to himself, refilling his glass. “It is better for the both of us if I do not.”
And so, he continued to spend his evening as he would any other time, tossing back drink after drink until the world darkened around him.
ChapterFour
“Good morning,” Nancy greeted, mustering up a small smile as she walked over to her seat by his left side.
“Good morning,” the Duke responded, clearly reluctant and doubtful of whether he was, in fact, having a good morning.
