Duke of Fyre (Braving the Elements #1)

Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

R ebecca and the Duke were now trapped in a small box with nothing but each other for entertainment—though it was a very nice, comfortable, and expensive box. He reclined comfortably on his seat across from her, looking out the window as they rolled along, but Rebecca perched on the edge of her seat. How could she do much else? As she ran the tips of her fingers along the decadent upholstery, she couldn’t help but feel a bit like she was tainting the carriage. Her father would never let her touch anything this fine. Her eyes darted around the space, taking it all in.

And there was just so much to look at.

The carriage was far nicer in so many ways than her father’s that Rebecca had ridden in to the church. It was far more comfortable for one. The seats were not only padded but alsohad pillows. There were even a few blankets stashed inside.

The windows even had thick damask drapes in a stunning emerald green. They were so nice, she couldn’t help but take a moment to admire the pattern on them.

She absolutely wasn’t doing it just so she could avoid looking at her new husband.

Neither of them had said a word as they drove along. The silence hung, heavy and oppressive, between them. Rebecca felt like she couldn’t breathe. There was no doubt in her mind that he must be disappointed, but she had thought he would have something to say.

Even if it was just to tell her that she wasn’t what he wanted. She wished she knew what it was about her that he didn’t like.

She knew she wasn’t much to look at. How could she not? Her father and sister made a point to make sure she knew just how undesirable she was. Maybe he’d incorrectly believed he was going to marry Dorothy. She wouldn’t put it past her father to allow him to think that.

Minutes ticked by and the Duke—her husband!—still hadn’t said anything.

Perhaps he was waiting for her to speak first for some reason. Was he expecting her to break the silence? Would that be presumptuous?

Would he ever say a word if she didn’t speak?

Could she ever recover his opinion of her if she tried and disrespected him further?

But if she didn’t try, if she just laid down and accepted the silence, what was she saying? She knew she needed to try for the sake of her own future.

And so, taking a deep breath, she forced herself to do just that. “Are we going somewhere for a wedding celebration? My father said he wasn’t having one, but I wasn’t sure if perhaps you wanted one,” she babbled. “After all, with you being a duke and all, I’m not too sure what is expected of you. So, I wasn’t sure.”

“No,” was all he said in reply.

“I see.” There was a moment of silence. “So, are we simply returning to your home?”

He studied her for a moment with a thoughtful look in his eyes. Finally, he huffed, turning back to the window. “It isn’t just my home anymore.”

Rebecca couldn’t help but smile, looking at him for the first time since she got in the carriage. A small seed of hope began to take root in her heart. Maybe they could live together in peace, even if she wasn’t what he had hoped for. “That’s very kind of you to say.”

He made a face she couldn’t quite place, looking away from her with a deep huff. “It isn’t kind. I am simply stating the situation. You have married me. You have become the Duchess of Danton, and the Duchess of Danton is the Lady of Batton Manor.”

“Still,” she tried to catch his eye, unable to help the small smile blooming on her face. “Regardless of why you said it, that doesn’t change that I am grateful for the sentiment. Thank you.”

The Duke met her eyes, and she immediately wished she hadn’t tried so hard to make him. He pinned her with a look that sent shivers up her spine.

It was easy to see why people would fear him. All of the rumors she had heard of him sprang to mind. It was said he killed his own brother and father when he was just a child. Then there was the cruelty he had done to his own mother. It was said he never let her out of the house from the moment they died until well after her own death.

And to look at him—well, he certainly cut an imposing figure, but to her surprise, she didn’t feel anything even remotely resembling fear.

But even so, the way he looked at her was nothing like the way her father had always looked at her. True, there was mistrust, skepticism, perhaps even a fair bit of suspicion, but there was no animosity, no aggression. She doubted he would ever deprive her of food or clothes. He didn’t seem inclined to hurl insults or worse. She was surprised by just how safe that made her feel.

She had to bite back the urge to smile. She didn’t think he would appreciate it at the moment, but she almost couldn’t help herself.

He was nothing like she thought he would be. This life was nothing like she thought it would be. She was starting to hope that maybe, just maybe, they could be happy together, but for the moment, all she could do was get through the moment in front of her.

The silence that settled over them once again felt different than the one that had existed when they first left the church, at least it did for her. Gone was much of the fear and anxiety she had entered with. In its place was a faint spark of excitement to see the place that would soon become her new home.

Batton Manor was situated right in the center of London, much to her surprise. She would have thought someone known to be as reclusive as the Duke of Danton would have fled for a country house, but apparently not.

The place was also shockingly well-maintained. If Rebecca hadn’t been told who the house belonged to, she never would have guessed.

Even from the outside, she could tell the place was far larger than her childhood home. Flowers climbed along a trellis on one of the pale stone walls.

She didn’t move until the Duke started climbing out, and only then did she race after him.

“I don’t expect much of you,” he said, voice startling her. “But you are a duchess now, so you will have some duties. I’ll have Mrs. Anderson, my housekeeper, explain them to you.”

“Oh!” It should have been obvious, but Rebecca couldn’t help but be a little surprised. Her father had never trusted her with even a trip to the market without someone watching over her.

“If you have any questions, I’m sure Mrs. Anderson will be more than capable of helping you. Aside from that, you are free to spend your time as you see fit. Would you like to change before dinner?”

For a moment all she could do was blink as she tried to grasp everything he had said. “No, I don’t think I need to.”

After all, it wasn’t like she had a complex or proper wedding dress. Her hair was also rather simple, and she didn’t have any jewelry either. There really wasn’t anything all that different from what she would wear on a normal day.

Part of her was more than a little disappointed if she was honest. Still, it wasn’t something that surprised her. After all, why would they waste money on a new dress for her when there was no party or big ceremony. Not only that, but she was getting married before her older sister, something liable to bring Dorothy no small measure of shame and embarrassment. She was sure Dorothy was lamenting her lack of worthy suitors at that very moment with some of her friends.

“Are you sure? I was led to believe most women would.”

“Perhaps, but I am plenty comfortable, I assure you. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He stared at her for a moment before he shrugged. “Very well, whatever you like. If there’s nothing you need, then you can simply follow me.”

Rebecca scurried behind him, eyes darting everywhere, desperate to take in any details of her new house and what it might tell her about her new husband.

But he was moving fast, and it was hard to notice much of anything. What she could see was more than overwhelming on its own. Everywhere she looked was finery. The place didn’t even feel like a home, rather a bit like a museum. Father’s home was full of flimsy but shiny new gimcracks, but here she was surrounded by old pieces that were clearly passed down through several generations.

Rebecca couldn’t help but smile. The few older pieces her father hadn’t sold off ended up in the attic with her. There was something reassuring about seeing something at least vaguely familiar.

Only a few moments later, the pair made their way into the dining room. As the Duke took his seat at one end of the long table, Rebecca finally had a chance to really take in one of the rooms.

The room was large, almost overwhelmingly so. It wasn’t all that ornate, only a painting on one of the walls, a few wall sconces, and the main decor was of course the table itself. It was long enough for a full dinner party, but there were only two chairs, one at each end. He sat at the head of the table then looked at her expectantly.

Rebecca raced to comply, all but falling into the seat at the other end. Silence hung over them.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, servants came out and placed plates in front of them. Then, they uncovered the tray.

When Rebecca saw just how much food there was, she gasped. It seemed like there was everything she could possibly think of. There was fresh bread, roast beef, savory vegetables, and none of the portions were small. It was easily more than double what she would have eaten not for a meal but in a day at home. Surely, this had to be a mistake.

For a moment, she thought the servants had mixed up their plates, but when she glanced over to him, she saw the Duke’s was the same.

Maybe it was because it was their wedding day. He might want to give her a warm welcome and thought it was a good way to do that. After all, she didn’t want to think about the possibility that it could be some kind of test. She chewed on her lip, toying with her fork while she sat paralyzed and unsure.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, startling her from her thoughts.

She looked up to see he had set his own silverware aside and was staring at her, a deep frown on his face.

How could she disturb his meal like this? She should know better and just be grateful. “Nothing’s wrong. Why would you think something is wrong?”

His frown deepened. “You haven’t eaten anything yet. Is the food not to your taste? If so, I can call down to the kitchen and see what we can do.”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” she said quickly. “It was kind enough of you to put all of this together.”

“It’s just a meal. It really wasn’t much effort, but if the problem isn’t the food, then what is it?”

“I suppose I’m just not used to being given quite so much. My plates at home barely had half of this.”

He frowned. “Is it too much? I can make sure they bring you smaller portions in the future.”

“You don’t need to go to all that trouble.”

“It's no trouble. It is just telling them how you would prefer something done.”

“You don’t need to have them change anything,” she said quickly. “It’s perfectly all right. I just don’t know if I’m going to be able to eat it all.”

“If you don’t, that’s all right.” He frowned, but he didn’t seem angry as he gave her a thoughtful look.

She looked at him in shock. Her father had always reprimanded her when she wasted even a small amount of food. It would usually result in her portions getting cut to be even smaller.

He was still watching her expectantly. After another moment of hesitation, Rebecca picked up her fork and started to eat. Regardless of what he said, she couldn’t help but fear it was some kind of test.

There had to be a right answer for how much she was supposed to eat, and she couldn’t help but worry about eating too much or too little.

She shot him one last glance before taking her first bite, but he had already turned away from her and back to his own plate.

Then, Rebecca brought the carrot to her lips. When the flavors hit her tongue, she couldn’t help the sound of delight that escaped her lips. It was nothing like the plain fare she had eaten at her family home. It was well seasoned and absolutely delicious, rich with butter and fragrant with sage.

She ate with renewed gusto, going from carrots to roast to bread in delight. Any and all worries about her husband’s secret plan flew from her mind. All she could think about was how good the food was and how hungry she was.

She hadn’t been given any time to eat anything before the ceremony. It was only after half her plate was gone that she remembered her manners and her location.

She held back a wince. Rebecca could hardly believe she had let him see her eat like that. She should have known better. It was no wonder he hadn’t said anything since she had started eating. He must have thought she was such a pig!

Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe she could still save this. All she had to do was start a conversation, show him he could enjoy her company and that she was worth keeping around. Not that he had much of a choice anymore.

So, she did the only thing she could. She spoke, breaking the silence that was suffocating them.

“You mentioned earlier that you wanted me to manage the household. Is there anything you want to make sure I know?” She felt like her voice, though barely above a whisper, was a scream in the quiet stillness of the room.

He just shook his head. “Not that I can think of. I’m sure you will manage fine on your own.”

“On my own?”

“Well, you’ll have Mrs. Anderson. I suppose I mean without my instructions.”

She smiled to herself. “I… I see. I do appreciate the vote of confidence, but is there nothing you need from me? I don’t just mean with the manor, I mean as a whole. Is there anything you expect of me?”

He thought for a minute, a frown growing on his face. “Only an heir at an appropriate time.”

Rebecca’s face heated, a deep flush creeping up her neck. She swallowed. “I will do my best to fulfill my duties, Your Gr… husband.”

“Try not to worry. There will be plenty of time for that once you have made yourself at home. For the time being, just take some time to settle in. I’m sure you’ll have much to learn here.”

“Thank you.” She had to bite back a sigh of relief.

“We only met a few hours ago. I have no doubt there will be much both of us need to become accustomed to.”

Rebecca smiled. “I will do my best to adjust as quickly as I can. I would hate to disrupt your life more than I must.”

He just hummed in vague assent, letting the silence fall over them once more.

Rebecca enjoyed the rest of her food, but she couldn’t stop glancing at the Duke. In so many ways, he was different than she had expected. He was quiet and seemed quite harsh, but Rebecca thought there was kindness hidden behind his eyes. Most importantly, he seemed to have an interest in this relationship developing into something more. Something real. All it needed was time.

After a while, the Duke set his silverware down before getting to his feet. He turned to her with a stiff and distant expression on his face. “I have a few things I need to see to this evening. I will have my housekeeper come out to show you to your room shortly. Please enjoy the rest of your meal.”

“Oh,” she tried to hide her surprise. She also didn’t realize she would be as disappointed as she was. “Of course. As a duke you must be a very busy man. Will I see you again this evening?”

“It’s doubtful.”

“Of course. Tomorrow morning then?”

“Perhaps.”

“Then I look forward to it.”

“Don’t look forward to it too much. I can’t guarantee that I will be able to join you then either.”

“Of course,” she said again. “I understand you are a busy man.”

“Quite.”

She forced a smile, pushing down her disappointment. It was foolish and selfish of her to think he would put whatever he needed to do on hold for the day. She did her best to push the thoughts from her head. “I completely understand. I hope you have a pleasant rest of your evening.”

He studied her for another moment before he turned. The Duke paused in the doorway. “I hope you do as well. Please let Mrs. Anderson know if anything in your quarters needs adjusting.”

“I’m sure it will be perfectly fine, but thank you.”

“Very well. It was nice to meet you, Duchess Rebecca,” he said, but his voice didn’t sound like he thought it was pleasant.

He sounded, annoyed, disappointed, and eager to finally get away from her.

“Of course, but…”

Her words trailed off, lost into thin air as he turned and walked from the room without another word.