Ice Cold Duke (Frigid Dukes #2)

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“ I ’ve married a monster,” Emery said aloud to herself as she sat, rooted to the spot, in the carriage, his words still echoing in her ears and the feel of his fingers still on her jaw. The tears had begun at last, and as they slipped down her cheeks, the anger inside of her receded a little, replaced instead by an overwhelming, crushing sense of despair. “Not only is he a monster, but he’s mad: he would rather spend a lifetime being unhappy than risk a little gossip.”

Still shaking, she sat forward and watched him disappear into the house in front of her. He didn’t turn around to see if she was following, and she hadn’t expected him to. The footman, meanwhile, came around the side of the carriage and began to let down the stairs, then offered her his hand. As she took it, she thought again of her husband’s obsession with having saved her reputation.

It wouldn’t have been irreversible ruination if Henry and I just hadn’t married! She thought sadly, angrily, as she stepped down from the carriage and onto the drive. The guest list was small, considering my parents are quiet people who prefer the country and don’t have many friends. Besides, Henry and Lucien are rich, powerful men with large estates and good looks: they would recover.

In fact, it was her who would have suffered the worst damage to her reputation. But funnily enough, she was the one who had been willing to risk it all.

But no, she thought grimly, the Duke had to pretend to save me, when really he is the one who has condemned me.

She tried to push these thoughts aside as she walked up the drive toward the house. At the same time, she dried her eyes on the back of her gloves and tried to still the angry shaking feeling inside of her.

She was furious, yes, but she also knew she was about to meet her husband’s staff and that she couldn’t come in sobbing or ranting--especially since, and her stomach dropped as she realized it--the staff was not expecting a new duchess to arrive. They were expecting a new Lady Henry, who wouldn’t be their mistress and wouldn’t be living at Dredford Castle.

“Oh God,” she said aloud, as she stepped up to the front door. “They don’t know anything.”

The door swung open, and the butler--whom she had known for years in her visits to Henry--stepped out to greet her, a confused and anxious look on his face.

“Lady Emery,” he began, bowing low, “if you do not mind, can you please explain to me exactly what is happening? His Grace just came in and said… he said that the Duchess was right behind him. But the Duchess has been dead these last fourteen years, and--”

Suddenly the man’s eyes grew wide. He stared at her, his lips parting slightly. “But--it isn’t possible,” he murmured. “You… you are Lord Henry's wife, are you not? You cannot be…”

“There was a change of plans,” Emery said heavily. “I’m sorry for the confusion, Wilkes, but yes, it’s true: the Duke of Dredford and I were married this morning. I am…” she cleared her throat, suddenly dry, and tried again. “I am the Duchess of Dredford.”

Wilkes, she knew, was a supremely well-trained butler. So, it was a testament to just how shocking the whole turn of events really was that for a long moment, he ogled her in shock and confusion.

It was also a testament to how well-trained he was that this ogling took only a moment, and then he snapped to business.

“Right… Well, congratulations, Your Grace. We are overjoyed to welcome you to your new home at Dredford Castle. I apologize, but the Duchess’s chamber is not prepared yet, as we were not expecting--well, never mind. I shall have it prepared at once. In the meantime, would you like to meet your staff? They are all downstairs taking luncheon--we were not expecting the Duke home until after the wedding breakfast, you see--but I can have them up here to greet you in just a few minutes.”

“Let them finish luncheon,” she said after considering it. She wasn’t sure she could meet the entire staff when she was still shocked by how the day’s events. “But perhaps, while my rooms are being prepared, you might ask the Duke’s sisters to meet me in the drawing room for tea? I would like to explain to them what has happened.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Wilkes said, bowing low. “I will fetch them at once.”

His sisters. Emery took a deep breath as she set off across the hall toward the drawing room, where she knew all three young ladies would soon be joining her and she would have to explain to them that she had not married Henry, as had been expected, but the Duke. She couldn’t lie to herself: it was an intimidating prospect.

The Duke’s sisters--Ladies Leah, Celeste, and Eve--were three of the most difficult to engage people that Emery had ever met. They were younger than her--Leah, the eldest, was only eighteen, and four years her junior--which meant that they hadn’t interacted much.

Last time I visited Henry at the Castle, the girls were still in the nursery. And even then, she didn’t remember interacting much with them.

Because she didn’t know them well, Emery had no idea how they were going to react to finding out that they would now be living with another woman who would outrank them. And while Emery didn’t plan on being a domineering Duchess, she knew that the subtle and nuanced dynamics between women living under the same roof could be even more complex than the dynamics between husband and wife.

Steeling herself, she seated herself on a divan in the drawing room and waited. She didn’t have long to wait. Not five minutes later, the doors to the drawing room opened, and Ladies Leah, Celeste, and Eve came in, all looking politely confused and curious.

“Lady Emery,” Lady Leah said, curtsying. “What a surprise it is to see you! We were not expecting you to come here after your wedding. Were you and Henry not planning to honeymoon in the Lakes District?”

“Is Henry unwell?” Lady Eve, the youngest of the Duke’s sisters, asked, her eyes wide. Leah shot her a look that said, Don’t ask intrusive questions, and Eve lowered her eyes, blushing.

“Henry is very well,” Emery said, standing and curtsying as well. “That is… I think he is.”

The sisters looked at one another, then back at Emery. “You think?” Lady Leah asked. “You do not know?”

Emery sighed. “Please, you may as well sit, and I’ll explain everything.”

If the ladies thought it odd that she was inviting them to sit in their own home, they were too polite to say so. They made their way over to the couches and sat, in a row, across from her, blinking at her with wide eyes.

“There was a change of plans,” Emery said as she sat back down on the divan and brushed her skirts out. “I did not marry your brother Henry today. I married… Lucien.” It was harder than expected to use his Christian name, as if she were overstepping, despite their newfound bond. “I am the new Duchess of Dredford.”

I am getting quite used to shocked silences, she thought ruefully as another one spread over the drawing room. Lady Leah’s eyes had gone as wide as saucers, while Lady Eve’s mouth fell open. Lady Celeste’s reaction was more reserved, even thoughtful. She blinked, frowned, and then nodded slightly.

“I know this is shocking,” Emery said after a moment. “I myself am still in shock. In fact, I can’t quite believe any of this is happening…” She tried to laugh but couldn’t. “You can ask me any questions you want, anything at all, and I can try to explain.”

For a long moment, no one said anything. The sisters were all looking down now, none at her, which only made Emery more uncomfortable. They are just like him, she realized suddenly. Steel traps of impenetrability.

At last, Lady Leah looked up. “Shall we have tea?”

Emery, surprised by this response, merely nodded, and watched as Leah rang for tea. No one said anything after this, and silence reigned for several minutes, until the tea arrived. Once it was set in front of them, Leah leaned forward to pour it, then hesitated. She glanced up at Emery.

“Forgive me. This is your house now. Would you like to pour the tea, Y-your… Grace?”

Emery could see it was difficult for her to say the words, and she felt herself blush in shame. Who am I to take over this house and act as if I am its mistress? I don’t belong here.

“You can do it,” she said, leaning back on the divan. “I’m quite tired after the day’s events.”

Leah nodded and began to pour the tea. She was very good at it, Emery had to admit. She looked as if she had been trained by the finest governess imaginable. She’s much better than I am, Emery thought, rueful again. She’s clearly been trained up to impress gentlemen of the ton , whereas I never had to be trained because I was just shoved off on Henry. I didn’t have to impress anyone.

Once the tea was poured, Leah handed cups to each of them. Each sister politely sipped their tea, fingers out, without making any impolite sounds or spilling a drop. They didn’t even blow on the tea, nor did their eyes fill with tears when it was too hot.

Gosh, they really are good, she thought depressingly. They’re the ones that should be duchesses; not me.

Eve’s stomach rumbled at that moment, and her eyes slid over to the cakes in the middle of the food tray. However, when she did reach for food, it was for a small cucumber sandwich, which she ate delicately, nibbling on the ends, before setting down, unfinished.

“You know, you can eat as much as you want if you’re hungry,” Emery said. Eve stared at her as if uncomprehending, then looked at Leah, who sighed and shook her head.

“Ladies do not stuff their faces at teatime,” she said, setting her cup down. “It’s important Eve learns that now, before she is out in Society.”

“Who taught you that?” Emery asked. “Your mother?”

“Our mother died when we were very young, so she never got the chance,” Leah explained. “It was Lucien who taught us this.”

Of course. If Emery remembered correctly, Lady Eve had only been one or two when her parents had died. Of course the girls had been raised primarily by their brother.

Instead of answering, she reached across the table, took a cake from the middle, and put the whole thing in her mouth. Slowly, she chewed it, savoring every flavor and sensation, even closing her eyes as its deliciousness washed over her. When she opened them again, all three sisters were staring at her. Leah looked horrified, Eve in awe, and Celeste appraising.

“You can eat as little as you want when you’re out in Society in London,” Emery said to Eve, after she’d swallowed. “But when you’re here at home, I hope you will eat as much as you want. Food is meant to be appreciated and enjoyed.”

Eve glanced again at Leah, as if unsure which of them to believe, then nodded, but she didn’t reach for a cake.

Emery sighed. “So… are any of you going to ask what happened today? Why Henry and I didn’t marry?”

“It’s not really any of our business,” Leah said at once, though not unkindly.

Celeste shifted slightly, and Emery could tell she was curious. But she said nothing.

“The Duke compromised me and I was forced to marry him,” she said, just to see if they’d react with shock, but when all three of them continued to stare at her with bland politeness, she sighed and shook her head.

“Of course the Duke didn’t compromise me. But I must say--I’m impressed. Even a confession of such a scandalous nature did not break your defenses.”

“Our… defenses?” Leah asked, her brow knitting together slightly.

“Yes, your defenses.” Emery raised an eyebrow. “Do you not think you have defenses?”

Celeste fidgeted again.

“We are just being proper young ladies,” Eve said after a moment, sounding uncertain.

“Proper young ladies do not pry,” Leah agreed, although for a moment, a look of doubt crossed her face.

“I hardly think it’s prying to ask your new sister-in-law why she came home with the wrong husband!” Emery nearly laughed. For the first time, she was beginning to see the humor in this situation, even if it was dark humor. The Duke’s sisters had been so clearly trained--dare she say brainwashed?--in the kind of propriety he wished she had that they seemed devoid of all personality or curiosity!

“Well, since you won’t pry, I’ll just tell you,” Emery concluded, looking between the three sisters. “You’ll know soon enough anyway. Henry has--”

“He’s run off, hasn’t he?” Celeste interrupted. She then blushed and lowered her eyes.

“You knew he wanted to?” Emery asked, astonished.

“Pardon me for interrupting,” Celeste said, but Emery shook her head.

“Don’t worry about that,” she said dismissively. “I’m just curious to know if you suspected something like this might happen.”

Celeste looked up, hesitated, then said quietly, “I knew that Henry dreamed of a love match. But I didn’t think he would actually run off and abandon you.”

“Hmm.” Emery took this as a good sign: despite being trained up in acting like a personality-less lady, Celeste was thoughtful and observant. “Well, he did run off, although I personally would have liked to run off myself.”

Leah raised a hand to her mouth in shock, and Eve giggled. Emery stuck her tongue out at her briefly, and she giggled again.

“But your eldest brother swooped in and ‘saved the day’, or at least, that’s how he tells it. So now not only am I married to a man I don’t love, I’m also married to a man I don’t know.”

From the looks on her sisters-in-law’s faces, it seemed as if all of them were trying very hard to disguise their shock at this turn of events.

“But… marriage to Lucien is not so bad,” Leah offered after a moment. “He is a duke, after all! Most ladies would be beside themselves with joy to land a duke.”

“And you know us,” Eve put in. “Not very well, but that is better than going to live in a house where you know no one.”

“At least we shall not be evil sisters-in-law, tormenting you in your new home,” Celeste said with a smile.

“That is true,” Emery said, nodding thoughtfully, relieved to see the tiniest amount of give in their armor. “But don’t you girls dream of a love match? Leah, you’re going to be out soon, aren’t you? Don’t you hope that you will fall madly in love with a gentleman? That you won’t have to marry for convenience or for money but in order to spend all your days with a man you adore and who adores you?”

Emery felt her face flush with excitement just thinking about it, but to her surprise, Leah was staring at her as if the concept had never even occurred to her. At last, she shook her head.

“Lucien says that love matches are not as desirable as they sound,” she said, lowering her eyes. “He says that passion is intense, but fleeting, and that it is far better to marry a man with whom I have a foundation of respect and mutual understanding, rather than to get carried away with my emotions.”

“Well, what does the Duke know about it?” Emery said, folding her arms. “Has he ever been in love?”

All three sisters stared at her blankly, and Emery took that for a no. Or they don’t know--either way, it is strange to think of my husband having been in love with someone. Although it doesn’t precisely seem to be in his nature. Unless he is suffering from some terrible heartbreak in his past…

For some reason, the thought brought a knot to her stomach. She didn’t like to think of the man who had taken away her chance for love having had a great love story of his own.

“I think I will follow my brother’s advice,” Leah said, a little doubtfully. “He is twenty-eight, a duke, and knows the ways of the world. I want to find myself a suitable match, preferably with an agreeable man who will treat me kindly.”

“And you deserve someone who treats you kindly,” Emery said, “but you also deserve love. And I hope that you will at least consider it when you begin preparing for your coming out.”

Leah bit her lip. She didn’t exactly give her word that she would consider it, but she didn’t say she wouldn’t either.

“Your brother has been primarily in charge of your upbringing, hasn’t he?” Emery said, looking between them. They all nodded. “Yes, I expected as much. I see he has molded you all into his own prim and proper image.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Eve asked, her eyes wide.

“No…” Emery began slowly. “I just think it’s important that you make time to have a little bit of fun in life. And if you know how to have fun, if you know what makes you happy and what doesn’t, then you will be more likely to find husbands that fit with you. Perhaps you don’t have to aim for love, but compatibility can be a good place to begin.”

Start small, she told herself. Don’t shock them too much and don’t try to force them to defy their brother and seek out love matches. You have time…

And truthfully, she didn’t want to try and control the girls. Their marriages were their decisions to make, just as hers should have been her decision to make, too. She just hoped that they would actually make their own decisions and not be foisted upon gentlemen their brother picked out.

In the meantime, however, I cannot live in a castle where there isn’t fun, or spontaneity, where everything is always proper and perfect. And I certainly am not going to allow my husband to take away his sisters’ chances at enjoying their lives.

Out of the corner of the eye, something glinted, and she turned to the window to see the edge of the lake in the distance. At once, an idea came to her.

Turning back to the girls, she grinned. “Have you three ever been swimming in the lake?”

Their scandalized yet intrigued looks told her everything she needed to know.

“Lucien would never allow it!” Eve gasped.

“It would be improper!” Leah shuddered.

“Although I suppose it might be fun…” Celeste ventured.

Emery gave them all a wicked smile. “Then I think it’s time you gave it a whirl.”