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“Your Grace,” Estella called out, stepping into the garden with a cautious smile.

Juliet spun around, her heart quickening. “Yes, Mrs. Harris? Is something the matter?”

The housekeeper shook her head, but Juliet noticed the slight hesitation in her eyes.

“Not at all, Your Grace. I was simply confirming your well-being. You have been out here for quite some time.”

Juliet sighed, her shoulders drooping slightly. “I have been thinking, Mrs. Harris. When will it be proper for me to leave the house? I have…places I wish to visit.”

Estella hesitated, the corners of her mouth tightening as she weighed her words. “Would you like me to run an errand for you, Your Grace? I would be more than happy to help in any way I can.”

Juliet shook her head. “No, Mrs. Harris, that is not what I meant. I need to know when it would be acceptable for me to step out if I need to visit friends. When can I go about freely?”

“Oh. That.” Estella’s voice wavered slightly as she spoke. “I suppose the Duke wouldn’t mind…”

Juliet’s sharp ears caught the subtle edge as Estella said the wordDuke. Clearly, the housekeeper was pushing her back to the authoritative head of Islington Hall.

A heavy sigh escaped Juliet’s lips. “So, it is as I had feared. I must seek my husband’s permission for something as simple as a visit.”

Estella gave her a sympathetic look, but it contained little comfort. “That may very well be the case, Your Grace. It may be best to speak with the Duke directly.”

Juliet felt irritated, but she masked it with a polite nod. “Thank you, Mrs. Harris. I will carefully consider that approach.”

The housekeeper remained still for a moment then curtsied and returned to the house.

Juliet turned back to the garden, her mind swirling with thoughts. If she wanted any freedom in this house, she would need to negotiate it with Hector. The very idea left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She had married him under circumstances that left little room for choice or negotiation, and now she was expected to seek his approval for even the smallest of things. It was as if she had become a child again, bound by the decisions of others with no say in her own life.

He was sorely mistaken if Hector thought he could keep her confined within these walls.

Juliet turned on her heel and returned to the house with a determined set to her jaw.

“Where is my…the Duke?”

“Your Grace,” the butler said, stepping aside as Juliet entered the grand foyer, “the Duke is taking a break from the hours spent in his study. He is on the balcony upstairs. His Grace likes the view of the lake from there.”

The balcony?

A wave of excitement rushed over Juliet as she imagined what the view from up there would look like with the ground so far below. A chill of trepidation ran down her spine, and a cold sweat broke out over her skin at the thought of meeting him on such an open, risky ledge.

Even after so many years, Juliet had never recovered from her fear of heights since her mother had fallen to her death.

“Your Grace?” the butler inquired with a puzzled look.

Swallowing her panic, Juliet mentally chastised herself for her childish fears. She was a duchess now, not a little girl.

With a shake of her head and a slow intake of breath, she began to climb. Her hand gripped the banister tightly as though it was her only lifeline.

Each step felt heavier than her last, and her heart pounded more rapidly with each riser she climbed. The walls seemed to close in, and the air felt thinner as she ascended. She focused on the polished wood beneath her feet, trying to block out her rising panic.

“Why, of all places, did Hector have to find the view from a balcony relaxing?”

The staircase curved, revealing a long hallway bathed in soft, filtered light. The balcony was at the far end, its door wide open.

She could see her husband from where she stood. She admired the firm lines of his broad back and the gentle way his hair swayed in the breeze. Juliet hesitated as she climbed higher, and her breath caught in her throat. Her hands grew clammy, and vision blurred with the effort required to complete her ascent.

As Juliet’s steps faltered, she could feel her courage draining away as her body froze in place. Despite her now violent shaking, she squeezed her eyes shut and called out for Hector.