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I might say the same about your family,Catherine thought.

Which was more unusual, after all? A family where they all seemed to love each other too much, or one where they did not seem to spend any time with one another? Certainly, it was notCatherine’s family that was strange. There must be some reason for His Grace’s behavior, though she could not fathom what it might be.

Was it that the duke himself was still grieving the death of his brother and mother? Maybe he had decided to isolate himself, so his grief was less apparent to his sister. If so, that approach seemed to be working. Instead, they believed that he was always busy and had no time that he might spend with them.

“We may be unusual,” Catherine said at last. “But I like being a little unusual. We are happy as a family, and that is certainly more important than anything else.”

“Is it?” Hannah asked doubtfully. “Does it not vex you that others might perceive you as unusual?”

“Sometimes,” Catherine admitted, “but I would rather have some perceive me as a little strange than I would not be true to myself.”

“But what of your reputation?” Hester asked. “Would you not be concerned that it might suffer?”

“Maybe,” Catherine conceded, thinking.

His Grace would probably prefer that she not be entirely honest about such matters.

“I think of myself, and I am myself in private,” Catherine said. “But I am the Duchess of Sarsen in public. I think of it as a performance, as if I am an actress playing a role. Once the night is done, I am finished with my performance and allowed to be only myself.”

“Oh,” Hannah said quietly. “How interesting.”

“Yes,” Hester replied.

For the first time all week, the girls looked as though they were genuinely interested in her words. They appeared deep in thought, as if they were mulling them over.

“It is an interesting premise,” Hannah said at last. “Be oneself in private and an actress before others.”

“I quite like it,” Hester said.

“It seems deceptive to me,” Hannah said, fixing a stern look on Catherine’s face. “How are we to know that you are being yourself with us?”

“I am your guardian,” Catherine replied. “I will always be myself with you.”

Even as she said it, she felt a tremor of doubt. At the moment, she felt quite unlike herself. Instead, it was as if she was playing a role, an inadequate facsimile of her sister Dorothy. Still, for the sake of these girls, she had to try.

And the first step to doing right by these girls was persuading their brother to leave his study.

CHAPTER13

His wife burst into his study like a Fury, come to punish him for his misdeeds. He arched an eyebrow as she stood in the open doorway. The woman had not even bothered to knock or ask for entrance, and William was certain that Catherine knew she ought to dothat.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was late in the evening, and he had worked through dinner, as often happened. William carefully set down his pen, watching as Catherine closed the door and stormed across the floor.

“Youare infuriating,” Catherine said.

William arched an eyebrow. “Am I?”

“Yes,” she said, curling her hands over the back of the chair across from his. “We have been married a week, and I have not seen you since our wedding night.”

His eyes flitted to the bodice of her gown, pleased with what he saw. He let his gaze wander leisurely down over those sinfully attractive curves. “Am I to assume that you are here to fulfill your wifely duties? You seem terribly eager,” William said. “It is most improper of you, my lady.”

Color rushed to the woman’s face, and William smirked.

“That is not why I am here, Your Grace.”

“Oh?”

“It concerns your sisters.”