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William laid awake for a long time, well after Catherine had fallen into a deep sleep in his arms. She had not been the wife he had ever expected having. She was certainly not the duchess that he had imagined marrying. He had never imagined feeling any tender feelings for her, and yet…

He could not deny that he held no small measure of affection for Catherine, his unconventional Duchess of Sarsen. She was nothing that he had ever wanted, but she seemed to be everything that he needed.

CHAPTER24

“You ought to tear yourself away from your desk and greet the day properly,” Catherine said, arms crossed as she confronted her husband.

It was approaching noon, and the man had yet to leave his study. This was notunusualbehavior, but of late, William’s behavior had been much improved. It was Catherine’s duty as his wife to ensure that he did not return to his old habits.

William arched an eyebrow. “Really?” he asked. “I do not believe you have any reason to criticize me, for you rose only an hour ago yourself.”

Her face grew so hot and so quickly that Catherine suspected her face must be the color of the setting sun. She reflexively squeezed her thighs together. Catherine had awakened with a faint ache between her legs and with a pleasant sort of tiredness that pulled at her limbs. It had taken significantly more willpower than usual for her to leave the bed.

“I engaged in some rather vigorous exercise last night,” Catherine said. “If memory serves, that was your doing. You are responsible for my behavior this morning.”

“Well-reasoned,” William replied, eyes gleaming with dark mischief. “However, I am certain that you do not wish for me to spare you from future exercises. Do you?”

Catherine adopted a look of mock offense. “I am upset at the suggestion, sir, but I doubt that you could manage to refrain from such exercise either.”

“You might be right,” he conceded. “Now, what is it that you wish for me to do?”

Catherine clasped her hands behind her back and smiled. “As I am certain you have noticed, it is a beautiful day.”

He glanced at the window, seemingly having not noticed that it was a beautiful day. The sky was blue and devoid of clouds, filled with sunshine and a gentle breeze that sent ripples skipping over the surface of the lake. “So it is,” he said.

“Yes. Well. Hannah and Hester wish to play in the gardens. When we last did that, I recall you being quite upset with me. You said that it was dangerous.”

William folded his hands over his desk. “Are you here to ask for my permission? That does not sound like you. Who are you, and what have you done with my duchess?”

She laughed. “He jests! In truth, I had hoped that you might be willing to compromise. Perhaps, you would like to come and watch over us to ensure that we are safe.”

William’s face softened. He sighed and looked at his papers. Catherine took a step forward, curiously eyeing the documents. She balked a little when she saw the carefully written columns of numbers. Although she was quite good at arithmetic, she had never developed a strong liking for numbers.

“You are busy,” Catherine said. “I am sorry that I am always trying to take you away from your desk.”

“What an odd thing to say.”

“It is true,” Catherine said. “I am always coming to ask you to join us, and while I do think that your presence benefits your sisters greatly, I have never really told you that I understand how difficult it is to manage the dukedom. It is no wonder that you are always so busy.”

“Yes, well…” William trailed off. “I would not envy anyone my position, but someone must do it. Our tenants are the lifeblood of our dukedom, and I must ensure that they have everything they need to live peaceful and prosperous lives.”

“An admirable goal,” Catherine said. “What do you think? Maybe you can join us for just a little while. That will leave the rest of the evening for you to work on your papers.”

William hummed and tapped his pen against the desk. “Very well,” he said, rising from his chair. “Let us enjoy the garden.”

Catherine went onto the balls of her feet and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, my lord. Your sisters and I will be waiting downstairs for you.”

“No need,” he said, offering his arm. “I shall join you at once.”

She smiled shyly at him and accepted his arm. Together, they left his study and went down the stairs.

Catherine felt a smoldering glow of pride for persuading him to come with her, for her husband could be as stubborn as a cantankerous old mule. He had progressed nicely over the course of their marriage, however, and she could not help but feel a burst of pride that she had managed to coax him from his study much more easily than she had in the past.

“We have had many beautiful days in the country,” Catherine said. “I am rather enjoying them.”

“Indeed,” William said. “I am surprised that we have not had more rain. The last time I was in the country, I am certain that it was a tempest every day.”

“I suppose that you would be most distressed if I decided to enjoy the gardens evenifit was raining,” Catherine said wryly, her lips twitching in amusement.