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When she finally stopped in front of him, he had the same cold, unfeeling look on his face.

His lips curled into a strained smile, and yet the coldness in his eyes remained. And of course, the mask remained on his face.

It had been only two weeks since Edwin had announced that he was marrying her at the ball. The wedding, in her opinion, was rushed.

It was as though he could not wait to finally dig his claws into her.

Ava sighed before she gave a small smile in return.

Eveline and Lily had been surprised to learn of their engagement, and they had demanded to know everything that had led to it. She had regaled them with the tale, which they had found rather dramatic. She wished she could be as amused by the circumstances as they were, though.

The priest began the sacrament, and Ava looked around at the small crowd in the pews. It was simply her family and the Duke’s three friends.

She preferred it this way.

Soon enough, it was time for them to speak their vows, and as was tradition, the groom went first.

He held her gaze as he began to speak. “I, Edwin Crawford, take thee, Ava Jennings, to be my wedded wife. To…”

Soon enough, it was Ava’s turn.

At first, she was not quite certain if she could go through with it. However, one look at Stella, who was wiping tears from her face as she sat in the front pew between their father and Eveline, was all she needed to muster the strength to continue.

“I, Ava Jennings…”

The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, and finally, the newlywed couple were escorted to their carriage.

She waved cheerily at their family and friends before she and her husband climbed into the carriage and took off.

The ride back to the Duke’s residence was rather quiet, but Ava preferred the silence. After all, the air between them was thick with tension, and she was not quite certain that a conversation would help. Moreover, she needed time to trulythink.

She was truly impressed when they finally arrived at the estate. Even though she had been there before, the circumstances surrounding her last visit did not quite afford her the liberty of admiring the house. Now, as she stepped out of the carriage as the new Duchess, she could see that the estate was by far larger than her father’s and that the building was even more grand.

By the time they stepped into the house, Ava knew exactly what she wanted from her husband. All she needed now was time to spring it on him.

She finally got the chance when they sat down for dinner.

“This shall be our first dinner together,” Edwin said as they both entered the dining room. “The first of many, I hope.”

Despite her inner turmoil, Ava could not help but admire the dining room. It was huge, almost three times the size of the one in Notley Manor.

She was pleased. If she was going to spend the rest of her life in the same house as this man, having ample space would definitely make it more bearable.

“The dining room is lovely,” she said.

They soon began to eat, in silence. However, Ava caught her new husband staring at her from across the table.

When they had eaten their fill and the servants had cleared away the plates, Ava finally spoke up.

“There is a matter I wish to discuss with you.”

“I suppose we can discuss any matter in the bedchamber,” he said as he stood up.

“The bedchamberisone of the matters I wish to discuss with you.”

She watched as his brow creased in confusion.

“If you sit down, then we shall discuss this matter,” she added.