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“Ihavebeen speaking to you,” she pointed out.

“You had simply been scarfing down your food and then running away before the main course was even served,” he countered.

Ava shrugged. “Perhaps I had some important things to do.”

“Late at night? In your chambers?” he pressed.

“I simply want to speak to you about some renovations and projects I would like to?—”

“And I simply want to know why you have been avoiding me like the plague,” he cut her off.

Her brow creased as she sighed.

“Do you wish for me to continue?” she asked.

There was an edge to her voice, and he recognized it as frustration. He certainly did not want her to end their conversation. After all, he enjoyed teasing and taunting her more than anything.

“Fine,” he relented. “You may speak.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” she responded curtly.

“Your Grace?” Edwin repeated.

“You are a duke. Therefore, that is the appropriate way to address you,” she pointed out.

“That is far too formal. After all, you are my wife,” Edwin protested. “You must call me ‘husband.’”

“Husband?” Ava looked taken aback.

Edwin suppressed a smirk. “Do you not think perhaps it is time you started calling me by my name instead of being so formal?” he asked.

Ava frowned. “We are married only on paper. I prefer to simply call you by your title.”

That stung.

Indeed, they might be married only on paper. But that did not mean he did not enjoy having her as his wife.

“I suppose being married to me on paper does not stop you from calling me by my name in front of your sisters,” he said.

He could see just a hint of remorse in her eyes as she stared rather intently at her food.

“Alright, I’ll you ‘husband’ then,” she conceded.

“Now, about the renovations,” he prompted.

Ava perked up immediately, and her face brightened.

“I would like to commission some renovations in the house,” she began. “I want a little garden by the pond, complete with a bench for relaxation and a statue.”

Edwin nodded. “That sounds rather nice.”

“That is not all,” she continued. “The drawing room…” She hesitated, as though afraid that her words might hurt him.

“Speak.”

“The drawing room is rather outdated. The decor does not reflect the present fashions, and I would love nothing more thanto change it. And this includes the furniture, the drapes, and the rugs.”

Edwin watched in amazement as she rattled on. He could not take his eyes off her, for she came alive when she spoke about the renovations. Her eyes lit up, and her hands moved animatedly. He knew then that he would support her endeavor. He just wanted to see her so happy.