Page 71 of Wedded to the Duke of Seduction

“Will you join us for Alice’s musical evening next Tuesday?” Seraphina asked as the carriage pulled to a stop before Marina’s townhouse. “It’s a small gathering, just a few friends. Gerald says Blackmere used to be quite proficient at the pianoforte though I’ve never heard him play.”

“I didn’t know Leo played,” Marina admitted, surprised by this new information about her husband.

There seemed to be endless facets to him that she had yet to discover.

“Used to play,” Seraphina clarified. “Apparently, he hasn’t touched an instrument in years. Not since…” She trailed off and suddenly looked uncomfortable. “Well, it’s been some time.”

Marina nodded, understanding the unspoken reference to William’s disappearance.

“I would be delighted to attend Alice’s evening,” she said, steering the conversation back to safer ground.

When Marina finally descended for dinner, Leo stood waiting in the drawing room, holding a glass of wine and flipping through a small book he quickly closed upon her arrival.

“You look lovely,” he said, setting the book and glass aside as he approached. “Did you enjoy your afternoon with Seraphina?”

“Very much,” Marina replied, accepting the wine he offered. “She’s incredibly knowledgeable about literature.”

“A passion she shares with her husband,” Leo noted. “They have quite the library at Irondale Hall.”

An awkward pause followed. Marina took a sip of her wine, trying to steady her nerves.

“Henderson mentioned you wished to see me when I got home,” she finally said, meeting his gaze.

Leo gave her a small smile. “Nothing urgent. I just wanted to make sure your day was going well.”

Something in his voice hinted at more than casual interest, but before Marina could respond, Henderson appeared to announce dinner.

Throughout the meal, Marina felt Leo watching her, his gaze thoughtful and occasionally heated. The tension grew between them with every moment of silence.

It wasn’t until dessert that Leo spoke up with a question she hadn’t expected.

“Are you happy, Marina?”

She paused, setting down her spoon. “What do you mean?”

“I mean exactly that,” he said gently. “Are you happy here with our arrangement?”

The bluntness caught her off guard.

“I am content,” she said carefully. “Why do you ask?”

Leo watched her closely. “Dorian mentioned that Alice thought you seemed reserved at their gathering. I wondered if perhaps this marriage wasn’t meeting your expectations.”

Marina hesitated. Their marriage had been a practical decision, not something built on happiness.

“I am still adjusting,” she finally said. “To being a duchess, to this house…”

“To me?” Leo’s voice was lower now, intimate in a way that sent warmth through her body.

“To whatever we are now,” Marina clarified softly.

Leo leaned back, never taking his eyes off her. “And what exactly are we now, Marina?”

The question she’d been avoiding since the ball now hung openly between them.

“I am not sure anymore,” she admitted. “I thought I knew, but…”

“Something changed,” Leo finished for her. “Something neither of us expected.”