Page 31 of A Duchess Disciplined (Dukes of Dominance #1)

CHAPTER 30

A s she had planned her trip, Catherine had decided to journey to her family’s London townhouse, rather than their country estate. Her siblings would be in the country, and although Catherine wanted nothing more than to see Dorothy, Elias, and Bridget, she found that she did not wish to tell them of her marital woes.

They would want to be angry and indignant on her behalf, and Catherine did not want anyone else to be angry on her behalf. Instead, she had gone to her family’s London townhouse, assuming that the place would be abandoned save for the staff. And the staff would be easily persuaded to keep her presence a secret.

There was just one problem with her plan, and Catherine realized that problem the moment she was escorted into Elias’s study, and her brother was there, swirling a glass of Tokay and reading a book of poetry. “Catherine!” he exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

He cast the book aside and abandoned his wineglass on the nearest table. Catherine forced a smile. She thought she might be able to keep her feelings from spilling over, and she might have succeeded, except that he pulled her into a tight embrace. She sniffed and hugged him tightly.

The tears broke free, and she sobbed into his shoulder. Her breath caught, and she pressed her forehead into his shoulder.

“Oh, my sweet sister,” he murmured, pulling her close. “Has someone hurt you, kitty cat?”

She dug her fingers into the back of his jacket and clung to him as though her life depended on it. Her brother’s familiar cologne, the scent of lavender and orange blossoms, filled her senses. Catherine sobbed. He was so familiar, and she felt so safe in his arms.

“Oh, poor cat,” he murmured, stroking her hair.

A small laugh bubbled from her. “You are g—going to ruin my hair!” she cried.

“Do not worry about that,” he replied. “We are the only ones here, and I do not care if your hair is ruined.”

He held her for a long time, as she sobbed into his shoulder. Elias murmured soft words of comfort into her ear and stroked her hair until all her tears were gone. Then, she lifted her head. Her brother gazed softly at her.

“Have a drink with me,” he said gently. “I know that you have always enjoyed sweet wines.”

Elias smiled gently and stepped away. He produced another glass and filled it with the wine. Catherine sank trembling into a nearby chair. She rubbed her eyes, and Elias chivalrously produced a handkerchief. Catherine took it and gently dabbed at her eyes. Once she was finished, her brother returned the handkerchief to her pocket and offered her the glass. The wine was the color of sunlight.

Elias seated himself beside her and leaned back. He grinned rakishly at her, and Catherine felt herself warm beneath his affectionate gaze. “I missed you,” she said. “So much.”

“I know,” he replied. “I have missed you, too.”

They drank for a few moments in companionable silence, and Catherine’s nerves slowly settled. She no longer felt as though she would break apart if her brother touched her.

After some time, Elias sighed. “What has upset you, kitty cat?” he asked. “You know that you can tell me anything.”

Of course, she could. But being able to talk to her brother and being ready to were two entirely different things.

“I do not want to talk about it,” she said. “It hurts too much.”

Elias leaned forward, his glass held loosely in one hand. “Is it the Duke of Sarsen? Has he done something to harm you?”

She sniffed, and Elias’s expression hardened. “N—no,” Catherine said. “No, it is only that I…I am tired from my journey, and because I have traveled so far, my nerves are shattered.”

Elias shook his head. “Catherine,” he said warningly. “I know that is not true. You have nerves as strong as any man. I know that something is troubling you, and given your hesitancy, I suspect that it involves your husband. What has he done? Has he hurt you?”

Catherine shook her head. “No, no…it is only a small marital dispute. I needed some time away from His Grace to think about our marriage. That is all.”

“I have a difficult time believing that is all,” Elias said. “If it was only a small dispute, you would not be nearly this upset about it.”

Catherine took a sip of her wine, favoring the sweet taste of it. She had always delighted in Tokay, ever since taking her first sip. Her brother’s gaze remained on her. He intently watched her face, as if determined to craft meaning from even the smallest expression. Catherine felt a jolt of wry concern, for her brother knew her better than anyone. She could not even hope to lie to him.

“I love you,” she said.

“I know that.”

“And I know you want me to be happy,” Catherine said.

“Happy and safe ,” he said. “You have come all the way to London without your husband, and you just broke down weeping. I have not seen you cry since our parents died, and I am concerned. Any man would be, kitty cat.”

“I know that, but I am asking you not to ask any more questions. I will tell you about the matter when I am ready. At the moment, I am not,” she said. “I am sorry.”

Elias sighed deeply and took a sip of his Tokay. He slowly nodded. “As you wish,” he said, “but are you certain that you are well? You know that if he has hurt you, I will protect you. No matter what, my dearest.”

“I know. But I do not want to speak of it,” she said. “Please, Elias. Talk to me about anything else.”

He hummed and tipped his head back. “Are you certain?”

“Entirely.”

Elias ran a hand through his hair. “I am in London on business,” he said. “Dorothy and Bridget have remained in the countryside, as you have likely surmised. I almost wish I was with them. I am having to argue with solicitors, and that is not an enjoyable pastime.”

“William has often said that I remind him of a solicitor,” she said, “because I argue with him so often.”

A bittersweet feeling twisted inside her. She wished that she did not have to think of him, and she feared that if she contemplated her husband much longer, she might cry again. That would be terribly distressing.

Elias laughed. “You do remind me a little of one,” he conceded. “However, I must admit that I enjoy your witticisms far more than that of my solicitor. I imagine Sarsen would say the same. He ought to, at any rate.”

“What else are you doing?” Catherine asked.

Elias took a sip of wine. “Besides speaking with my solicitor, I have been attending meetings with the Abolitionist Society. I have spent some time with Isadora.”

“Isadora?”

“Ah, Lady Mathers.”

Catherine arched an eyebrow. Lady Isadora Mathers, the Dowager Countess of Mathers, was a beautiful, sharp-tongued widow. Half the ton wanted to marry her; the other half envied her. Despite many suitors vying for her hand, however, Lady Mathers refused to wed. It would not be to her advantage. As a widow, Lady Mathers had inherited her husband’s vast fortune, and if she married, she would lose it.

“And why have you been spending so much time with Lady Mathers?” Catherine asked.

“I have been communicating with her about founding a seminary for young ladies,” Elias replied, grinning. “Isadora wishes to create a place where orphaned young women can go and learn a trade.”

“And you generously agreed to help with such an endeavor,” Catherine said a little dubiously. “Just out of the generosity of your heart?”

Elias laughed. “Dear sister, why else do you imagine that I would aid the lady’s efforts?” His eyes sparkled with mirth. “I am certain I do not know what you are implying.”

Catherine laughed. It was quite obvious why her brother might be suddenly so devoted to the lady, and it had less to do with her desire to found a seminary and more to do with having an amorous congress with such a lovely lady.

“My attraction to Isadora is purely intellectual,” Elias said, winking. “I assure you.”

“Somehow, I do not find myself inclined to believe you,” Catherine replied.

Elias heaved a deep, melodramatic sigh. “Woe is me! I cannot help but despair. My own sister refuses to believe that I have only pure intentions. How terrible it is to have such a dreadful shrew of a sibling!”

Catherine downed the rest of her wine, and Elias climbed to his feet. He took the bottle and filled the glass once more. “What do you say we finish this bottle and reminisce?”

“I am certain that you have work to finish,” Catherine said, sipping appreciatively from the glass. “It is no small business managing everything as a duke. My husband has taught me that.”

Elias chuckled and emptied the rest of the wine into his glass. “I do not doubt that. Does the man ever even leave his desk?”

“No,” she said.

He had once, until she had ruined everything. Catherine took another sip of wine, hoping to hide how her face fell. William had begun leaving his desk, and Catherine had somehow ruined everything by falling out of a tree. It sounded ridiculous, even to her.

Elias shook his head. “Is that…why you are?—”

“I do not want to talk about it,” Catherine said firmly. “Stop trying to force me to speak of the matter. Please, Elias.”

“Apologies,” he replied, raising his wine in a mock toast. “I promise that I shall stop trying to coax the answer from you. What were we discussing?”

“Lady Mathers’s seminary.”

“Ah, yes. She is a fine woman,” Elias said. “I understand why she does not wish to marry again, but that is a loss to all the bachelors of the ton, for I am certain that she would make a splendid wife.”

Catherine wondered if Lady Mathers would make a splendid wife because she was experienced in the joys of the bedroom. Certainly, Catherine suspected that was why her brother delighted so much in the lady’s company. Before marriage, she had not understood why her brother was such a rake, but having experienced the joys of the bedroom, she knew the reason why.

“A splendid wife for you?” Catherine asked. “Do you think you could persuade her to wed you?”

Elias laughed so hard that his glass shook, and droplets of wine spilled onto his sleeve. “My dear sister, she would be a fool to marry any man, much less one as rakish as me! Why, if she did decide to become my wife, I suspect that I would lose all interest in her. Isadora’s brilliance is part of why I love her so much.”

Catherine hummed, considering her brother for a moment. “Do you know—I think that is the first time you have ever expressed any admiration for a woman’s intelligence? Usually, you talk about their beauty. Sometimes, their conversation. But never intelligence.”

“She is a woman beyond compare,” Elias said. “I mean that truly. I might even venture to say that I love her. How ironic is that? I learn to love a woman who refuses to marry.”

“You deserve to have a wife who loves you,” Catherine said softly.

She thought of her own husband, who no longer loved her. When Catherine thought of her dear brother trapped in a loveless marriage, her heart ached.

“Promise me,” she said.

“Promise you?”

“That you will marry for love,” Catherine clarified. “Promise me that you will find a love-match, and you will not settle for a marriage of convenience. That is all I want for you.”

Elias’s face softened. For a heartbeat, Catherine thought that she might have said too much. He might have guessed what exactly it was that distressed her so terribly. If he did, however, he respected her wishes enough not to mention it.

“I promise that I will do just that, kitty cat,” he said. “If it will make you happy.”

“It will make the both of us happy,” Catherine replied.

Elias finished his wine and stood. “Do you want to do something this evening, kitty cat? We might watch a show at the theater. Or perhaps, an opera.”

Catherine smiled and nodded. “I would like that,” she said.

“Good,” he said. “I have just a little work to finish today. Your room should be ready for you. Take a rest, my sister, for your journey has been very long. I will wake you once I am finished with my papers, and we will go to the theater. We will watch a show. That is certain to revive your spirits, and you can forget all about what has upset you so.”

She raised her glass to him and smiled gently. “Thank you, Elias. To you.”

He winked and raised his glass, too. “And to you, my sweet sister.”