Page 23 of A Duchess in Ten Days (Icy Dukes #2)

CHAPTER TWELVE

" E mma, you came!" Lavinia exclaimed, a bright smile spreading across her face.

The honeymoon phase was over, but it had been nothing like Lavinia had heard a honeymoon should be.

There had been no passionate embraces, no romantic exchanges under the moonlight.

Instead, there had been an awkward quiet at first, the kind that left her unsure of how to behave around her new husband.

But, somehow, as the days passed, the tension between them had begun to ease.

They had found a comfortable silence, the kind of companionship that came with shared understanding—if not yet affection.

Lavinia had begun to appreciate the time she spent with Andrew.

Their conversations had started to feel less strained ever since he told her the truth about his proposal.

And while it wasn't the dreamlike honeymoon she had once envisioned, she couldn't deny that she felt closer to him than she had before.

She realized that their marriage, though unexpected, might just have the potential to be something more than it currently was.

"I got your letter," Emma whispered after she practically sprinted down from the carriage towards Lavinia. "You need to tell me everything. Lord Grove truly had ill intentions? No wonder I haven't been seeing him at balls recently."

"Later," Lavinia shushed her, catching a glimpse of David alighting from the carriage too. "You came with David?"

Emma nodded. "I found out he was coming this way, so I tagged along."

David approached them with his usual commanding presence, brushing off dust from his coat as he came to a stop in front of his sister. His sharp eyes scanned Lavinia's face, and his expression softened slightly, though his tone remained stern.

"Lavinia," he said, still assessing her with his eyes. "How have you been? Has the duke been treating you well?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows, noticing that he was assessing her.

"I'm trying to figure out what's different about you but I can't place it," he said with squinted eyes.

Lavinia rolled her eyes. "It's nice to see you too, dear brother."

"Has the duke been treating you well?" he asked her again, his hands clasped behind his back like a man about to deliver a sermon. "If he hasn't, you need to tell me. I can?—"

"You can what, David?" Lavinia cut him off, giving him a knowing look.

"Challenge him to a duel? Bargain for my honor?

You married me off to a man without so much as a word to me about it beforehand.

And now you want to act concerned about his intentions?

Forgive me if I find this sudden concern a little late. "

"Am I not allowed to ask my own sister simple questions?" he shot back. "Don't tell me this is how you talk back at your husband, Lavinia."

"I don't talk back at him."

"You're talking back at me," he argued.

"That's because it's you," she said and crossed her arms. "And to answer your question, yes, he has been treating me well."

"David..." Andrew interrupted them, stopping to greet David upon his arrival. "I trust the ride here was smooth?"

David turned, his brows lifting as he regarded Andrew with a look that was equal parts suspicion and disapproval.

He clasped his hands behind his back, his posture stiff.

"It was, Your Grace. Thank you for the hospitality," he said.

"Though I must admit, I've been curious to see how my sister is faring under your care. "

Andrew glanced at her and smiled before turning back to David. "I'm hoping my wife is well cared for here and respected. She is Duchess of Hargrave, after all."

My wife...

Lavinia felt her heartbeat increase at the sound of it.

She chanced a glance at him, his faces as composed as ever, his sharp jawline set in that faintly amused expression he always seemed to wear.

Did he truly see her as his wife, or was it just another role he played, another mask he wore to keep up the notion that they were a happily married couple?

David didn't seem to miss it either. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Well, as her brother, it is my duty to ensure that she is treated with the respect she deserves."

"And it's my duty as her husband to provide just that," Andrew countered smoothly "Lavinia's well-being is my priority, and I assure you, David, she's in capable hands."

David's gaze flicked to Lavinia, who stood awkwardly between them, her hands twisting together. "Is that so, Lavinia?" he asked her. "If there's anything amiss, you know you can always tell me."

Lavinia tilted her head to the side. "Why don't you find your way to the guest quarters, David? I'm sure you need rest after your journey. We can come together for an early dinner in an hour."

David nodded stiffly, his gaze darting between Andrew and Lavinia as though he were still searching for something unspoken. "Very well," he said, his tone begrudging but polite. "I'll see you both at dinner." He turned and strode off, following a servant in the direction of the guest quarters.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Lavinia let out a long breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She glanced at Andrew, who was watching her with a faintly amused expression, one brow raised.

"Impressive," he said, his voice light with teasing. "You handled your brother quite well. I half-expected him to start issuing duels in the garden."

Lavinia giggled in response. Their eyes met and she found herself smiling despite the strange knot of emotions swirling inside her. Andrew's teasing had a way of disarming her, making her feel lighter.

He tilted his head toward her, with a mischievous look in his eye. "Do you think he'll quiz me on your well-being over dinner? Or perhaps he'll want a full report on how I've handled my ‘duties' as a husband. I'm afraid that if he does, I'll have nothing to report."

Lavinia smirked. "If he does, I'll make sure to give you glowing marks, Your Grace."

Andrew laughed again, shaking his head. "I would appreciate that. Though, if you wanted to scandalize him a little, I wouldn't object."

She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth twitched in a reluctant smile. "You're impossible."

"Oh, you'd miss me if I weren't," he said, leaning in slightly.

Lavinia playfully shoved him and shook her head, gesturing toward the house. "Go on, Andrew. We have an hour before dinner, and I imagine you'll want to use it to prepare for David's ‘interrogation.'"

"As the Duchess pleases," he said and with that, turned and strolled back toward the house.

An hour later, the four of them gathered in the grand dining room, the table set with an elegant spread of roasted meats, fresh vegetables, and decadent desserts.

The conversation naturally split into two: Lavinia leaned toward Emma, their voices a soft murmur as they exchanged whispers and caught up on personal matters, their laughter occasionally punctuating the room.

Across the table, Andrew and David engaged in a more direct and measured dialogue.

They seemed to be talking about new business ventures, and who was buying what land in what part of the country.

Despite the divided discussions, dinner passed without any overt conflict, and the servants began clearing the table as the meal came to an end.

Afterward, they moved to the drawing room with the fire crackling warmly in the hearth. They had not been seated for longer than ten minutes when David decided that it was time to play a game.

"Why don't we indulge in a little amusement?" he suggested. "A game of Blind Man's Bluff, perhaps?"

Andrew, standing by the fireplace raised an eyebrow. "Blind man's what?"

"Bluff," David answered. "It'll be a good way to pass time."

Emma clapped her hands together, her face lighting up. "Oh, how delightful! We haven't played that in ages."

"I must confess I'm not familiar with the game. Would you care to explain the rules, David?" Andrew said.

Lavinia's stomach sank. Of all the games he could have chosen, why this one? She hated the game. Growing up, she always refused to play it with her friends. She would sit in the corner and just watch them go at it.

Her pulse quickened as the familiar insecurity crept in. How could she possibly hide when her figure would give her away the moment anyone touched her?

"It's simple," David continued. One person is blindfolded and must tag the others by touch alone. It's a test of intuition, and, of course...luck. When you tag the person, you have to tell us who it is, only then, can you take the blindfold off."

Andrew slowly nodded. "All right. It sounds exciting."

"How about you be the blind man then?" David asked.

"Thrilling," he said and rose to his feet. "I'll get a servant to fetch a blindfold."

Lavinia hesitated, glancing around the room. Emma was practically bouncing with excitement, David looked far too pleased with himself, and Andrew...he was already fetching a blindfold. She couldn't let them think she was weak or frightened.

"What's wrong?" Emma whispered to her. "You look pale. Do you want to sit the game out?"

Lavinia forced a smile. "No, not at all. "I'll play."

Almost instantly, her dress started to feel too tight, as though the fabric had shrunk around her in protest. She didn't want Andrew to see her hesitation or, worse, to see through it.

The thought of him touching her during the game, his hands pausing ever so slightly as he recognized her, filled her with dread.

Would he say something, teasing her as he always did but this time about her figure?

Would his words, however lighthearted, land like stones on the fragile foundation of her confidence?