Page 10

CHAPTER 10

E dwin had barely sat down for dinner when his wife entered, wearing a red dress that complemented her freckles.

Their eyes met, but she quickly looked away. She made her way to her seat at the other end of the table, and they both tucked into their food.

At first, he had been disturbed by her strange behavior at dinner. She would finish her food within the blink of an eye and then rush out of the dining room before he could start on the main course. However, he soon realized it was a bid to keep control around him.

It was clear that she was trying to avoid him. Now, as he watched her eat intently, he simply wondered how long it would take for her to finally give in.

He was therefore surprised that, long after the third course was served, she was still sitting across from him, eating. And now she was speaking to him, a pleasant smile on her face.

“The estate would benefit from some renovations, don’t you agree?” she asked, looking at him expectantly.

Edwin was familiar with that look. She wanted something from him.

He raised an eyebrow. “You are speaking to me?”

“I have been 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 than to 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.

“Abigail told me that the outdated decorations have been here since your childhood,” she continued. “I suppose it might be quite hard for you to agree to changing them and perhaps erasing traces of your childhood from the house.”

Edwin almost sniggered.

She truly thinks I am emotionally attached to this house.

Instead of correcting her, however, he decided to play along.

“I suppose it may be hard for me,” he said in a low voice.

Ava winced, her eyes suddenly full of sympathy. “I am so sorry!” she breathed.

Edwin scrunched up his face even more to show his unhappiness.

“Seeing you speak about my childhood in such a manner simply makes me…” He pretended to choke on his words and threw his cutlery on the table with a dramatic flourish.

“Oh, Edwin!” Ava jumped out of her seat and rushed towards him.

Edwin decided to make it even more believable by sniffing and dabbing at his eyes, as though he were crying.

But Ava skidded to a halt two feet away from him and put her hands on her hips.

“You are not sad about the renovations,” she declared flatly.

Edwin threw his hands up in surrender and sighed. “I suppose you have caught me.”

Ava shook her head in disbelief and returned to her seat.

“Ava, don’t go back,” Edwin pleaded.

But she simply ignored him.

“What made you realize I was lying?” he asked.

“When you pretended to cry,” she said. “A man like you would never cry, especially in front of his wife. I knew then that you were simply poking fun at me.”

Edwin nodded. “Next time, I must make it more believable by not crying.”

“There shall be no next time,” Ava huffed. “I will never believe any display of emotion from you ever again.”

“Ava, now, do not write me off so quickly,” he protested.

“I should have known that you are simply incapable of any feeling at all. You are simply… cold.”

Her words hit him hard . They stung.

Edwin’s jaw tightened, and he nodded. It would be better if she believed he was simply a cold monster who was incapable of feeling.

“I must say, you are right.”

“Does this mean that you do not object to the renovations?” she asked.

Edwin shrugged. “You seem excited about it, so I do not object.”

Ava smiled brightly. “Oh, thank you, Your—” She broke off. “Uh… thank you, Edwin.”

“You learn quite fast, wife.” Edwin smirked.

Ava blushed. “Now, all that is left is for you to release the funds.”

“Is that so?” Edwin drawled, a wicked idea forming in his mind. “A project so grand might cost quite a fortune, might it not?”

Ava nodded. “I suppose it might require a substantial amount. However, the result will be well worth it. I can assure you of that. In fact, the furniture will be ordered from Paris, and the drapes?—”

“Now, I must release money for this,” he said.

“Indeed, you must.”

“And what will I get in return for spending all this money?” he asked.

He braced himself for her anger.

“What you will get…?” she trailed off.

She seemed confused at first. But then her eyes widened as she realized what he was speaking of.

“What you will get in return?” she echoed in a dangerously low voice, her eyes flashing. “What you will get in return is a beautiful home.”

“You know what I mean, dear wife,” Edwin teased.

His face hurt as he tried so hard to hold back the smile threatening to spread across his lips. He raised his wine glass and pretended to sip from it.

“Then God help me, I shall simply do nothing in the house if that is what you expect of me,” Ava huffed. “In fact, from now on, I will simply sleep and wake up. I will do nothing if you expect me to give you… something in return.”

Edwin could no longer hold it in—he burst into laughter.

That only seemed to anger Ava more.

“You find this funny?” She shot him a scowl. “You think it’s funny that my husband is asking for favors in exchange for… for?—”

“Oh, Ava, why are you wound so tight?” Edwin sputtered, quaking with laughter.

Ava set down her cutlery with a loud thud, rose from the dining table, and stomped towards the door.

“Ava,” Edwin called as his laughter finally died down, “how can you not tell that I am teasing you?”

That stopped Ava in her tracks, and she turned to face him.

“Is that so?” she asked. “You are teasing me?”

“Of course, I am merely jesting. I could never take advantage of you in such a manner,” Edwin said. “I will only bed you when you truly want it—when you beg me for it.”

Ava’s face reddened, and she averted her gaze.

“You can take all the money and do with it as you please,” Edwin added. “I trust you, Ava.”

At that, a reluctant smile tugged at her lips.

For a moment, Edwin could not tear his eyes away from her. Her smile was so radiant it lit up her whole face.

“Thank you, Edwin,” she murmured.

It was his turn to smile. He enjoyed how his name rolled off her tongue. It felt intimate, familiar.

“Now, you should return to your food,” he urged.

“You are right. I should not go to bed hungry.”

With that, she returned to her seat and resumed eating, all the while rambling about how she planned to renovate the house.

“Do you know that the best figurines are made in Spain? A distant relative who lives in Spain sent some to my father when we were decorating the house, and now I…”

Edwin nodded as she talked, but he did not hear half of it. He was simply transfixed by her. He noticed it all—her voice, the way her hands moved and her eyes sparkled. He noticed how her cheeks flushed in excitement.

Suddenly, she furrowed her brow. “What?” she demanded. “You have been staring at me.”

Edwin shook his head and smiled. “It is nothing.”