Page 9

CHAPTER 9

T he sun had scarcely risen when Ava climbed out of bed. It was not usual for a duchess to wake up so early. However, she had a lot of work to do. Moreover, that day she was expecting guests—the first since her wedding—and that excited her to no end.

It had been a week since her wedding, and the moment she had informed her new husband that she was not interested in sharing a bed with him or having a child.

Come to think of it, he had taken it rather well. On some days, she even felt a pang of regret for her decision not to share a bed with him.

However, this morning, as she passed by his chamber on her way to inspect other parts of the house with her lady’s maid, Abigail, she refused to dwell on that. She had a lot of things to do.

After spending a week on the estate, she had noticed some things that definitely needed some improvement.

“Shall we go to the east wing first or the west wing?” Abigail asked as they stepped into a corridor that led to several wings of the house.

“I suppose the west wing first,” Ava replied. “It has not been used in quite a long time.”

“Indeed, Your Grace.” Abigail nodded once.

When they finally walked into the west wing, Ava was impressed.

The ceilings were high and adorned with elegant plasterwork. Tall windows lined a side of the corridor, overlooking the grounds.

“How many rooms are there in this house?” she asked.

“I am not quite certain, but there are rumors that it could very well be sixty if we do not count the servants’ quarters,” Abigail responded.

Ava nodded. The house had five floors, and already she could count at least ten rooms on the second floor of the west wing.

As her lady’s maid went to open the door to one of the rooms, Ava could not help but compare the Duke’s estate to her father’s manor.

Notley Manor had only a dozen rooms, and she had ensured that they were kept sparkly clean at all times, even when they didn’t have guests.

She knew now that managing a house of sixty rooms would be quite the challenge, especially since she was not quite used to a house of such size.

Instead of shying away from the challenge, however, Ava was excited by it. Moreover, there were far more servants in the Duke’s estate than in Notley Manor. Therefore, she would not need to exert herself so.

The door protested, creaking rather unhappily when Abigail finally pried it open.

“Please tell the butler to ensure that the doors are oiled frequently,” Ava instructed.

However, when the door fully opened to reveal the room beyond, her resolve faltered.

The air that hit her, even as she stood by the door, was old and stale, and she could not help but wonder just how long the room had been locked, unused.

She could not see the chamber properly due to a thick film of dust. It was as though she had just stepped into an abandoned cave.

“Since when has this room been locked?” she asked.

“I am not certain, Your Grace. I only started working in the kitchen when I was fifteen, and I have never heard of the rooms on the second, third, fourth, and fifth floors ever being opened,” Abigail replied.

Perhaps a decade, perhaps not.

Ava wrinkled her nose as she slowly stepped inside the room. The drapes by the windows were covered in more dust, and she did not quite know what the original color was when the brown film of dust was the only thing she could see.

There was a rather large bed at the center of the room, still made, almost as though its former occupant had only stepped out for dinner. The only thing that suggested otherwise was the cobwebs that hung from the canopy and the thick dust that covered everything.

A settee was tucked in the opposite corner, and one look at its frail frame told Ava that the years had taken their toll on it.

Despite the room being so old and dusty, she could imagine a time, long ago, when it was occupied. Since her husband did not have any siblings, she concluded that the rooms were probably not used when he was a child.

If the Duke’s grandfather or great-grandfather had sired many children, then this room might have belonged to a girl who would have dressed for balls in front of the vanity to her left and slept in the large bed.

The girl might have run down the corridor with her brothers and sisters. The girl might have been the eldest child just like her, burdened early on with responsibilities, or she could have been the youngest daughter like Stella, spoiled and pampered by all. Or perhaps the room belonged to a boy.

Tears welled up in Ava’s eyes as she pondered the history the room might be hiding. But then she quickly blinked them away.

Why am I crying over a simple room?

She pushed her feelings aside as she imagined what the room would look like if it were cleaned and dusted properly. She could picture the bed with its silken covers and gleaming posts. She could picture the vibrant rug and the way her feet would sink into it.

And yet, even as she stepped out of the room moments later, she found herself disturbed by thoughts of the past.

“Let us check the east wing,” she muttered to her lady’s maid, eager to put as much distance between herself and the room that had evoked such emotion within her.

Once in the east wing, she ordered Abigail to open one of the rooms.

It was just like that room in the west wing—old and dusty. It had certainly not been opened in years.

She was just about to step out when she spotted an old music box by the settee. She felt a pang in her chest.

A child occupied this room a long, long time ago.

She yearned to pick up the music box, to inspect it, to turn the key and listen to the tune it would make. However, she shook off the urge before rushing out of the room.

“Let us go to the drawing room,” she sighed.

“You do not wish to check the third floor, Your Grace?” Abigail asked.

Ava shook her head. She had seen enough. If the second floor was so dusty and old, then the third and perhaps fourth floors would only be worse.

“I have seen everything I need to see. I shall have a word with the housekeeper. Every room in this house must be clean at all times,” she said.

As they descended the stairs to the ground floor, she took in the paintings that hung on the wall for the first time. There were only two paintings. One was of a large family—a duke and duchess and seven children. The other was simply a portrait of another duke.

Ava wondered if the first portrait was of her husband’s grandfather’s family or perhaps his great-grandfather. She itched to ask Edwin, but she decided against it.

“There is no painting of the Duke or his parents when he was young?” she asked.

“There used to be two, but His Grace had them removed shortly after his return from the army,” Abigail replied.

“Is that so?” Ava murmured.

She wondered what could have driven him to do such a thing. After all, Edwin did not seem to care for the decor.

The drawing room, at least, looked far better than the other rooms she had inspected. It was clean and certainly devoid of dust.

However, Ava still noted the outdated furniture, upholstery, and draperies. The furniture was dark and bulky with gaudy motifs. The upholstery was no better—a blue so dark it might as well have been black. The draperies were purple and so heavy that they completely blocked out the sunlight. Even worse, they were faded, and with the excessive fringes and braidings that hung from every corner, they simply held no appeal.

“The decor is simply too ancient and broody,” she remarked, making a mental note to change that as soon as possible.

Abigail only nodded in agreement.

“The drawing room would certainly look better with softer pastel colors and matching furniture in floral patterns. Perhaps I could replace the green rug with a lighter one to brighten up the room. And certainly a pianoforte by the window. How splendid would that be?”

“It would be an improvement for certain, Your Grace,” Abigail agreed.

Ava tapped a finger on her chin as she walked around. She could easily picture the sunlight filtering through the windows, bouncing off pale walls and filling the room with a warm glow.

She turned to her lady’s maid. “Please go fetch the housekeeper and butler,” she instructed.

She was determined to get started on the renovation of the house as soon as possible.

As she waited for Abigail to return with the other servants, she looked out the window at the garden. She frowned as she took in the dull grounds. They could certainly be better.

She headed next to the grounds. Ava had managed her father’s estate before her marriage. Therefore, she knew what to look out for.

As she walked the grounds, the birds chirping and the early morning breeze ruffling her dress, she took note of the pathway that led to the front door.

Again, she realized just how vast the Duke’s estate was. It was certainly bigger than her father’s little manor, and that excited her to no end. Now, she had a larger home to manage.

The grounds were rather dull, and the grass was all but dead. Even the flowers were no better. In fact, it seemed that the gardener here had only planted one type of flower, while the garden should be an explosion of beautiful, colorful flowers.

It was almost as though nobody had ever cared enough to beautify the space. They only did the bare minimum to ensure that it was not dirty.

Ava smiled. This was where she shone. After all, she took great pleasure in managing the household and transforming it from dull to sparkling in a short time.

Neigh!

The sound broke through her thoughts, and she turned her head to see the stablehand leading her husband’s horse out of the stables. It was a handsome gray shire horse.

Ava watched as the horse trotted slowly.

She was about to return to her inspection of the grounds when she saw her husband step out of the stables.

She swallowed thickly. She had made sure to stay out of his way, and even during dinner—which they often ate together—she would wolf down her food as quickly as she could and then flee the dining room.

His antics on their wedding night had shown her that her resolve might not be as strong as she had thought it was. And since he was rather wicked, she knew it was only a matter of time before he tried to seduce her into his bed.

And yet, as she spotted him straddling the horse, she could not keep her eyes off him. This was one of the few times she could watch him without having him taunt her.

The clip-clop of hooves rent the air as he rode off into the distance.

With his coat, breeches, and hat, Ava could not help but admit that her husband cut quite the alluring figure.

Alluring?

She shook herself out of her reverie.

If she were to stick to her decision not to share his bed, then she must refrain from such thoughts. Thus, she decided to take a stroll to the pond nearby.

Just like the rest of the estate, the pond was neat. Yet it lacked ornaments that might have made it more inviting—save for a nearby tree that provided shade.

Ava could already picture what the garden would look like under her care. She would certainly transform it from a mere pond to a water garden. The path to the pond would be lined with flowers, and reeds and water lilies would be planted at the edge of the pond.

“A stone bench under the shade of the tree… and perhaps a statue,” she muttered to herself, her heart leaping with joy at the vision.

She could even sit on the bench and simply watch the beauty of nature while she sipped tea and read one of her novels.

Satisfied with the vision, she headed back to the drawing room, where the butler and housekeeper should be waiting for her. And indeed, they greeted her effusively as soon as she stepped inside.

The housekeeper was a middle-aged, robust woman with kind eyes. The butler, on the other hand, was an older man with a severe countenance. Both of them were in charge of the day-to-day running of the household, and therefore they were the ones who would disseminate the information she gave them.

Ava got down to business as soon as she took a seat.

“I must commend the servants on the immaculate work they have done to keep the estate running.”

The housekeeper smiled proudly.

“However, certain things would benefit from a transformation,” Ava continued. “The garden is well-maintained, but it looks dull with only one type of flower. However, if several types of flowers were planted, it would certainly look livelier. Moreover, the lawns should be greener and more vibrant. It is quite unsightly that the grass is all but dried up.”

The butler nodded.

“Now, I would love to start a small project. The pond is far too plain, when it could look more beautiful. This is why we will build a water garden. The path that leads to the pond will be graveled, and flowers will be planted on either side. The pond itself will be adorned with water flowers, while a statue will be erected. A bench would also be a nice addition, especially if it is erected under the tree that provides shade.”

“That would be lovely, Your Grace,” the housekeeper said.

“Now, regarding food. I would like a more varied menu. Could we perhaps have cognac and pineapples? Perhaps roast duck and turtle soup too,” Ava continued. “I have also checked the unused chambers, and the state they’re in is simply unacceptable. They were quite dusty, and the cobwebs made it even harder for me to walk into some of the rooms.”

The housekeeper lowered her head. “I truly apologize, Your Grace. Most of the chambers have been forgotten because it has been a long time since they were last used. The estate has not hosted a ball in decades, so the rooms have remained locked.”

“I understand, and this is why all the chambers, whether they have been used or unused, must be cleaned every three months. This way, they would be ready whenever we need them.”

“Certainly, Your Grace.”

“Similarly, the drawing room shall be renovated in the coming weeks, and I expect all the servants to be available to assist the workers,” Ava said.

“The other servants shall be informed promptly,” the butler declared.

“And I shall ensure that the budget for the renovation is released by the Duke as soon as possible,” Ava finished.

As they left, she wondered how she would be able to make good on her last promise.

Back when she lived at Notley Manor, getting her father to part with funds for renovations had always been a struggle, especially since he did not approve of what he considered “frivolous spending.” She had always suspected that her father’s stinginess was partly due to the fact that he was not quite as wealthy.

But now, she was the wife of a wealthy duke who had done well for himself in business; she knew that he possessed enough money to fund the renovations. Yet, she also knew that getting that money from him would not be quite easy. After all, the Duke would take any opportunity he could to taunt her and frustrate her to no end.

However, she was determined to get what she needed from him.

“Her Grace the Duchess of Mayfield, and Miss Stella Jenkins!” the butler suddenly announced, right before she heard the patter of feet.

She brightened up immediately. Her sisters had arrived!

Stella walked into the drawing room wearing a wide smile, followed by Eveline, who was holding her toddler in her arms.

“Oh, dear Henry,” Ava crooned, going straight for the little boy, who stretched out his arms to her.

She felt a rush of love for her little nephew as she took him in her arms. He cooed and ahhed, flashing her a toothy smile.

“It seems Henry is the only one you recognize,” Stella drawled.

Ava snorted. “Perhaps if either of you were as adorable as little Henry, then I might have acknowledged you,” she jested.

Eveline giggled. “He simply looks at peace with you,” she noted.

“Indeed,” Stella agreed. “When I carried him, he had been all too eager to return to his mother.”

Ava shrugged, even though her heart swelled with pride. “Perhaps the little boy knows that he is with his fun aunt.”

Stella shook her head. “Fun? If only he knew you! Or perhaps it’s because you bribed him with half a biscuit during his last visit,” she scoffed.

“I will neither deny nor confirm that accusation,” Ava said.

“I am positive Henry loves you both equally,” Eveline interjected.

“Would you rather Henry choose between his mother and his lovely aunt?” Ava asked in a haughty tone. “Because I am quite certain he would choose me in a heartbeat.”

Eveline laughed even harder. “Fine! You might as well keep him with you,” she relented.

“I might as well do,” Ava replied, patting the little boy’s back gently. “You only need to explain to your husband why his heir did not return home with you.”

Henry reached out his hands to her face, and she leaned in so that her nose bumped his fingers. He let out a happy, gurgling laugh.

Ava also chuckled before she finally turned her attention to her sisters.

“I was not expecting you to arrive in the same carriage,” she admitted as they took their seats.

“I went to Eveline’s house late last night, and today we rode here together,” Stella explained.

Ava furrowed her brow in concern. “Why did you go to Eveline’s house in the first place?”

Stella shrugged. “Father was being rather unreasonable, so I simply left the house.”

“What happened?” Ava asked.

“Thomas finally asked Papa for my hand yesterday, and Papa flat-out refused,” Stella huffed.

Ava’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“How could he do something so cruel?” she gasped, reaching a comforting hand towards her sister.

She could not help but feel guilty. She was certain that if she were still at home, she would have somehow found a way to resolve the disagreement between her father and Stella. Even though Notley Manor was no longer her home, she still felt responsible for the things that happened there.

“He insists that he will never let me marry a mere baron who does not possess enough properties,” Stella continued. “According to him, anything below an earl is not even worth considering.”

“So, he would rather you remain at home than marry a baron?”

“You know that Father can be rather unreasonable,” Eveline scoffed.

“Have you informed him that Thomas is the man you love?” Ava asked.

Stella shook her head. “He would simply explode if I told him that.”

“He doesn’t even care that the Baron is the only man who has asked for her hand in marriage so far,” Eveline added.

“Father claimed I would have received more proposals if I did not chase all of my suitors away,” Stella scoffed, a hint of a smile teasing her lips.

“Well, he is not entirely wrong,” Ava conceded.

Stella laughed as she turned to Eveline. “I am not entirely proud of this, but you should have seen their faces when I refused to entertain them or show them my talents.”

Ava nodded. “Stella was rather brutal!”

“I was simply irritated by the presence of any man that was not Thomas.” Stella shrugged.

“How will you convince Father to let you marry Thomas, then?” Ava asked.

“I have no idea,” Stella said, her smile vanishing instantly.

They all fell silent, each sister pondering over the predicament.

Ava got an idea then.

“Do you think Father might change his mind if Eveline and I spoke to him?” she asked.

Stella’s eyes lit up immediately. “You will do that for me?” she asked, surprise evident on her face.

“Of course,” Eveline said. “You are our sister, after all.”

“It is settled, then,” Ava declared. “We shall find a way to speak with him. We can only hope that he will listen.”

Stella nodded excitedly. “I am quite certain he will listen. He is incredibly proud of you both, after all.”

“Is that so?” Eveline snorted.

“I heard him bragging to his friend about how two of his daughters were now duchesses,” Stella revealed.

Eveline shook her head in surprise. “I cannot believe he would say that,” she said

Baby Henry began to fuss.

“Oh, you want your mama, don’t you?” Ava cooed as she handed him over to her sister.

The moment Eveline took the little boy in her arms, he stopped fussing.

Ava’s heart swelled at the sight. It was quite a marvel.

“He might look adorable now. However, if you have him around every second of the day, you will certainly grow tired,” Eveline said.

“I simply cannot wait for Ava to have a baby,” Stella crooned. “Do you want to have a boy or a girl, Ava?”

Ava laughed, but she could not ignore the flicker of discomfort as the conversation veered in an unwelcome direction.

“I would suppose a girl,” Eveline answered for her. “We need a baby girl in the family.”

“No. Ava must have a boy,” Stella responded. “We are all three girls. We need all the baby boys we can get.”

“What do you think, Ava?” Eveline asked, tapping her sister on the arm.

Ava sighed. “I suppose it would be none of them.”

Eveline’s eyes widened in shock, while Stella chuckled.

“Why? Are you scared that you may not be able to carry a child?” Eveline asked, concern etched on her face.

“Ava is simply jesting. How can you not see it?” Stella scoffed.

Ava shook her head. “I am not jesting. I simply do not want to have a child,” she admitted.

“Does the Duke know?”

“How could you possibly not want to have a child?”

Ava was overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. However, she understood her sisters’ surprise.

She had never told them this. If she was being honest, she had never given it a thought, as she had not received marriage offers since her debut. That was until she married the Duke of Gillingham.

“I do not want to have a child because I do not want to, yet again, dedicate my life to taking care of someone else,” Ava replied.

Eveline and Stella shared a knowing look.

“It is because of us, isn’t it?” Stella asked.

“Not quite.” Ava shook her head. “I would say it is because of Father.”

“He thrust the responsibilities of a parent—two parents, in fact—on you at such a young age,” Eveline said.

She had a sad look on her face, and Ava could tell that her sister’s heart was breaking for her.

“Indeed, he did. All I have known my entire life is taking care of others. I have never known how to live for myself. This is why I shall spend the rest of my life taking care of myself,” Ava said.

Stella nodded. “I certainly understand your reason, and I support you.”

Ava felt her heart swell with joy. She reached over to her sister and squeezed her hand.

“It is not that I do not have the desire,” she continued. “In fact, today, I saw a toy in a vacant chamber, and I was overcome with emotions. However, I know that it is for the best that I do not dedicate the rest of my life to taking care of another person.”

“What does the Duke think?” Stella asked.

Ava shrugged. “He finds my decision… funny. He has made it clear that he will seduce me until I share his bed.”

“You do not share his bed?” Eveline gasped.

The shock on her face told Ava that her decision was wilder than she had initially thought.

“I do not. I told him on our wedding night that I simply would not share his bed or have his baby,” she replied.

“Ava, you must know that there are ways to share a bed with your husband without… uh… without getting pregnant,” Eveline whispered. “If that is your concern.”

“Pregnancy is not my concern,” Ava said.

“Then what is the matter?” Stella asked. “I simply cannot imagine getting married to Thomas and not sharing his bed.”

“That is only because you love Thomas,” Ava reminded her.

“When William and I had first gotten married, he too refused to share my bed,” Eveline confessed. “I was devastated and incredibly hurt.”

Ava chuckled. “I assure you, my arrogant husband is by no means hurt by my decision.”

“I simply thought my body was not good enough and he was refusing to touch me because I was unattractive,” Eveline continued.

“Eveline, Edwin has made it his duty to seduce me out of my decision,” Ava reassured her. “I promise you, he does not, by any means, think that I’m unattractive.”

“But do you think he is unattractive?” Eveline asked. “Perhaps you do not want to share his bed because you do not find him attractive?”

Ava chuckled.

Images of their meeting in the dimly lit passageway at the Pemberton ball flashed through her mind, and she blushed. She also remembered the day she had gone to his house to offer herself in place of her sister and how her body had reacted when he had told her to sit on his lap.

Stella’s gasp jolted her out of her reverie.

“Ava is blushing. She certainly finds him attractive,” Stella declared.

Ava knew then that she must confess.

“True. I do find Edwin attractive. And if you must know, I found myself in compromising positions with him where I had to hold myself back,” she murmured.

Stella gasped again, while Eveline smiled.

“And you must know, Edwin takes pleasure in seducing me. This is the reason why I have been avoiding him. After all, I am not quite certain I can resist him any longer.”

“Then why are you holding back from sharing his bed?” Eveline asked. “Remember that you are spending the rest of your life with him. Are you confident you can continue like this forever?”

Ava’s eyes narrowed as she considered her sister’s question.

She had never truly thought about it before. She simply knew that she did not wish to share her husband’s bed.

“I am not quite confident. He could take mistresses. After all, I cannot expect him to stay faithful without… satisfying his other needs,” Ava said.

“I truly do not understand. If you are attracted to him, why have you refused to share his bed?” Eveline furrowed her brow.

Ava sighed. “Edwin is not like other men. He can be wicked and manipulative. He is a beast, and if I am to sleep with him simply because my body wishes to, then I may as well give him the power to destroy me. How could I give my body to a man who cannot even let me see his face fully?”

Eveline shook her head earnestly. “Edwin might be a beast, but so was William. And now, he cares for me and little Henry, and I could not possibly imagine any man who could be better for me than him.”

Ava could not help but smile at her sister’s declaration. Eveline was right, indeed. Her husband had been tender with her.

“I know how much William loves you and how much you love him. However, the fact that he has been so tender with you does not mean that Edwin will be the same.”

“Have you tried to open your heart to him and not believe the worst of him?” Eveline asked.

“Edwin is simply?—”

“What has Edwin done?” a gruff voice suddenly asked.

Ava looked up to see her husband standing in the doorway, his broad shoulders completely filling the frame. Beads of sweat clung to his face, and he looked like he had spent the entire morning riding his horse. He was dreadfully handsome, and she simply did not know how she was going to avoid him when the mere sight of him made her want to run into his arms.

Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed upon him.

“Uh… you are… you’re… back…” she stammered, fidgeting with her hair as she realized that he had caught her talking about him.

“Duke,” Eveline greeted, smiling at him.

“Why, Ava did not inform me that you would be visiting today,” Edwin said as he approached.

He held out his arms towards the little boy, who immediately reached for him.

“Now, Henry, you have grown delightfully bigger since the last time I saw you,” he cooed.

“Oo-oo-oo!” The little boy clapped his hands and laughed.

Edwin then turned to Ava and flashed her a mischievous smile that told her he had something up his sleeve.

“Would it not be lovely if we also tried for a baby?” he said. “We may name him Harry if it is a boy or Alice if it is a girl. The baby and Henry would be the best of friends. What do you say, Ava?”

Ava sighed, and for the first time in a long while, she was not quite certain what to say.

“Ah!” Edwin suddenly feigned realization. “I totally forgot about your terms.”

“You know that you did not forget,” Ava huffed.

Edwin shrugged. “How can you be so sure? Anyway, I shall leave you lovely ladies to it.”

With that, he relinquished Henry to his mother and left the drawing room.

Ava finally drew in a deep breath.

“Ava, you claim you do not wish to share his bed, yet the way you stare at him says otherwise,” Stella pointed out.

“No!” Ava shook her head in protest.

“I thought I was the only one who had noticed,” Eveline piped up.

Ava groaned as her sisters continued to taunt her. If Stella and Eveline, who had only spent a few hours in the house, could see that she wished to share her husband’s bed, did this mean Edwin himself had been aware all along?