Page 35 of Courting the Duke (Reimagined Regency #2)

The family dining room at Hoxton House boasted warm paneled walls and a fireplace that emitted a bit too much heat for Serena.

Summer was almost upon them, but Lady Diana insisted on having a fire.

Seated at Hoxton’s right, Serena fought the ongoing headache that had developed the second the duchess had arrived.

“The cherry tart was delicious,” Lady Diana said to Imogene from her position to the left of Hoxton. Her plum gown with a matching turban glowed richly in the candlelight. “Your cook should be commended.”

“She is very capable.” Imogene cast an apologetic glance at Serena. By rights, Serena was the lady of the household, not Imogene. Any compliment should have been directed at her. Thus far, Lady Diana behaved as if Serena didn’t exist.

In celebration of the duchess’s visit, Ava was allowed to join them for supper.

The girl’s lively conversation made the evening bearable.

Although she might have been shy playing music in front of strangers, she seemed relaxed in her grandmother’s company.

“I would like another,” Ava said. “May I have one, Cousin Christian?”

“Why are you asking me and not your mother?” Hoxton shook his head at the little girl, a smile playing across his mouth for the first time that evening.

His private conversation with his grandmother must not have gone well, for he brooded through most of the meal, behaving more like Blackstone than his usual cheerful self.

She cast a glance at him from the corner of her eye, unsure whether cheerful was the correct word.

Perhaps calm suited him better. He blew hot and cold from the demons of his memory.

“Because you will say yes and I will say no.” Imogene reached over and squeezed her daughter’s shoulders, the love between them endearing.

One day, Serena would have her own daughter, or at least she prayed she would.

Hoxton would make a wonderful father. She was certain of it.

Tonight would be their second night together.

Would he come to her? With a blush, she tried to sweep the thoughts to the back of her mind.

The last of the plates was removed from the table by the efficient staff, and the lead servant was looking at her with expectation. The flush deepened, and she nodded to him. She placed a hand on Hoxton’s wrist. “Shall we adjourn to the sitting room?”

“I think we should.” With a small smile for her benefit, Hoxton stood and moved behind her chair to pull it out. He leaned in and whispered, “You are doing well. Just remember, she’s like a wild dog that can smell danger.”

Her laughter at his droll comment felt liberating after the strain of the meal.

He dropped his hands, his fingers caressing the bare skin of her arm before he left her side.

She shivered at the contact, wishing with all her heart that they were alone.

If the duchess hadn’t arrived, they would have made an early night of it. As it was, the evening stretched on.

Hoxton moved to his grandmother’s side, assisting her from her chair.

He might have been angry at the woman, but the love he felt for her showed.

Serena wished she were as certain of his affections for her.

He had agreed that they were friends and that friendship would have to be enough.

Things might change, but for now, she needed to be satisfied with what she had.

Serena missed his strength, but she must defer to the older woman.

She, Lady Imogene, and Ava followed the two.

Lady Imogene squeezed her elbow and gave her an inspiring smile.

The hallway was cooler than the dining room, bringing some relief to Serena’s overly heated person.

All the rooms at Clarkingham Manor had been kept cooler due to Aunt Agatha’s propensity to pinch pennies.

Unlike her uncle, Hoxton had a healthy annual income, the reason why her aunt had pushed for the marriage between Roxanne and Hoxton.

The music room was across the hall, the same place her cousin had performed a short fortnight past. How time flew when in reality it hadn’t.

Hoxton helped his grandmother into one of the chairs by the instruments.

In addition to the pianoforte, there was a lovely harp.

Serena had never learned to play the harp and was itching to try.

Once his grandmother was situated, he strode to Serena’s side.

He had promised to be with her throughout the ordeal, and he’d kept that promise.

A servant brought Lady Diana a glass of after-dinner sherry, and she spoke in a low voice to the elderly man.

From Serena’s recollection, the footman had been at Hoxton House since before Hoxton was born.

The fact that Lady Diana conversed with a servant changed Serena’s perception a touch.

Her rudeness, however, still overrode any softer emotions Serena might possess for the lady.

While not as blatantly rude as Aunt Agatha, Lady Diana still oozed animosity toward Serena.

Hoxton placed a kiss on Serena’s temple, his hand coming to settle on her waist. The heaviness offered comfort to her jangled nerves. “If you don’t wish to sing, simply say the word.”

“Thank you.” Singing was the last thing Serena wished to do, but her stubborn pride said not to give in to the urge to run.

She was used to being in the background, where she could relax.

She was his wife, and with that privilege came the responsibility to entertain his family, no matter how little or how much she cared for them.

Ava slipped over to the pianoforte and flipped up the instrument’s lid. She plopped down on the seat and ran her fingers over the keys, drawing everyone’s attention to her actions. With a wide grin, she motioned for Serena. “You promised to sing with me.”

“Ava, that is not the way to speak to your elders,” Imogene reprimanded in a low but firm voice. She moved farther into the room, her brow furrowed. She had the patience of a saint and treated her daughters with respect rather than harsh words.

“Or for a young lady to comport herself,” Lady Diana chimed in.

The little girl wrinkled her nose, not put off by the chastisement. Had Serena not seen her shyness firsthand, she would have thought the girl was fearless.

“Ava,” her mother warned, taking the seat next to Lady Diana. In a whisper to the elder, she said, “She is incorrigible, that one.”

Hoxton’s low chuckle reached Serena’s ears, his fingers squeezing her waist, drawing her closer to his side.

To be touched by a man—even her husband—would take some getting used to, especially in front of others.

Despite his reserved demeanor, he was an affectionate man, and she rather liked being the recipient of his attentions.

“Indeed, she is rather like me.” Lady Diana’s self-deprecating comment surprised Serena. Unlike her aunt, the duchess seemed aware of her own faults.

“Would you like me to turn the pages for you?” Hoxton walked her to the pianoforte, his hand slipping to her lower back to guide her. The gesture, while welcome, was unnecessary.

“You may sit. I think Ava and I will be fine.” If she were of a mind, she could simply beg off and allow him to whisk her away. The stubborn side of her nature said to stand firm and perform for her own peace of mind.

He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. Warm eyes full of promise locked with hers. Every nerve in her body came to life, and she shifted on her feet, positive the room’s inhabitants were watching their every move. With an impish grin, he nodded at her before dropping her hand.

The one bright spot in all of this was Hoxton. Every bit of contempt from Lady Diana was worth the sacrifice of being by his side. She loved him with all her heart. Aware that Ava was waiting for her to speak, Serena cleared her throat.

“Shall we perform ‘I Had a Little Nut Tree’?” The familiar song was one that Serena’s mother sang to her as a child. Many a night she herself sat at the pianoforte to compose her own music. While she preferred the background, Roxanne played the compositions with a polished hand before others.

With a nod, Ava began to play the jaunty tune with nimble fingers. She was equally as talented as Roxanne, if a bit raw. Time would change that.

Hoxton sat across from his grandmother, resting his damaged ankle on his knee.

Serena would indulge Lady Diana with one song and then beg off from further scrutiny.

If she could simply dismiss them all and retire with Hoxton, she’d be a happy woman.

Although everyone in the room was Hoxton’s family, and by marriage, hers, her nerves nearly got the best of her.

“I had a little nut tree, nothing would it bear, but a silver nutmeg and a golden pear,” Serena sang the first verse, her voice a bit shaky.

One of her most endearing memories was singing with her mother in their modest little cottage, with her father looking on as he painted.

“The King of Spain’s daughter came to visit me, and all was because of my little nut tree. ”

The music continued on, granting her a small reprieve. She glanced over at the duchess to find the woman watching her. The second their eyes connected, Lady Diana shifted her regard to Ava. True affection replaced the speculation she’d cast in Serena’s direction.

“Red was her dress, jet black was her hair, she asked me for my nutmeg and my golden pear.” Serena’s nerves lessened the more she sang.

She truly enjoyed music, and if she had been born into different circumstances, she might have been an opera performer on stage.

She shot another glance at Lady Diana. If the woman knew she’d have such scandalous aspirations, she’d have a fit of apoplexy.

“So fair a princess never did I see, I’ll give you all the fruit from my little nut tree. ”

Hoxton watched her with heated eyes, as well as with pride.

His support meant the world to her. She’d been resigned to never marrying anyone.

Being his wife still held a surreal quality that she wasn’t sure would ever fade.

The luxurious room was now hers by right of marriage.

She no longer must kowtow to others for her very existence.

“I skipped over water, I danced over sea, and all the birds in Hoxton’s care couldn’t catch me.” She improvised the last line and met her husband’s pleased regard. The pianoforte trailed off, the last notes floating in the air.

The audience dutifully clapped, more on Ava’s behalf, she suspected.

“That was lovely,” Serena said to the little girl, glad to have the song over and done with.

“I like the last line, it was funny.” Ava beamed at her, her innocent face endearing.

The family resemblance to Hoxton was noticeable in her smile and the shape of her eyes.

Soon, Serena would be pressured to produce an heir, a boy privileged enough to be the next duke of Hoxton.

The thought thrilled her to no end. She would make sure her children were all loved, no matter their imperfections.

“You have a pleasant voice,” Lady Diana said.

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The compliment startled Serena and would have warmed her to the duchess, save for the fact that she never uttered Serena’s name. “And thank you, Ava, for your lovely accompaniment.”

“It is off to bed with you, Ava.” Imogene stood and waved to her daughter before turning to her mother-in-law. “Mother Diana, might I escort you to your room?”

The elder woman stood with the help of her cane. She glanced at Serena before looking at Hoxton, who had stood as well. “I will bid you goodnight. Remember what we discussed.”

With a nod in Serena’s direction, she left the room.

Hoxton tensed, a muscle working beneath his strong jaw.

“What did she mean by that?” Serena stared at him, her heart plummeting.

After asking her to see Ava to her room, he’d locked himself in his study with his grandmother.

Serena hadn’t seen him from then until supper.

By his strong reaction to his grandmother’s statement, the interview was tense.

There was no doubt in Serena’s mind that the conversation revolved around her.

The last thing she wished was to cause a rift within the family, but she couldn’t change the outcome of what happened, nor did she want to.