Page 10 of Duchess By Accident (The Matchmaker’s Scheme #5)

Chapter Ten

“ M y wife has been in this room recently, has she not?” Adrian gestured to the table he had almost walked into, the table that had been in an entirely different position a few days ago.

It had been just over a week since they had arrived at Blackwood Castle. And over that week Natalie (he had taken to calling her by her Christian name to needle her; she had responded by calling him dear Fox or Sir Fox) had seemed determined to find ways to flout his authority whilst technically obeying him.

Mr.Kember nodded. “Yes, your Grace. She felt that the flow of the room would be best served by the table being over here. That you would not mind because it was not redecorating.”

“I suppose technically it is not. And I do not mind.” To his surprise he found he did not, which made him frown. “And what else has she changed today?”

“The books in the Eastern Library have all been rebound, the covers are now green instead of red.” Mr. Kember’s face was the picture of neutrality, which Adrian knew meant he was trying to hide a quiet amusement. “And I believe her Grace has rearranged them by order of their theme, but in Latin.”

“I had not realised she spoke Latin. Rather unusual for a woman to have learned such things.” Adrian ran a hand through his hair. This game gets more interesting by the day. “That will make finding books rather more challenging. I trust that my study has remained locked, as per my instructions.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” Mr. Kember nodded.

“Good. It is one thing to have her fiddling with bits about the rest of the house, but my study will remain undisturbed.” Adrian began to walk down the hallway, carefully avoiding other bits of furniture that had been so little it was barely noticeable, but were gradually becoming a nuisance as it made it easier to collide with them.

“You do not wish to do anything else?” Mr. Kember asked.

Adrian arched an eyebrow at his valet. “And just what would you have me do Kember? She has not broken a direct instruction, but rather tested the boundaries of such direction.”

Mr. Kember frowned. “You sound as though it amuses you?”

“It does. To an extent. Besides, she is only doing this to get a reaction from me. Therefore, it is incumbent upon me to not give it to her.” Adrian made a dismissive gesture and shrugged.

“Of course, your Grace.” Mr. Kember inclined his head towards Adrian.

“She will soon tire of this behaviour.” Adrian said, ignoring the prickle of curiosity spreading within him that wondered just how long this would last and what she might do next. Am I excited for her little rebellions?

As the truth dawned on him, he felt a stab of irritation. If anyone else had behaved as Natalie was behaving, he would have been furious. He may not have shown it, but he would have put an end to it swiftly. And yet, his wife seemed only to elicit curiosity and amusement. Which elicited nothing from him but irritation.

He shook his head and forced himself to return to the present conversation. “And in the meantime, so long as she is not inconveniencing the staff or causing harm, I am content to see how things play out. I trust the staff have not been inconvenienced?”

“No. Her Grace is very considerate of them. Whenever extra work is made, it is usually in the service of Lady Melody.” Mr. Kember smiled, the fondness he felt for the Duke’s daughter evident. “The Duchess has made some changes to staff schedules that have actually improved efficiency.”

“Has she indeed?” Adrian spotted a painting on the wall that was ever so slightly crooked.

He caught a passing servant’s attention and indicated the painting, watching while it was readjusted.

Mr. Kember nodded, a hint of admiration in his voice. “Mrs. Hawthorne has not a single unpleasant word to say about her.”

“Well that is a pleasant surprise. She loathed the last Duchess.” It had been a mark of just how much she had been disliked by his house keeper that Adrian was even aware of this fact, the woman was usually like a well-guarded safe and it took nothing short of an act of God for her to break her professionalism.

“With respect, your Grace, this Duchess is nothing like the last one.” Mr. Kember’s voice was light, as though he sensed he was walking on an frozen lake and could not be sure of the thickness of the ice.

Adrian nodded to the servant that the painting was straight and then turned to Mr. Kember, “Indeed, she is not. I learn from my past.”

He had not meant to say the last part aloud, but it had slipped from his lips before he could stop it. His frown deepened and he clenched his fist. Clearly she is having more an effect on me than I had realised. Interesting.

“Do you have anything more for me to do your Grace?”

Adrian knew what the man was asking and shook his head. “I have no immediate plans that require specialist knowledge. And I am not overly concerned with missing a week or two of rumours. Not when I have things to focus on so close to home.”

“Understood, your Grace.” Mr. Kember nodded.

“If you can find out what else the Duchess has planned, do not thwart it, simply let me know.”

Mr. Kember nodded. “I shall do my best, sir. I regret that thus far my efforts have yielded no results.”

“She is a wily one, Kember. I do not hold it against you.” Adrian drew out a key and unlocked his study doors. “That will be all.”

Mr. Kember bowed and departed, leaving Adrian to slink into his office alone. He breathed in the familiar scent of polished mahogany as he took in the space. Everything was exactly as he had left it.

The books were the familiar burgundy that he so enjoyed. His papers were arranged in almost perfect piles and the furniture was exactly where he had left it.

“And now to finally get some work done.” Adrian pulled one of the thicker ledgers towards him and began leafing through it.

As he poured over the numbers, his thoughts kept turning to Natalie. He frowned and tried to put her from his mind, but it refused to obey him. Each time he traced a line of numbers, he somehow managed to connect it to some small change she had made.

For instance, the line relating to the rent for the tenant farmers reminded him that she had ridden out to speak to all of them. She had initially asked if he would arrange a carriage so that she might visit the farms, which he had refused simply because he could. But he had not forbidden her from speaking to the farmers.

“She is vexing. And rather more cunning than I had expected.” He shook his head once more, a stab of irritation going through him as he realised he had been smiling.

As he continued to read, he noticed the sound of scraping furniture in the room beside him, but he decided to ignore it. It did not concern him.

And then he heard a soft plinking sound. Two notes, played over and over. He ignored it. The two notes became three, plucked in a way that meant that at least one was always slightly out of time.

“She just wants a reaction.” Adrian muttered. “You do not need to rise to her challenge.”

The three notes became four. Then five. And then it became music. Well, music would be a generous description of the cacophony of sound coming from the other room. It was closer to a collection of notes so limping that it seemed a crime to let them live.

Something inside him broke. He strode from his study into the drawing room next to it, his hands over his ears. He knocked on the door, but if anything the jangle of not quite notes got louder. Adrian flung open the door, and found himself staring at Natalie.

She held a violin to her neck, a bow grating across it, apparently lost in her musical practice. Her eyes briefly flicked towards him.

“What exactly do you think you are doing?” Adrian yelled over the noise.

“Pardon?” She grinned at him but did not stop her crime against music.

Adrian strode towards the piano and played his own jangle of angry notes, that mingled unpleasantly with the discordant wail of Natalie’s violin.

She stopped playing and arched an eyebrow at him. “If you wish to join me, you must play better than that.”

“Very amusing, but I have no wish to join you. And now that I have gotten your attention, kindly explain what you think you are doing.” Adrian kept his voice cool, his ears still ringing.

She gave him an innocent smile and gestured to the violin, still held up to her neck. “What does it look like I am doing? I am playing the violin.”

She demonstrated by plucking a few notes that were ever so slightly off key. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and he only just managed to repress a shudder.

“It sounds more like you are torturing the thing.” Adrian replied taking a step towards her and gesturing to the instrument. “Is it even in tune?”

“I have no idea.” She shrugged. “I find it rather tiresome to check such things before I play. Besides, I am only practicing.”

Adrian took a deep breath and smiled back at her. “Then might I suggest you practice elsewhere. I am trying to get some work done.”

“But this is the music room.” Natalie gestured around them.

“It is not. It is a drawing room.” Adrian resisted the urge to massage his temples with the knuckles of his hand.

“It was the Eastern drawing room, but the acoustics in here are far too nice to be only a drawing room.” Natalie picked up her violin and began to play again.

Adrian strode towards her. “You will cease this at once. You are not even holding the bow correctly!”

“Perhaps I like to hold it like this.” Natalie replied, her voice silky and full of amusement. “Or perhaps I simply do not trust that you would know the right way to hold a bow.”

“Then perhaps I should show you.” Adrian crossed the distance between them, leaning over Natalie as she sat in her chair.

He towered over her, the smell of her perfume wrapping around him like a silk scarf. “Give me the violin, Little thief.”

Her lips parted, and he saw fire in her amber eyes. He wrapped his fingers around hers, carefully easing the instrument from her grasp and then taking the bow from her as well. She did not gasp. Did not fight, simply watched him as he moved the violin into the correct position.

He straightened, standing high above her, plucked a few notes, turned the pegs of the violin so that it was in tune. “Some of us like to do things properly.”

He smiled at her, his eyes full of challenge, and he began to play. With satisfaction, he saw her eyes widen in surprise, though only for a moment. She is getting better at hiding her emotions.

For some reason, the thought troubled rather than comforted him. He played one of the more romantic pieces he knew, letting the notes fill the room with suggestion. His eyes danced, and he refused to look away from Natalie as he played.

When he was done, he placed the violin and the bow in one hand, and swept into a bow. She did not clap. She stood up, and held out her hand for the violin.

He chuckled and shook his head. “I do not think so, Little Thief. Your little rebellion is getting tiring.”

“Is it indeed? Such a shame that I have worn you out so quickly.” She laughed and slid into a seat by the piano.

“Do not play that.” Adrian placed the violin on the vacant seat, moving towards Natalie.

“Why not?” Natalie placed her fingers on the keys.

“I will not warn you again.” Adrian was standing beside her. “Do not start what you cannot finish, Little Thief.”

She peered up at him from her seat at the piano. His hands were either side of her, resting against it. He expected the usual spots of colour to appear on her cheeks. For this bravado to fade into stumbling awkwardness.

The air between them seemed to thicken, and he smiled. Her eyes searched his face, and a hand reached up, towards his neck. His breath caught as her soft fingers brushed his skin. Her lips quirked upwards.

He was frozen. She moved to his cravat, straightening it gently. “What makes you think I cannot finish, dear Fox?”

She let her hands drop and ducked out from him. Her eyes were alight with mischief.

“You are not the only one who can set a snare, or so it would seem.” She inclined her head towards him. “Perhaps it was you who underestimated me.”

She turned from him, picking up the violin as she left and then calling over her shoulder. “You play rather beautifully.”

Adrian watched her go, unsure if she was talking about his music or their little acts of antagonism. Unconsciously, he rubbed at the place on his neck where her fingers had touched.

“It seems my Little Thief is learning new tricks.” He could not tell if he was worried or impressed.