Page 31 of Her Duke’s Second Chance (Regency Second Chances #1)

CHAPTER 31

“ Y ou are making up for lost time,” Cecile had said with a grin, making Georgiana quite regretful for confiding her fears.

Georgiana had stretched luxuriantly in bed that morning. She had discovered that sleeping naked was the most decadent thing a body could do.

The only thing more decadent would be to sleep naked in a lover’s arms. That had been her fate the entire week and she had enjoyed it immensely.

Robert would wake up in the morning and return to his chambers in time for his valet to perform his morning ablutions, but Georgiana preferred to sleep in much later.

Her body felt battered in the best way possible from all the attention she was getting from her husband.

He was a hungry, insatiable beast, and she was all too happy to feed his desires. Cecile had become quite used to rubbing aloe ointment into her bruises each morning. Robert might have squeezed her hips too tightly while she rode him like a horse. Or after he had left marks from shackling her wrists over her head with one hand as he ruthlessly ransacked her depths and made her plead for release.

Cecile assured her that it was quite normal for their appetites to be this large after a year of abstention.

She’d sat up and smiled before sliding out of bed and donning her robe. She had reached for the bell before disappearing behind the screen to relieve herself.

With a sigh, she’d walked over to the basin and poured water, washing her face and brushing her teeth with the powder.

Just as she was finished, Cecile walked in with pails of hot water. “Good morning, Your Grace. Stanley has told me to relay a message from His Grace.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “What is it?”

“You have been invited for afternoon tea by his friend, Lord Stanmore, at his London residence. He humbly requests that you wear the purple-flowered afternoon gown as its high neckline will help him to focus on the afternoon’s activities.”

Georgiana laughed. “Oh. Yes, let us wear the purple-flowered gown and matching gloves. Not an inch of skin is to be seen. I do not suppose Daisy can come along?”

“I am certain that His Grace would not object.”

“Good. Would you make sure she knows? I fear that we may have bored her quite a bit these days. It will do her good to go somewhere other than Ariana’s.”

“Right away, Your Grace,” she said before disappearing out of the room.

Georgiana checked the time and realized that she had slept the entire morning away. She shook her head in self-censure.

She had been a person who was used to running around and getting things done. There had rarely been time for leisure in her life. She realized that she had genuinely taken Robert at his word; that he would look after her and she need not feel responsible for anything.

She knew that sooner or later she would revert to her old self, because as lovely as it was, she was not cut out to be a lady of leisure.

She reminded herself to ask Robert to take her to Emberford. She had duties as a duchess, and she wanted to fulfill them.

“What they must think of me…” she murmured to herself.

“What must who think of you?” She jumped, startled by Cecile’s voice, as she had not heard the lady’s maid return to the room.

She waved her hand in dismissal. “It is nothing. Just a stray thought.”

“Mmm.” Cecile began to arrange her combs and brushes, along with several ribbons and brooches. She laid them out neatly so that Georgiana would be able to choose which ones she wanted to wear.

“What did Daisy say? Does she wish to come?”

“Oh yes, she is excited. Lord Stanmore is apparently well-known to her. She is eager to meet him.”

“How is he known to her?” Georgiana’s heart sank, wondering if he was another one of her suitors.

“Lady Ariana has apparently told her stories about him. He is a boxer, yes? He recently defended the honor of a young lady and was the talk of the ton.”

“I did not hear of it.”

“Well, perhaps you were busy with His Grace,” Cecile smirked.

Georgiana snorted, shook her head, and turned away. Cecile’s comment made her realize that she had been focused on only one thing for a while now. She did not even know the latest gossip.

And I have not visited Selina in far too long.

She had sent her friend a note, canceling an appointment they had made for Wednesday and explaining why, but beyond that, she had not heard from her friend at all. Georgiana frowned.

That will not do.

She decided that as soon as they returned she would write Selina a long letter and arrange for a visit. She could not neglect her friend just because her husband had decided to pay her attention.

She stepped into the bath, closing her eyes while Cecile scrubbed her down. Thereafter, she sat at the vanity so her lady’s maid could brush her hair and style it before she got dressed.

Once she was ready, she went downstairs to look for Robert.

She found him in his office dealing with some correspondence. He looked up at her and smiled. “Good afternoon. How wonderful of you to join us in the land of the living.”

Georgiana grinned and kissed him on the mouth. “You are welcome,” she murmured.

He snorted in amusement and then looked her up and down. “All covered but still irresistible; be still my heart.” He draped his hand dramatically over his chest.

Georgiana rolled her eyes and turned away from him. “Tell me about your friend. Why does he wish to meet me?”

“Because you are my wife.”

Georgiana smiled. “I have been your wife for more than a year. Why now?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps because I keep telling him that I cannot spend time with him because I was spending time with you.”

She nodded. “Mmm, I understand that. I am having the same problem with Selina.”

“But she hasn’t asked to meet me .”

“Not yet,” she smiled, “but perhaps that is because she has already met you. At the ball and the park, do you remember?”

“Yes, but we did not have an opportunity to talk and get to know each other.”

“True. I will ask her if we may come for a visit if you wish it.”

“Do you wish it?” he countered.

“Of course. I want you to know my friends and like them. Then we can all have endless dinners and talk about art, music, and poetry.”

“Well…for as long as we are in London, of course. You know how little time I spend here.”

She nodded.

“I wanted to speak with you about that. My grandmother grows anxious about my extended absence. I wanted to ask you if you would care to return with me when I go back to Emberford.”

She smiled. “It is funny. I was just thinking today that I need to pay a visit to Emberford. As duchess I have a duty to the tenants, do I not?”

“Yes, I suppose you do…”

She turned a keen eye on him. “What is it? What is wrong?”

“Nothing really. It is just that my grandmother is used to performing that role. She loves to visit the tenants and spread her largesse. She might not take kindly to you taking over.”

“Ah, I would be the interloper, coming to bring change and chaos to her well-regimented system,” Georgiana said jokingly.

Robert just gave her a stern look. “It is no joking matter.”

“No, of course not. And I will try not to trample on anyone’s feelings. Would you rather I not go?”

“I would very much rather you were always by my side, especially during the long, frosty winter months that I spend at Emberford. I have recently discovered the benefits of having a warm-blooded bed mate and I do not mean to lose that.”

“Oho! So, my sole purpose is to keep you warm in the winter?”

He grinned. “The autumn too. Spring is also quite… brisk.”

Georgiana huffed in amusement. “You are incorrigible.”

“And you are irresistible. I feel certain you will convince my grandmother to love you in no time at all.”

There was a knock on the door and Daisy burst in. “Are we not going to be late?” she demanded.

Georgiana and Robert exchanged glances.

“Your sister is right,” Robert said. He looked behind Daisy at the hovering footman. “Call for the carriage.”

Robert was surprised when Lionel opened the door to his house. He waved them inside distractedly.

“It has been sheer pandemonium all morning,” he explained, “my sister Dorothy had some sort of gown disaster, which will not do because she is scheduled to wear it this afternoon on her promenade with Lord something or other. It has been nothing but screaming and yelling for hours. I cannot even tell you how stressful it has all been.”

Robert chuckled. “My commiserations, old man. You could have sent a note around to cancel our tea.”

“Absolutely not!” He turned, taking both of Georgiana’s hands in his, and bowing low over them. “You must forgive me. Your Grace, for my bad manners. It is so lovely to finally have you in my home.”

Georgiana smiled in amusement and looked to Robert for some guidance. He gestured for her to continue. Lionel was still bent over her hands, the very picture of contrition. Robert rolled his eyes. The Grahams were certainly a very dramatic family.

“It is quite all right, Lord Stanmore. I am sure you are doing your best,” Georgiana said.

Her kind words seemed to satisfy Lionel’s need for absolution, and he straightened up, turning to look at Daisy.

“And who is this absolute vision ?” he asked.

Daisy blushed and giggled.

“That is my sister, Lady Daisy Milton,” Georgiana said a bit repressively. “She has yet to come out.”

“Ah, that would explain why I have not seen her at any of the balls. Well, their loss is my gain. Please, my lady, come this way.” He offered Daisy his arm and she took it, smiling with delight.

He began to walk down the corridor. With one last wide-eyed look at Robert, Georgiana made haste to follow.

Robert offered Georgiana his arm and they walked behind the other couple, quietly listening as Lionel entered a state of euphoria as he described the color of Daisy’s eyes to her.

“Do you believe in the fae?” he asked.

Slowly, dazedly, Daisy shook her head.

“Well, your eyes are exactly what I imagine theirs to look like. So large and pure, whimsical and filled with wonder for the world. Oh, you must be protected from anything that tries to take that purity away,” he said earnestly.

Robert looked at Georgiana, wondering how she was taking all this, and found her looking back at him, her eyes dancing with amusement. She leaned close to whisper to him.

“I think your friend is taken with my sister.”

“I would concur with that statement,” he whispered back.

She raised her eyebrows at him. “What are we to do about it?”

He shrugged. “I do not think there is much we can do.”

They arrived at the parlor, where Lionel seated them before ringing the bell and taking his seat.

“Once again, I am so happy to have you in my home. I do not know if His Grace has told you, but we have been friends for a long time. I have seen the shine that you have put into his eyes, and I wanted to tell you how happy I am.”

A servant came in carrying a decanter of wine and various glasses, already filled with drink. He handed them out.

“A toast,” Lionel said, “to new beginnings.”

Robert looked at Georgiana and smiled.

“To new beginnings,” they echoed.