Page 22 of The Beast’s Duchess (Duchesses of Inconvenience #1)

Chapter Eighteen

T he next day, the pair make their way through the forest. Despite the chill of the night no longer clinging to her skin, Veronica couldn’t feel the warmth from the sun.

there only seemed to be the damp cold that clung to her skin, making her pull her barrowed cloak tighter arond her, biting back a shiver far more often than she would like to admit.

It had felt like they had been walking all day, but Veronica knew that couldn’t be true. The sun was still low in the morning sky. If she had to guess, it couldn’t have been later than ten in the morning.

Still, the pair had begun their walk as soon as they had woken in the morning and there could be no doubt they had already been walking for many hours.

“Not long now,” Christopher assured her once again.

“You said that more than ten minutes ago,” she grumbled, narrowly resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

“But I do actually mean it this time.”

“Are you finally admitting you didn’t mean it when you said it before?”

“Not at all. You know I would never lie to you,” he said, bumping his shoulder lightly against hers. “Besides, it’s such a nice morning for a stroll, wouldn’t you say?”

She opened her mouth to argue. As far as she could tell the morning was cold, damp and hardly good for anything but sitting near a fire with a cup of tea. Before she could say a word of any of that, he cut her off again, a bright smile on his face.

“See, look there,” he pointed. “That’s the edge of the forest just up ahead.”

Her eyes darted up to see it and when she saw the tree line in the distance, relief coursed through her.

“Finally,” she groaned, picking up her pace, narrowly resisting the urge to run straight towards it, to the safety and warmth of the place she had began to call home.

“Veornica, please slow down,” Despite the chuckle in his voice, Christopher sped up to match her pace.

“Why? Can you not keep up?” she shot back.

“That’s isn’t the issue at all I am managing just fine.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“I just don’t want you to over do it and make yourself feel worse than you already do. There’s no doubt we’re both on our way to a cold from being in that river.”

“If we’re already going to be ill, then there can’t be any harm in it, now can there?”

“I don’t-”

“Oh, come on! We’re so close!”

He tried to call out to her again, but she didn’t listen, charging on ahead. The second they burst though the treeline and Ashton Castle came into view, relief crashed over her.

She couldn’t help herself, she fell to her knees in the damp grass.

They had done it. After everything that had happened last night they were home safe and sound once more.

“Veronica!” Christopher called out to her when she hit the ground.

“I’m all right,” she called back. “I just- I saw the place and I am just so relieved.”

“Someone!” he called. “We’re back. Come help us.”

His shout summoned the servants who had been out looking for them.

Mrs. Carter raced over to them with a few of the others trotting at her heels.

“I’m so glad the two of you are back safe and sound!

” she gushed, checking them over with careful diligence.

“We have all been so worried about you! We sent out search parties! Goodness! The two of you are positively shaking.”

“We’re likely a bit under the weather after our adventures last night.”

“Goodness! How terribly dreadful. Where have you been?” she shook her head.

“Well, I suppose none of that matters right now. What matters is that you are back safe and sound. Come inside quickly. I will let the kitchen know to start making some soup. Perhaps that will help warm you up, stave off the chill.”

“That would be perfect,” Christopher said, helping Veronica back to her feet. She accepted his hand but let go the second she was steady once more. “Thank you. I’m sure both of us could use something to eat and some rest.”

“Of course. That sounds like exactly what you need. Come inside, please come inside.”

The couple allowed themselves to be ushered into the house. Christopher glanced to Veronica.

The poor thing looked exhausted. Even after the little rest they had managed last night, it hadn’t been enough, especially with the chill she was sure to have caught from her time in the river.

He chastised himself once again for not finding her sooner.

Still, he had found her before it was too late and she was back safe now. What was more is after their little talk in the cabin, it seemed that she was not only content to stay, but wanted to stay with him, hard as that was to believe.

But there would be plenty of time to think on that later, for now, it would be far better for both of them to focus on their recover and getting to know one another.

“The stair case to the restricted section came down, so I will be staying in the master bedroom while I recover,” he said when they got inside.

For a moment Mrs. Carter looked at him in shock, then a bright grin broke across her face. Even Veronica shot him a suprised look, but he just gave her a wry smile.

“Of course, your Grace, whatever you like. I’ll make sure the kitchen knows where to send your food,” he could hardly believe how excited his housekeeper sounded. Perhaps she was far more fond of him—or at least of Veronica—than he had realized.

“Thank you,” he said, the words coming out far more genuine than he would have expected to such a simple statement.

“Right this way,” she motioned, them to continue their journey down the halls.

They all make their way up stairs and over to the bedrooms. They stopped at Veronica’s room first.

“Daisy should be waiting for you inside,” Mrs. Carter said. “I had one of the footmen send her up.”

“Thank you so much.”

“It’s simply my job, my dear,” she said before parting ways to walk Christopher the rest of the way to his room.

The second she got through the door, Daisy was by her side.

“Welcome back, your Grace. I’m so glad you made it home safe.”

“Thank you, me too. Can you help me get into a night shirt? I think I have a bit of a fever.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke while she changed, but Veronica could feel Daisy’s questions bubbling away regardless.

“I think it would be best to get your questions out of the way now then to let them fester.”

She looked away, biting her lip. “Why did you leave?”

Veronica let out a long breath. “Because I had a foolish thought in my head. It won’t happen again.”

“But I don’t understand why it happened at all.”

“I was trapped under my own mind. I shouldn’t have done that. It must have scared you. I’m sorry.”

“It’s over now. You are home safe and that is what matters.”The pair finished getting her ready for bed in silence. A short time later, Veronica was alone, dozing off in delicious warmth. Until she was jolted awake by a knock at her door.