Page 8 of The Beast’s Duchess (Duchesses of Inconvenience #1)

Veronica couldn’t help herself. “What all have you heard?”

Daisy chuckled. “I’m not sure his grace would like me talking about this,” she said, moving on to brush out her hair.

“I won’t tell him what we talk about if you don’t tell him.”

She just shook her head a smile on her face. “I will only tell you this: he was very excited to marry you. He went on and on about what you talked about and what you liked.”

“I remember meeting a friend of his. Admittedly very briefly, but he seemed nice. Not sure what his name was...”

“Alexander. They all but grew up together. But since the fire, I think they must have had a falling out. Because he hasn’t come around, and we are so far away from London that gossip doesn’t usually make it here.”

“But surely you all go there for the season.” Though even as Veronica said so, she was reminded of the fact that her husband had not had a proper season in years. “Oh. I’m sorry, that was a silly thing to say.”

“Not at all, your Grace.”

“Why did he become such a recluse?” she asked as she moved to the vanity, where Daisy started undoing her complicated hairdo.

“I don’t know Your Grace. I only know that after the fire there were no more guests of any kind.

We always assumed by how he acted that he was getting ready to bring you here as his Duchess, but as the years passed, first with his studies, and then the three years after the fire, we started losing hope.

” She looked down. “I… I miss it. When the Duke had hope, so did we.”

Veronica couldn’t help herself. She sighed, shaking her head. “I think you all give too much credit to his affection for me.”

“My lady! Why would you say such a thing? Why would he marry you if he had no affection for you?” Daisy caught herself and pressed her fingers to her lips, looking abashed. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn.”

Veronica waved her off. “It is quite alright. I like a maid who is comfortable speaking her mind to me. As for why I doubt his affection, it is hardly like he chose this match. Neither of us did. Our parents made the choice for us. I am sure he only went through with it out of a sense of duty.”

“That isn’t what I heard.”

Veronica turned to meet her eyes. “And what did you hear?”

“Forgive me,” she flushed. “I shouldn’t have said that. It's just gossip among the servants.”

“Perhaps, but I would quite like to hear it.”

The maid paused for a second, scanning Veronica’s face. She must have been assured she meant it because she took a seat next to her and began whispering.

“Apparently he asked his father, the late Duke Ashton, to move forward with the engagement. More than that, I heard from Jamie—he’s one of the footmen who stayed with the family after the fire—that he saved all of your letters and read them frequently during his recovery.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I don’t. I know he seems difficult, but he’s been kind to those of us who work for him.”

“If he wanted to be kind, he would hire more staff to make your job easier.”

“It is not as simple as that. You see, Your Grace, after the fire some of the members of staff whispered unkind things about His Grace. Nasty and hateful words, borne out of some misplaced sense of superiority, to be sure. But he no longer wanted them around, and I think it became harder for him to trust.”

“I can understand that,” Veronica said with a frown. She’d already made her mind up about that, and yet both Daisy and Mrs. Carter still thought she needed to ask him. And now she knew why. “You’ve given me much to think about. Why don’t you bring up breakfast around nine?”

“Of course, your Grace. If you realize you would rather it be earlier or later, say the word and we can always adjust the time.”

“Very good. Thank you.”

The pair finished getting Veronica ready for bed in silence.

It was only when she was alone that Veronica let herself think on Daisy’s words. She paced the room, playing the conversation over and over again in her mind.

It was possible the girl was just saying what she thought Veronica wanted to hear. She was the mistress of the house now and it was possible she wanted to make a good impression on her, especially since she was going to serve as her lady’s maid.

Still, there was something about the way she said it that made Veronica believe her.

It does not seem like he resents me, so why is he so cold with me?

Her fingers moved to trace the scar along her collarbone, the only remaining sign she had of what she had been through.

Unlike him. His very body must be a constant reminder of that horrid night. His own chest had an angry red line running along it, and that wasn’t even to mention his hands.

The whole flesh of his hands were a discolored a deep pink at best and a sharp red at worst, as though it never was given the chance to heal. It raised and cratered like the surface of some distant planet.

She wondered if he could still feel the scars. She had seen him use them and it didn’t seem like he struggled to do so. But her own small burn from the hot metal of her necklace had never regained full feeling after it scarred, and his burns ran far deeper.

He must hate me for it.

She couldn’t blame him for that. After all, it only happened because he tried to save her when she got trapped.

If only I had been fast enough to avoid the beam, if I had been strong enough to save myself, he wouldn’t have been hurt.

But she hadn’t.

She had been too weak and because of that, he had gotten hurt.

Emotions still churning, she climbed into bed, sliding under the covers. She stared up at the ceiling, hoping sleep would come quickly.

She closed her eyes, but all she could focus on were the sounds she could hear from around the estate.

Her childhood home had always been so loud and so full of life. Even at night, if she closed her eyes and listened, she could hear her sisters whispering long after they were supposed to go to sleep. There would be the sounds of the city outside.

But here, in the countryside, in an all but deserted castle, there was nothing.

Veronica didn’t know it was possible for a place to be so silent.

It was disconcerting. She found herself desperately listening to hear something, anything. Any signs of life.

But all she heard was silence.