Page 5 of The Beast’s Unwanted Duchess (Icy Dukes #1)

CHAPTER THREE

" W ould you say something?" Alice asked.

"I don’t know what to say," Lavinia answered. "There’s supposed to be a talk. My sister had it with my mama. I’ve heard about it plenty of times. It’s the talk about the wedding night."

"Well, what is the talk about?" Alice asked.

"I don’t know," Lavinia said in hushed tones. "It’s just a talk to prepare you for what happens on your wedding night."

"What happens on my wedding night?" Alice asked, tilting her head to the side.

"I don’t know!" Lavinia responded and glanced at Emma.

"You’re to consummate the marriage," Emma chimed in.

"Consummate?" Alice asked with widened eyes. "Well, how am I supposed to do that?"

"Don’t look at me. I have no clue. I only know that’s how babies are made," Emma said.

"Babies? What babies?" Alice asked.

"Well, what do you think happens in marriages, Alice? Obviously, you are going to have to give the Duke an heir. How do you think that’s going to happen? It happens on the wedding night."

"I am not having babies with that beast," Alice rasped.

"Do you think you have a choice?" Emma asked. "That’s the essence of marriage. To produce heirs. From what I know, you share a bed together."

"Oh, I am not sleeping in the same bed as that man," Alice said, shaking her head. "I can’t even look him in the eye without feeling like my heart is about to explode."

"You’re speaking like you have a say in this matter," Lavinia said. "Look, you still have time to ask your Mama what it means to consummate. After the ceremony, make sure to demand for the talk. I reckon it’s important. You need to be prepared."

Alice felt a knot of unease tighten in her stomach. She had not thought that far ahead. She had no idea what was expected of her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was utterly unprepared for what lay ahead.

"The man has barely said a word to me," Alice complained.

"I cannot even guess what he is thinking. He has the same expression on his face every single time. Except for when he smirked at me in the church when I saw his scars. It’s like he could tell they terrified me and he was happy that they did. "

"He feeds off terror, I can just tell," Emma said. "You have to be careful, Alice. Take care of yourself and do what he says."

"That might be tasking because you’re a pretty stubborn lady," Lavinia said. "You hate to do as you’re told, and more importantly, you hate feeling scared."

Alice crossed her arms. "Why does he scare me so much? No one should have that kind of power over anyone."

Emma sighed. "You can't control what you feel. Just stay in line. Treat him like your Papa, respect him, fear him, and don't cross him."

Lavinia shook her head. "He’s her husband, not her father."

Emma rolled her eyes. "We can't ignore his scars, Lavinia. Alice, you need to concentrate on your duties and stay out of his way. Don't talk back. I know you, once you get nervous, you snap. That’s the last thing you need."

"She can’t live in fear, Emma," Lavinia argued. "This is her life."

Alice sighed. "Stop arguing. I appreciate both of you, but I can't be romantically attracted to someone who makes my skin crawl. And Emma, could you live in fear, always afraid to speak?"

Emma hesitated. "Then what will you do?"

"I don’t know," Alice admitted. "But I refuse to live in fear. I will fulfill my duties as Duchess, but I won’t cower before him."

Lavinia shook her head. "You say that now, but wait until you're alone with him."

Alice winced. "Don’t remind me. I need this courage to get through tonight."

Lavinia giggled. "Sorry."

Alice looked down. "I’m a duchess now," she said, the realization starting to settle in.

"The Duchess of Ravenmoor." Emma nodded. "You’ll have a lot of responsibilities. Managing the estate, hosting events, and eventually, producing an heir."

Alice flinched. "Maybe that’s why he married me...for an heir?"

"Maybe," Lavinia replied. "But there has to be more to it than that."

Emma nodded. "He doesn’t seem like a man who’d marry out of desperation."

Alice had considered that there might be a deeper motive behind Victor’s choice. It was certainly not love and certainly not some grand desire to redeem either of their reputations. Victor had not cared about his reputation for years.

As the reception came to a close, the ballroom filled with members of the ton began to thin out, their voices fading into the background.

Alice stood by the grand entrance, her heart heavy as she watched everyone offer final farewells.

Lavinia and Emma clung to her, their expressions a mix of concern and sorrow, as if she were embarking on a journey to a distant land rather than merely a few hours’ carriage ride away.

When the moment came for Alice to step into the carriage, she took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain composed. Timothy helped her into the carriage, and for a brief moment, she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes.

"You will do well, Alice," he said to her. "You’re smart and you can take care of yourself. That’s why I am confident."

Alice only responded with a smile. She scanned the crowd, looking for Patience. There were still questions she wanted to ask, and she feared that her window to discuss them was closing.

Victor followed her inside, the door closing with a soft thud.

Alice didn’t look up to acknowledge him.

She just sat still as the carriage began to move.

She stared out the window one last time, annoyed that Patience had been too occupied to see her off.

Disappointed, she sat back and watched the familiar sights of the place she called home all her life blur into the background.

Victor sat silently. Even though she couldn’t look directly at him, she could tell he was watching her.

She avoided his gaze, trying to keep her eyes on the road, but slowly, she drifted off to sleep, her exhaustion overtaking her as the carriage rolled on.

It wasn’t until the carriage began to slow down that Alice stirred, blinking awake just as they reached the grand entrance of Ravenmoor.

The sight of the magnificent house first took her breath away.

She stared out the window with widened eyes, dazed by the towering spires reaching toward the night sky.

Alice instinctively reached for the door, eager to alight and get a proper look at the Dukedom, but her hand collided with Victor’s at the same time he reached for the same thing, their fingers brushing against each other.

A spark of warmth shot through her at the contact, and she felt the familiar tenseness that defined Victor’s presence.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed to still as they locked eyes. Alice quickly pulled her hand back as swiftly as she could. Clasping her hands together.

"What do you reckon will happen if you touch me?" His voice was deep and raspy, sending an involuntary shiver down Alice's spine. "Are you scared you’d turn to stone?"

Alice’s heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with him. At that moment, he didn’t seem as intimidating as before. His eyes, usually piercing, seemed softer as he spoke. It was a side of him she did not expect to see, a glimpse of a vulnerability hidden beneath the layers of his rough exterior.

It was the first time she had seen just how pretty his eyes were. She liked the shade of green. It was rare.

"My apologies...Your Grace," she said and cleared her throat. "I should have waited. It’s just...we’ve been on the road for quite some time and I was in a haste to stretch my legs."

"You were asleep for the entire journey," he mumbled and stepped out of the carriage.

Alice took a moment before alighting after him.

She stood beside the carriage, taking in the view before her.

She noticed that he didn’t extend his hand to help her down, a subtle shift that didn’t really surprise her.

Despite the distance he maintained, she couldn’t stop thinking about the softness she had just seen in his eyes and wondered where that person had gone.

Although it was dark, she could still see the beauty of the estate.

The sprawling grounds before her, illuminated by the faint glow of the moon.

The grand stone building towering majestically, its windows gleaming like eyes watching her arrival.

The crisp air was refreshing, carrying the earthy scent of damp soil and distant flowers. It was different here.

The kind that she liked.

Now that she felt the fresh air on her face, Alice was fully awake.

She kept her eyes on Victor, who was still standing in front of her, talking to the staff.

Alice thought about their brief conversation in the carriage.

..how she had pulled away when her hand accidentally brushed against his as he reached for the carriage door.

The sharpness of her reaction had been instinctive, but now it bothered her after seeing his reaction to it.

She had recoiled as if his touch had burned her, and his question haunted her thoughts.

Alice stepped forward and stood in front of him. "Your Grace..." she began to say softly, hoping to break the silence and apologize. "...about earlier... when I?—"

He turned to her in a heartbeat but cut her off before she could finish. "We’ll talk later," he said, his tone curt. "You should go to your room for now."

For a brief moment, she wondered if she should be relieved, after all, he didn’t seem angry at her for pulling back.

Merely...disappointed. But the way he brushed her off so quickly stung.

If any other man had suggested she got some rest, she might have considered his gesture thoughtful, seeing that she had fallen asleep in the carriage.

Yet, the grumpiness in his voice made her second-guess it all.

Was he truly offended that she had recoiled from his touch, or was she imagining things?