Page 35 of The Duchess and the Beast
That had her frowning. “How do you mean?”
“He is quite handsome, is he not?”There it was. A flicker of jealousy that he failed to entirely mask.
Virtue smirked playfully. “Is he? I hadn’t noticed.”
“Of course not.” He tilted his head as he searched her face intently. His expression was serious, not quite smiling, yet not mad. It seemed as if he was trying to peer into her soul, convinced that she must still find Lord Prescott attractive.
A shame then that she was telling the truth. Oh sure, he was undoubtedly good-looking. There was no denying that. But she did not find him handsome, nor desirable any longer. In fact, she loathed him as if he were a rodent who had snuck into her home. And witnessing him cower in the presence of her husband—it only amplified the confusing feelings she had begun to hold for Sebastian. A beast, maybe. But also a man who could protect her from the world.
“Supper tonight?” she started as his gaze drifted across the horizon, just in time to see Lord Prescott disappear. “Will I be seeing you?”
He turned back sharply, his brow furrowed in mild confusion. “Of course. Unless you have other plans? Not planning to elope with that dandy, I hope?”
She snorted at the absurdity of the suggestion. “I don’t think there is any chance of that happening. I would rather bed down with one of the hounds from the kennel than he.”
Sebastian laughed at that. “It is nice to know who my competition is, at least.”
Their eyes met, and a shared smile blossomed as Virtue reached out and touched his arm gently. Not an action she planned, but a natural response to their shared moment. Surprisingly, Sebastian didn’t pull back—instead, he welcomed her touch, his smile deepening, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.
Yes, they had come a long way these past few days. Just a week ago, had Lord Prescott turned up at Castle Greystone, she couldn’t fathom the chaos that might have ensued. Nothing favorable was her bet. But now, they were in a place where they could laugh it off, knowing it meant nothing, happy to continue on the path they had set.
Unbeknownst to Sebastian, however, was that Virtue had a new path carved out and ready for them to walk later tonight. And where she might have harbored concerns about how it might unfold, after what had just happened here, she knew she had nothing to fear. Tonight, just a few hours from now, everything was set to change.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sebastian found he was not nearly as nervous to see Virtue as he might have been once, but that shouldn’t have been too surprising. After the last few days they had spent together, he no longer worried about what he might say or how he might act. He no longer feared his temper and what might happen if it was tested. This marriage, and his relationship with Virtue, was beginning to feel natural and real in ways he had previously thought impossible.
How had it happened? He supposed Virtue was to thank for that.
Sebastian had known how stubborn she could be, and these last five days had proven it resolutely. Refusing to give up on him, she had cleverly used the garden renovation as a daily meeting point, a neutral ground where they could talk openly without the usual pressures. At first, Sebastian was sure it would end in disaster. He feared hisotherside would resurface, scaring her away for good. But day after day, she returned, each time easing a bit more of the tension, chipping away at the walls he had built around himself.
Now, reflecting on the past week, Sebastian was beginning to see himself differently.
Perhaps his friends had been wrong about him? Perhaps he’d been wrong about himself? Perhaps he wasn’t the monster that he had spent the last decade convincing himself he was? Or perhaps, most likely, it had just taken the right person to bring out a side of him that he had thought died in the war with his closest friend...
As Sebastian sat waiting in the dining room, he noticed movement at the doorway and expected to see Virtue. He had made a habit of arriving early to supper these past evenings, cherishing the opportunity to rise and admire his wife—something about the way she blushed when he complimented her brought a warmth to his evenings. She seemed to delight in the whole ritual too, sheepishly meeting his gaze, her smile lighting up the room as she would settle across from him, a few seats closer each evening.
This time, however, it was not Virtue who graced the room.
“Miss Reid?” Sebastian’s brows furrowed in confusion at the sight of the maid lingering by the door, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her apron. A clear sign of her unease, which was hardly surprising given the way even the long-term staff seemed perpetually on edge around him. He tried for a smile to break the tension. “Is Virtue not joining me this evening?”
“I am afraid not, Your Grace.”
“Pardon?” Sebastian felt his blood spike, but he took a deep breath, reminding himself to stay calm. Surely, there was a rational explanation here. “What do you mean she won’t be joining me?”
He hadn’t given it too much thought but suddenly, all he could think about was Lord Prescott’s presence earlier that day. He believed Virtue when she said she didn’t know why he had appeared all of a sudden, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy it. He could not help but wonder if seeing her former suitor had stirred old affections. Reminded her of what she might be missing? Or worse, made her question her decision to marry him?
“Oh, nothing like that, Your Grace,” Miss Reid hurried to explain as she fidgeted nervously with her hands. “But she has lost track of time and try as I might, I simply could not pull her away from her book.”
“She is reading?” Sebastian said blankly.
The maid nodded her head. “That is correct. She was absorbed, Your Grace. So much so that when I tried to remind her of supper, she snapped at me.”
Sebastian did not even think to be infuriated, as might have been his reaction not so long ago. No. He was too stunned for that! Was Virtue being serious? Was she really about to skip one of the few private times they shared with one another over a book? He could scarcely believe it. After all the effort she had gone throughthis past week to bring the two closer together, this felt... it felt, frankly, like a slap in the face.
And still, Lord Prescott hovered in his mind’s eye…
“Would you please inform Her Grace that I await her presence for supper, and that she may return to her book afterward.” He spoke slowly and calmly, convinced that this must be some sort of misunderstanding.