Page 20 of The Duke’s Return (Dukes of the Compass Rose #2)
Although Genevieve continued speaking about the differences of parties here compared to London, Julian had difficulty in focusing when his gaze dropped down her dressing gown and he noticed she was barefoot.
It’s the middle of the night and she forgot her slippers.
What on earth compelled her to do such a thing?
She’ll probably catch the plague with those perfect toes of hers out in the cold.
How does someone have perfect toes? It isn’t right.
The way they peep right beneath her dressing robe. Think straight, Julian!
They reached the kitchens at last, slowly descending the stairs in near darkness together. Once he opened the door, she walked in to open the nearest shutters so moonlight could shine through.
“Are you comfortable in here?” he asked, noting her comfortability moving around there.
“I am, yes. I’ve spent a lot of time getting familiar with the household. It’s important that I know the space as well as the staff,” she added, her voice lighter and calmer as she moved about. Her gestures were graceful and smooth. More so than she had been at the garden, he noted.
He nodded, setting down the candle on the table. It only took him a moment to light two more candles to grant them a little more light. “Very well. What will it be? Bread? Sausages? Carrots?”
That garnered a light chuckle. “I don’t need anything fancy. I just want…”
His eyes followed her over to a cupboard that was as tall as she was.
Above it were several baskets, a few layered on top of one another.
That didn’t stop Genevieve from reaching up her hand.
He couldn’t see her face, but he could see the struggle.
Even with her height, she couldn’t get to what she wanted.
“Would you like some help?”
“Not particularly,” she responded in a muffled tone.
That didn’t stop Julian from moving forward to assist his wife.
He came around to her side to help her, their arms brushing.
Tension charged between them when her breath caught loudly enough for him to hear.
But he managed to keep moving, to lift his arm up high enough so he could reach into the bowl.
“Apples?”
She turned her face to him. Though she was cast in shadows, he swore he could see every angle. The two freckles on her left cheek. “Apples.”
One was brought out for her and then he grabbed one of his own. Genevieve took hers before taking a step back. She hesitated, glancing at him, and then took a large crunching bite.
“How is it?” Julian asked, trying to tear his gaze from her face.
“Perfect,” she reassured him as she walked around the table to take a seat. She settled in, leaning back, her eyes dark. “I know what I’m doing here, Julian, but whatever are you doing in the night like this?”
Nothing I could actually say aloud, that’s for certain.
He gave a shrug before taking a bite of his apple, the juicy sweetness spilling over his tongue. “Sleep oft eludes me of late. It helps to pace the halls until I tire. It was always my boyhood dream to become a specter.”
“This place is too beautiful for ghosts,” she said with a shake of her head.
“You would be surprised.”
Leaning forward, Genevieve studied him for a moment. “There are so many places in the world containing heavy memories. I think even the most beautiful places have seen some sorrow. Life is unfortunate that way. But tell me, are there good memories of your childhood in Southwick?”
Such a swift transition to a happier topic. To his surprise, Julian was able to bring about several moments in the past he considered with fondness. The ghosts faded back into the shadows as he nodded.
“I suppose I do.”
“Tell me one of them,” Genevieve prompted and then took another satisfying bite of her apple.
Julian found himself talking of his boyhood then, of his first hunt and a few moments where his father had still been gentle with him. Holidays with his extended family. Adventures about the grounds with his friends. There was still plenty of goodness, he found, as he finished his apple.
Three cores were left behind as Genevieve had eaten two, clearly famished but declining more lest she ruin her appetite come morning.
“At such a mention, I’m afraid we should retire to our chambers,” he said with true regret. “Shall I escort you?”
“Only if you’re off to your own rooms now. Have I exhausted you enough?” she teased him with an innocent smile.
He welcomed the gesture, smiling in return.
They’d managed a fair conversation together without jests or teasing.
It was as though the darkness made it easier for him to talk honestly with his wife.
Surely a trick made of women, he supposed, but couldn’t fault her for it.
He’d given away nothing, he thought. And still he had enjoyed their time.
It is almost as though we could be friends.
Walking back toward their chambers, Julian couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. Genevieve was quiet as well. They murmured farewells before parting, slipping behind their doors.
He stopped within his chamber to hear the house breathing. He waited, listening intently for the footfall of his wife moving around in the chamber beside him. The steps were muffled, but he was confident he could hear them. It brought him some calm as he undressed and slid into bed.
Something told him he would rest well through the night. Sleep tempted him too greatly to think on much else.
There was only one thought on his mind. Closing his eyes, he nearly smiled at the notion that perhaps being married was more fortunate than he could have ever expected.