Page 13

" D uchess, do you have a moment?"

Alethea stopped dead in her tracks at the Duke's request. She was on her way to the breakfast room, and had not anticipated that she would cross paths with her husband this morning.

In earnest, she wished to avoid him. Not out of anything he had done, but more so, she had still not understood her reaction to him the other night. In her mind, it would be easier to avoid him rather than confront the strange feeling she had whenever she interacted with him up close.

"It is time for breakfast," she told him, looking at the floor instead.

The duke made a show of pulling out his pocket watch to check the time, and she peeked at him just enough to catch the slight smile that formed on his face as he spoke again.

"Surely, breakfast does not require any form of urgency.

It will still be there for you on the table after we get a chance to speak. "

"Well, then," Alethea cleared her throat and folded her arms out to her front. "Is it something particularly urgent that you wish to speak to me about?"

"I see that you are being particularly impatient this morning," he remarked, eyeing her with curiosity.

"Not at all," Alethea stumbled over her words. She did not wish for him to think of her as an impatient wife. "Please. Tell me what it is that you wish to say."

Oliver took a step back, taking his time to speak again. She wondered if he was testing the limits of her patience again but she was resolved to pass whatever test he had prepared for her.

"We have been invited to a ball," he announced finally. "It is in a few days, and we must go shopping for new dresses for it."

"For me?" Alethea said, wide-eyed. It was only after the words left her mouth that she realized how ridiculous they might have sounded.

"Well, ideally," Oliver sounded amused. "Unless you believe that they might look better on me."

"Oh, I didn't mean.." she blushed.

"In any case, I thought to inform you beforehand. We leave after breakfast."

"I do not wish to bother you with these things," she said, scrambling for an excuse to get out of spending more time alone with him.

"You can stay at the estate and focus on your work.

I shall go myself after breakfast and be back in no time at all.

Truly, I am not so choosy and it would not take me long. "

"Absolutely not," Oliver said, firmly. "I have already made the arrangements, and informed the modiste of our arrival. I shall be escorting you."

"But…" she tried to argue, but it was a battle that was already lost. She did not want to push either, as to not give him the impression that he was unwanted per se.

"The carriage will be waiting for you outside," he said, walking away.

For the entirety of the breakfast, Alethea could hardly focus on her food. She had even lost her appetite in anticipation. It made her nervous, being with him alone.

"He is your husband," she reminded herself as she made her way outside to the carriage, which was indeed waiting for her as promised. "There is no need for you to be this way. This is the natural order of things."

But her words could only do so much to calm her down.

Especially when she caught sight of him in the carriage, taking a seat across from her.

He had changed out of the clothes he had on previously, she noticed.

And his hair had been combed upwards, suggesting that he had taken some time getting ready prior to this.

Alethea did not understand why, but the thought made her blush.

"I hope that you had a nice meal?" he cleared his throat, engaging her into conversation.

"It was good, Your Grace," she replied, shyly. She opted not to disclose that she had lost her appetite entirely and could not get a single bite in.

"Very well. I should like you to be properly fueled. Choosing dresses can be a taxing thing for ladies, I hear," he remarked.

"I do not anticipate taking too long," she said immediately. In the nunnery, there had been no tailored gowns or special fittings. She was accustomed to wearing what was provided, and even sewing herself if the need arose.

"You do not seem to have many demands from life," he noted after a moment. He was observing her with a precision that unsettled her, as though he was unmasking things about her that she had not yet uttered out loud.

"I prefer to make do with what is given to me," she nodded.

"Is that something you learned at the nunnery?" he asked. It was the first time that he had brought the subject up between them. "Not to probe, of course. But you can consider it a gentle curiosity."

"I have not thought so deeply about it," she asserted, her tone suddenly distant. "But I should assume so, considering my stay there spanned most of my life."

He looked as though he wished to ask her more, but then showed restraint.

"Our honeymoon period is almost at a close," he said. "If you remember, I had given you the choice to return home to your sisters. Have you put in any thought towards the matter?"

"I have not, really," she said immediately. "In earnest, I had forgotten you had mentioned it to begin with."

"As I said before, you are most welcome to stay," a small smile crept up on his face. "From what I have heard, the members of this family have really taken a liking to you. Clara and Eleanor being the most eager ones, of course."

Alethea felt her cheeks warm at the comment.

"They are both quite lovely," she nodded. "And I feel the same way towards them."

"And the changes you suggested around the estate," he started.

"They really were well received. You have been doing a great job with your duties thus far.

And most of all, I am happy to hear that you have forgone any enmity with my younger brother.

He has told me that you were quite forgiving to him. "

"It seems that you are already well aware of all that I have gotten up to in my time at the estate thus far," she replied.

"I have eyes and ears all over the house," he smirked. "But you need not worry about that. All the reports I have received about you have been nothing less than overwhelmingly positive."

Alethea did not know how to respond to all the praise, so instead she just awkwardly nodded, suddenly unsure of what to do with her hands. She was not used to this in the slightest.

She could feel Oliver's eyes on her, expectantly. But what was she supposed to respond with?

"So, what is your decision, then?" he asked finally.

"Well," she bit down on her lip. "As you have already mentioned, I have a long list of duties to perform here. It would be terribly unfortunate if I were not here to cater to them."

He raised an amused eyebrow in her direction.

"That is the reason that compels you to stay?"

"Of course, Clara and Eleanor are an added consideration," she paused for a moment, "meaning that I should not like for them to wonder why I do not wish to stay at the estate."

"I see," Oliver nodded. "So that is all then? No other reason that compels you to stay?"

"What other reason could there be?" she knitted her eyebrows together.

Did he want her to say him? The very idea made her blush, for it would be unfathomable for her to be so open about her affections.

Besides, it was not as though their union was based on anything but a sense of duty. She would not allude to anything else.

"I am just trying to understand," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, then I hope that you have understood," she replied. "As for my answer, I realize I have not formally given you one. But I would like to stay."

In her mind, it was a clear choice. She barely knew her sisters, even though they were pleasant enough.

And she did not enjoy the feeling of feeling out of place in her own home, which was no fault of her sisters but an internal feeling that she could not shake.

Here at the estate, at least she had more of a purpose.

There was a list of tasks to attend to each week, and no one probed too much about her past life. She adored Oliver's sisters, as well.

"I am happy to hear it," Oliver grinned, his mood seeming uplifted. Though the idea of Alethea staying being the reason behind it seemed rather unfathomable to her. Why would it matter to him?

She opted to limit their conversations for the remainder of the ride, which was short enough to begin with. When they finally pulled into the town, Oliver guided her over to the modiste's shop.

"She is one of the best in town," he informed her as they walked into her establishment. "You shall be in very capable hands."

Alethea nodded, taking in the scenery of the shop around her. It was well-lit from the front panel windows. They entered the shop shortly after and were at once greeted by the modiste.

"Your Graces!" the modiste exclaimed, sweeping into a deep curtsy. She seemed delighted at having the Duke and Duchess at her establishment.

Oliver offered her a polite nod.

"Thank you for accommodating us on short notice, Madame."

"Oh, it was no trouble at all, Your Grace. How may I serve the Duchess today?" the Madame gestured toward an array of silks and satins in every hue. Alethea could not help but gaze around in awe. Never before had she seen so many choices of fabric under a single roof.

But before she could answer, Oliver spoke on her behalf instead.

"My wife will need several ball gowns. I expect only the finest fabrics and workmanship for the Duchess."

Alethea's cheeks warmed at "my wife" and the casual way he seemed to speak of commissioning an entire wardrobe. It was all still difficult for her to wrap her mind around. The idea alone that she could have any dress of her choosing was baffling, let alone several.

"Of course!" the madame nodded in earnest enthusiasm, "I shall create something that is truly worthy of the Duchess."

She clapped her hands, and an assistant appeared with sketchbook immediately. .

Oliver glanced around the room. There were two other customers in the shop.