Page 28 of Wedded to the Cruel Duke

Or maybe that room was not what she feared it might be.

She cast him a brief, sideways glance and her fingers curled reflexively in his arm once more.

One of these days, she might have to find out what that room was truly all about…

“We should open the curtains here, too! What a waste of perfectly good windows if we kept them closed like this with the sun so glorious as it is today!”

The breakfast roomwasshrouded in veritable darkness, what with the thick curtains, although more than enough candles had been lit to provide ample lighting. For Phoebe, however, it seemed that this was simplynotenough.

The servants looked to Charles in confusion, but he merely nodded at them in a cue to do as the Lady of the House wanted. Within a few minutes, the entire breakfast room was flooded with the full strength of the sun at eleven o’clock.

Charles squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light. It must have beenyearssince anyone had opened the curtains in Wentworth Park so early in the day and the effect wasjarring, to say the very least. Even some of the servants who had pulled the curtains open flinched none too discreetly at the sudden change.

But Phoebe had already thought it odd to find the curtains closed—he did not want her catching on to all the other oddities in his estate as well, so he might as well concede on this one issue.

Lose a little to gain more, he reminded himself as patiently as he could.

Rather difficult with a wife who tempted him at every turn, though…

That morning, she had donned a simple yellow dress that brought out her flawless complexion, giving it a vibrancy that was both natural and alluring. Her thick gold locks had been coiled into a chignon at her nape, highlighting the delicate column of her neck.

And her lips—God above, there was nothing he wanted more for breakfast than to feast on their rosy ripeness…

Charles inwardly shook his head and blamed the brief lapse of his sanity on the sunlight. Tamping down the sudden infusion of desire that coursed through his veins, he walked Phoebe over to her seat.

She smiled happily as he pulled the chair out for her. He still recalled how to treat a lady—he was not a complete barbarian.

Even if there was nothing civilized at all about his thoughts towards her.

“Thank you, My Lord,” she beamed at him, her eyes wide and bright.

Perhaps therewassome benefit to having so much light, he thought to himself, feeling slightly dazed as she looked at him like that.

But then, his gaze dropped to her smiling lips, curled so invitingly that they were practically begging him to taste them. To take them into his own in a stormy kiss, right here in his own breakfast room…

Something strange unfurled in him and Charles could do nothing but nod curtly before walking over to his own seat at the head of the table. He sat down before anyone could notice the sudden discomfort he was feeling in his breeches.

As soon as he did, O’Malley began their usual ritual of testing all the food on the table.

Charles would have picked up the newspaper that had been prepared for him, if Phoebe had not been looking at him so intently.

What is it now? Does she want something?

He never could tell what she was about to do next.

Charles should have found this particular trait irritating—he liked having things a certain way, after all—but then, he found himself enjoying these little quirks of hers.Anticipatingthem even.

Thankfully, she did not say anything on the matter, merely looking in with a more curious air until O’Malley finished with the routine.

Charles could not recall a time when he looked forward to eating as much as he did at that moment, if only so the food could put a halt to Phoebe’s queries.

As he motioned for O’Malley to hand him some of the ham and pour his favorite coffee, he could not help but ponder over what just happened.

It was clear that he could not underestimate Phoebe, nor her powers of deduction, but he could not disclose certain aspects of himself to her either. He had thought, initially, that she would accept his explanations and that wasthat.

Apparently, I was mistaken in assuming this, he thought to himself as he stirred his coffee with a thoughtful expression.I would need to be more careful in the future, so she does not suspect anything out of the ordinary.

“By the way, My Lord,” Phoebe smiled at him from over the table. “I had thought that we should open the curtains in the mornings, at least. I tried to bring it up with Amelia in my rooms, and she seemed quite horrified at the prospect.”