Page 30 of The Duke Who Claimed Her

She supposed that they were not, but that was the entire point.

Still, she struggled to comprehend how she felt about her husband’s actions. On the one hand, she ought to have been thrilled. Was he not giving her everything that she wanted? Her own life, freedom to do as she pleased, and total control of her fate? It was all she had ever dreamed!

On the other hand, she could not escape the feeling that she was missing out on something.

Putting aside how coldly the Duke had treated her just now… No, not the Duke. Calling him that gives him power over me. That ends now.

Putting aside how Caspian had treated her just now, and even since they met, she was so sure that there was more to him than he let her see. He had saved her, after all. And not because he had no choice, but because he had seen it as doing the right thing. She needed help; he offered it without pause, and in so doing, he proved he was a good person.

The smaller moments also plagued her. If he was so cold, so uncaring, why would he have assumed guardianship of his nephew and married her so that she could help raise him? That suggested that he did indeed care about others. And those few moments when he had dared to let his guard down, when he had looked at her as a husband ought to a wife, she had seen something else: not a desire to be left alone and ignored, but a desperate want to be seen and appreciated as all people surely did.

He is not as he appears… There is more to him than he lets on, I know it.

But then the question became, what was Arabella going to do about it? If anything.

She might have spent the whole morning on that thought, but as she ate alone, she caught sight of movement coming from the doorway of the breakfast room. She thought it was a trick of the light at first, but then it happened again.

Arabella looked up and frowned at the doorway. She listened, she watched, and then she smirked when she saw a small head peek out from around the corner, only to duck away quickly.

“I see you there,” she said lightly. “You are not very good at hiding.”

There was no response, but she did not hear footsteps hurrying away, which told her that Timothy had not moved; he still lurked in the waiting.

Arabella was still confused about the Duke—no, Caspian! But she could not deny that he was keeping his word. For that reason, it behooved her to do the same. He had married her for one purpose, and if she were ever to learn more about her husband so that she might know how to proceed with him, she needed to keep the promise she had made.

Also, maybe in this, I will not be nearly so lonely…

“Gosh, there is so much food,” Arabella said loudly. “I do not think I will be able to finish it all on my own. Whatever will I do…” She made sure to be looking right at the doorway.

Slowly, a little head poked around the corner. Just their eyes, and the moment that they saw her looking, they ducked back.

“I will have no choice but to throw it away,” Arabella said as if to herself. “I only wish there was someone here to share it with.”

Again, those eyes appeared, and this time, they did not vanish so quickly. They were so big and curious, but she could see the hesitancy within them. They watched her intently, a hint of mischief behind them too, waiting for her to do something else… Maybe an excuse to disappear again.

“Oh, what a lovely view.” Arabella turned in her seat and looked toward the window. It ran from the ceiling to the floor and offered a beautiful view of the back garden. “Perhaps I will spend the day outside.” She pushed back her chair and walked to the window, keeping her back to the doorway.

There she stood, pretending to look out the window, while turned just enough so that she could see out of the corner of her eyes. And sure enough, the moment that her back was turned, Timothy stepped into the room.

She smiled to herself as she noticed him creeping toward the table. She stayed perfectly still, careful not to make a sudden movement. She acted as if the view from the window had her full attention, and all the while, Timothy crept closer.

“Yes, I think a day spent in the gardens is what I want to do,” she said, as if to herself. “I only wish that I had someone to show me around.”

She heard her chair being pulled out, followed by the sound of her plate being pulled across the table. Still smiling, Arabella turned and was not at all surprised to find Timothy in her seat, hurriedly scoffing down the remainder of her breakfast.

Nothing was said at first.

Arabella simply watched the little boy eat. He was short for his age and skinny. Hair as black as Caspian’s, but with a round face and big cheeks that were colored pink. He shoveled eggs and toast into his mouth as if he were starving, but his eyes were wicked, as if he knew that he was doing something wrong.

“I suppose I will not be finishing my breakfast,” she said at last, remaining by the window.

He snapped his head around, frowned at her, and then went back to his plate. “You said that you were finished.”

“Oh, so you were listening at the doorway.” She pretended to be alarmed. “A thief and a sneak. I might have to keep a closer guard on my food and my tongue from now on.”

He grinned with menace as he ate the last bit of toast.

“I do wonder what your uncle will say when he learns what you have done,” she continued lightly. “I do not think he will be very pleased.”