Page 45 of The Duchess He Couldn’t Resist

UNWANTED VISITS

Dinner the night before had gone surprisingly well. It was some milestone in her life as a duchess because it was the first time she accepted a guest, even if it was Owen and somehow especially because it was him. He was the Duke’s best friend and now, somehow hers too. Sharing jokes and teasing the Duke made her feel more at home, more part of the Duke’s life, than the title and the wedding.

She was now overseeing the renovation of the ballroom since Owen decided that they should host next season. The Duke grunted and reluctantly agreed, so the ballroom opened again, and Marigold had almost a year to bring it back to its former glory.

“I think we should replace the chandelier,” Mrs. Hodgins suggested.

Marigold thought of the cost that this would be, along with new furniture, cleaning and scrubbing the amazing marble floor, and replacing some of the windows. The costs were astronomical.

“I believe you are right,” the Duke’s voice was heard.

Marigold almost jumped up to see him outside of the usual hours. They had just had breakfast, and he was ready to go out.

“It’s been years since I stepped in here,” he said, looking at the disused room. “I am sure you will do an amazing job with it, Your Grace.”

Marigold didn’t know what to say because she was surprised to see him there and a little too dazzled to recover. The ballroom, him in his dark clothes, his hair naturally styled into perfection, and those dark eyes looking down at her.

“It is a considerable cost,” she managed to mutter.

The Duke moved closer, looming over her with a teasing smile, enough to make Mrs. Hodgins take a discreet step back. Marigold looked up at him, completely bewildered.

“Should I remind you, Your Grace,” the Duke said with a smirk, “that you are the Duchess of Voss and have a considerable amount of allowance that you are not spending. You are making modistes, shoemakers, and jewelers quite disappointed.”

Marigold realized that she had retreated to her old habits: penny-pinching, calculating, rethinking every little expense.

“I believe a grander chandelier would compliment this big hall,” she said finally.

“Good,” the Duke said, and Marigold felt a shiver down her spine upon hearing him utter that word. “I have business to attend to in the Parliament, but I will be back for dinner.”

He bowed casually to her and departed, leaving Marigold standing pinned in the middle of this ballroom. This was the first time that the Duke informed her of his schedule. She couldn’t help but smile.

* * *

Marigold later retreated to the drawing room with a new book. Fiction. It was almost a luxury to read something that was not exactly useful during the day when there was no additional work to be done, no creditors to appease, no debt to worry about.

She was sitting in an armchair with her feet tucked beneath her, Duck on the carpet snoring, when Beth appeared.

“Your Grace, you have a visitor.”

Marigold sat up and frowned. Apart from Owen, no one else would visit her. She was never popular at the ton, and neither was the Duke. And of course, even if they were, people would think twice about disrupting a newlywed couple.

“It is your mother, Your Grace,” Beth added.

The book slipped from her fingers and landed on the carpet with a soft thud that woke Duck. All the lightness and contentment Marigold felt were drained. It was as if her mother knew the exact moment she started feeling happy to come and sour it.

“Bring some tea and escort my mother here,” she said, almost stammering.

After a few minutes, Claire swept into the room. She stood there for a moment and took the whole place in, as if appraising it to be sold.

“You look rather well,” Claire finally said. “Money does agree with you.”

“Mother, please sit.”

Two servants brought in the serving trolley with tea, biscuits, and sandwiches. Somehow, this assortment made her mother darken.

“And to think that you had me survive on simple, old biscuits for days at a time,” Claire commented.

“It was all that we could afford,” Marigold felt the need to clarify.