Page 52 of A Night of Passion with the Duke

“I think he should have listened to her,” Joana piped up. “He knew she didn’t like the play and yet took her anyway.”

“He’s a man, Joana,” Emily stated, as if that explained everything.

“They don’t exactly understand what women find entertaining.”

“Here. Here,” Harriet seconded. “When you get married, you learn to live with it.”

Arabella shook her head as she tried not to laugh. If Edward were here now, she was sure he’d be doing the same.

It was funny how his family’s distress over their fights was what they’d bonded over. They’d laughed at the situation over cups of tea late in the evenings in his study and even debated how to pass their points across.

“Or, remember yesterday, when he blamed me for your accident.” Arabella frowned. It had been so scary seeing Emily fall because the straps of the saddle had been cut. She shuddered to think she could’ve been the one riding the horse. “Now that annoyed me the most.”

Emily shook her head. “He was just spooked,” she insisted. “I’m sure he regretted saying so.”

“Why would he blame you?” Joana asked. “If this is what marriage is like, then I don’t think I want it very much.”

Harriet and Emily laughed.

“You’re still young.” Harriet smiled. “I said as much to my mother, but when I met my sons’ father, I wanted as many babies as I could.”

“The same was with me.” Emily smiled. “I used to try to escape to the Americas or France, but my father caught me every time. It was on an escape attempt that I met Charles. He used to annoy me to the core back then, but here we are today.”

All the women cooed at their story. It was so like something one would read in a romance novel.

Speaking of Edward’s brother, he was the only one in the family Arabella had yet to bond with. It was as if he were purposely avoiding her. He found every excuse to leave the room when she entered and avoided her questions at dinner, although tactly, as thoughshewere being rude. But he’d been particularly joyous since she and Edward had started arguing.

“We know exactly what the both of you need,” Harriet announced, smiling almost like a Cheshire cat that Arabella couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear.

“What who needs?” Edward asked, walking into the room and going to kiss his mother on the cheek.

When he looked at Arabella, he pretended to glare at her and went to sit on one of the other sofas. Seeing him sit in such a daintily colored chair made her burst into giggles.

“What is it, dear?” Emily asked.

“Nothing,” Arabella answered, but when she saw the tiny porcelain cup in his large hands, she burst into laughter again.

“Is something funny, wife?” he asked with a growl.

“Nothing at all, dear husband.” She snorted.

“What has got you laughing, then?” Harriet asked.

“I just remembered something funny, that’s all,” Arabella answered once her laughter ceased. “I’m sorry.”

They shook their heads at her.

“Anyway, Edward, I was about to make a suggestion,” Harriet announced.

“Indeed?” Edward seemed curious to know, but with the way his eyes kept darting to the door, it was obvious he was ready to escape.

“Indeed.” Harriet smiled brightly. “It will help you two stop arguing every second.”

“Mother, I assure you there’s really no need to?—”

“You two are newlyweds, but you’re already behaving like an old married couple,” Emily scolded.

“But we’re?—”

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