Page 57 of Married to the Ruthless Duke

Another woman would bask in her beauty, but this adorable wood sprite, he had realized, thrived on his validation, and he would do that and more if it was what she needed for her self-esteem.

“You look magnificent, love. I have half a mind to whisk you above stairs and keep you there, dear. But I would prefer to show off your beauty to the world if only to make them hate me even more for snagging such a beautiful woman for myself. I am wicked in that way,” he said, making sure he expressed his hunger through his eyes.

“You do have a golden tongue, don’t you, Your Grace?” she said, chuckling and tapping him lightly with her fan.

“I suppose I do, Your Grace, and I could put it to even better use if you permit me,” he suggested, putting a hand on her waist and dragging her forward for a kiss that turned molten quite quickly.

“I supposed we should go now if we are to make it to the wedding,” he suggested, his breathing ragged when they finally came up for air.

His beautiful wife looked stunned for a moment, and then she collected herself, looping her arm through his.

“Yes, I believe we should,” she replied.

Together, they made their way towards the carriage.

* * *

The wedding was a success, based on the ton’s standards. The bride and the groom were resplendent in all their glorious wedding finery. The bride was practically glowing when she was led in by her brother. She exchanged wide smiles with her groom when she got to the altar so much so that the unmarried members swore that they were a love match. Helen wouldn’t blame them at all. They did make a beautiful couple, at least on the surface.

Helen even, with her naivety, was amazed by the bride’s acting skills. She believed that the beautiful bride had missed her calling.

She would have racked in a lot of money acting for the opera house. Helen admitted that she might have been more likely to fall for her deception if she hadn’t met Sophia before and seen her attitude in real life.

Helen particularly had a strong dislike for bullies, as she had had friends who had been ruined through bullying behavior. Many had been made permanent spinsters and consistent wallflowers simply because they had crossed someone in some petty way.

Alexander had warned her that Sophia exacted revenge on people by ruining their good name, but Helen guessed Sophia had practice, having used her half-brother for her debut effort. It amazed Helen how such a beautiful creature could have such a dark heart.

It was unfortunate that Helen was now tied to her family through her marriage to Alexander, but he was worth it, so she was going to endure any meals and encounters with them.

Soon the ceremony was brought to an end, and they all headed to the house for the wedding breakfast. They were beckoned to the high table, where they happened to be sitting close to Alexander’s brother.

“Nathaniel,” Alexander greeted shortly.

Nathaniel looked up at him, his lips widening in a sly grin. “If it isn’t the Duke of Blackhill. It seems you decided to grace us lesser mortals with your presence.”

It didn’t skip Helen’s attention that he was purposely ignoring her and remaining seated instead of standing, which was customary for a gentleman to do in the presence of a lady, but then she guessed it would be a mistake to classify Nathaniel as a gentleman simply because he was born into nobility. The man was very crass and sly—a glaring opposite to his brother, who was always collected.

Alexander pulled out her chair for her, and she thanked him before he took his seat beside his brother, effectively providing a buffer between her and his brother. They were served their meal, and Alexander insisted on fishing her food from the platters available.

“Wonders never end.” Nathaniel started chuckling. “Who would have thought that the Ice King of Blackhill would stoop so low as to serve his wife’s meals? I guess you saved the softer parts of your personality for your wife. As your brother, I never received the slightest affectionate consideration from you.”

“Well, I hardly think you have done anything to deserve such affectionate considerations. If I can recall, the last time you contacted me, it was to request that I settle a gambling debt for you. I am left to assume that it was your way of showing brotherly affection.”

At that, Nathaniel was thankfully quiet. It was quite endearing to see how masterfully Alexander handled his siblings’ barbs, and he did so without breaking a sweat or missing a beat. There was always a ready answer in his mouth.

The table enjoyed a few minutes of silence before Nathaniel resumed his verbal torture.

“Tell me, Your Grace,” he said, addressing Helen, “is he quite as attentive in your matrimonial bed?” A sly smile played on his lips.

Helen almost choked on her drink, but she forced herself to swallow gently before attempting to reply to the rude man whom she had the misfortune of having as a brother-in-law.

“I don’t think that is an appropriate question for the breakfast table, and that information is private, and I intend to keep it that way,” she answered with as much dignity as she could muster even while her palm itched to make a resounding contact with his face and wipe off that smirk. “Then again, I wonder at your interest in your brother’s bedroom activities. Do you have any interest in replacing me in his bed?”

Alexander raised his eyebrow in surprise, and she noted he looked to be hiding a laugh. Nathaniel reddened and looked like he was collecting himself.

“I only asked because I was wondering how soon we can expect the birth of a new heir for the Blackhill Dukedom,” he said, knowingly needling her. She was impressed he had recovered from that barb easily.

Alexander was obviously making an effort to avoid reacting to his brother’s provocative questions. It looked like Nathaniel was simply doing this to annoy Alexander, and any reaction would just encourage him to intensify his campaign to push him into a rage.

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