Page 59 of Wedded to the Ruthless Duke

At last, Philip looked at Aaron, watching his friend take in this news thoughtfully.

“I see,” Aaron said eventually.

“I will not have that power over anyone. I won’t let it happen,” Philip said with sudden urgency. “Least of all to Grace.”

Aaron’s eyes shot toward him.

“She’s stronger than she looks, Philip.”

“I have no doubt of her strength.” Philip shook his head. “It’s her brightness and freedom I fear strangling.” He remembered the first night he ever met her and the way she clumsily fell into the water then climbed out again, defying his orders.

Secretly, he’d admired her so much for that, despite how scandalous it was.

“I already tell her what to do. That’s not good.”

“I bet she doesn’t listen to you,” Aaron said knowingly.

Philip smiled a little, for it was the case. So far, Grace had only listened to his orders in the bedchamber the night before.

“It would simply be unfair to her to let the past repeat itself.” Philip stood, feeling he was done with this conversation. “I won’t let it happen.”

“Very well.” Aaron nodded, clearly intending not to push him anymore. “As for your boxing, keep practicing with your weight forward. When you tip too far back, it will be easy for an opponent to take you down.”

“Thank you for the advice.” Philip smiled, glad his friend was now moving onto talking of other matters. “I should go.”

“You going home?”

“Maybe.” Yet Philip had no intention of going home. He would have lunch at his club and while away the time elsewhere before he had to return to the house. “Will you be at the assembly tonight?”

Aaron winced.

“You hardly ever come,” Philip said with a sigh. “I’d be glad of your company there.”

“You have your wife’s company for such events now,” Aaron observed thoughtfully.

Philip looked at his friend, feeling that Aaron was trying to walk him to some conclusion, but Aaron said nothing more on the subject. He threw his towel to the side and stood.

“I’ll happily be your sparring partner again, though. Just come back when you need another hit in the face.”

* * *

Philip adjusted his cravat one last time. His valet had finished brushing down the back of his suit, so there wasn’t a hair or fleck of dust in sight. In the low evening light, Philip turned back and forth, examining every inch of the fine suit in the mirror.

Everything was in place. He was the regal and poised duke again, a far cry from the boxing match earlier today and how he had spent the night.

In the reflection, his eyes caught sight of the bed behind him. His gaze tarried there as he thought of what he and Grace had shared. He thought of the heat, the passion, the pleasure, the thrill of the way she had clung to him, and the feeling of just sleeping beside her.

He’d given into a weakness halfway through the night, nuzzling his head into her neck and tangling their limbs together. She had sighed pleasurably in her sleep, tipping her head back toward him. It was all he could do to hold himself back from taking her again at that moment.

“All set, Your Grace,” the valet said.

“Thank you, Thomas.” Philip came back to himself, snatching his gaze away from the bed. He brushed a hand over his wild hair that was refusing even more than usual to stay flat then he turned and left the room.

He crossed the landing and walked down the stairs, strange thoughts entering his mind as he went.

He realized that he had never shown Grace to her new chamber, but as he hadn’t seen her since his return to the house, he could only presume that Mrs. Williamson had already done so. He hadn’t introduced Grace to her new staff either, so they must have all handled it alone.

I haven’t been a proper husband or duke today, have I?

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