Page 91 of Wedded to the Scottish Duke

Then he moved suddenly. He was still inside her as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back against him. They fell onto the side of the bathtub, both panting, their hands interlocked.

“Oh my,” Celia said as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I could get used to a life like this.”

As she closed her eyes, she fantasized about that life. It was just possible that Keith was the husband she had not expected but had deep down always wanted.

“Well, what do you think?” Elizabeth clasped her hands together happily. “It is a nice home, is it not? Did you like the garden? You can, of course, make changes, but my brother always kept it so pretty. What do you think?”

“Ha, Auntie, give her time to reply,” Frances said with a giggle as she and Celia flopped down into the rococo settee in the drawing room. “She has been rushed off her feet all morning with our mad tour. Celia, how about you just answer at your leisure—what do you think of your new home?” She gestured to the house around them.

Celia laughed at her new family. “I think it is very beautiful, indeed. It is also a lot to learn.”

She tried her best to stifle a yawn. After how much her body had been worked the day before, her tiredness was catching up with her.

It hadn’t helped that she had risen early to come down for breakfast, only to find her new mother-in-law waiting there with Frances, both intent on giving her a tour of the house. They had already toured the garden and every room of the house. She’d also been introduced to the servants, though there were so many that she was struggling to put a name to every face.

“The butler is… Orwell, is that right?” she asked Frances.

“Yes, that’s right. His brother, Oliver, is the groundskeeper.”

“Ah, right.” Celia wrinkled her nose, trying to commit all the names to memory.

“You’ll get used to it in time, dear. Do not worry,” Elizabeth said affectionately, walking behind her and patting her on the shoulder. “Now, let’s have tea. We can run through the particulars of how the house is run.”

As Elizabeth hurried off to ask where the tea they’d requested to be made was, Celia looked at Frances with raised eyebrows. Already, Frances was giggling again.

“She’s rather excited to see her son married,” Frances explained in a whisper. “There was a time where she feared he would never do it at all.”

“Never?” Celia sat forward in surprise.

This was something new to her. She had known Keith had pictured a very different wife from her, but to never have a wife at all? This was something new.

I wonder why he wanted no wife.

“Ah, here it is.” Elizabeth returned just a minute later. The housekeeper, Betty, was hurrying up behind her with a tray. “It was already prepared. Thank you, Betty,” she said affectionately.

“Not to worry, my Lady. Ring the bell if you need anything else.”

As the housekeeper hurried out, Elizabeth sat down in a chair and leaned forward excitedly. “Now, about your responsibilities…”

As she launched into a long list of things that Celia would now be responsible for as the Duchess, Celia poured the tea.

The list was so extensive that Celia began to wish she had made notes throughout the conversation. Intermittently, Frances laughed at her rather intimidated expression.

“Just a short list, isn’t it?” Frances murmured wryly when Elizabeth was halfway through the list.

“Oh, tiny,” Celia agreed, though she secretly hoped she would get used to these responsibilities in time.

Now that she was here, there was something rather exciting about being the lady of the household. If she could run this house right and assist Keith in the running of the duchy, she could be a partner to him.

A partner… as well as a lover.

She found herself smiling down at her tea at the thought of him and raised the cup to her lips.

“I think she’s a bit distracted for this conversation, Auntie. We can always finish this another time,” Frances said, sipping her own tea. “I think she’s a bit too in love to focus right now.”

Celia nearly dropped her teacup in surprise.

“Yes, perhaps so.” Elizabeth smiled joyfully. “Let us eat cake instead.”

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