Page 59 of His Accidental Duchess

There was lace at the half-sleeves and neckline, shockingly expensive-looking, and matching gold-and-silver hair ornaments were used to pin up her hair. With her new,swept-up hairstyle, which had taken the best part of an hour to complete, Anna looked more mature and adult than she had ever seen herself before. Like one of the clever, knowing courtesans in the books she was not meant to read. The ones that floated around in the background and knew everybody’s secrets.

It was shocking. And just a little thrilling.

“You’re ready, I think, Your Grace,” Esther said, sounding a little pleased with herself. “I don’t think there’s any need for rouge.”

Anna, who had not even contemplated using rouge, bounced up at once. “Thank you, Esther. Now, I had better go before my husband leaves without me.”

Theo was already waiting in the carriage, leaving Anna to scuttle across the darkening courtyard in her flimsy, beaded golden slippers, a footman sheltering her from the mizzling rain. With the ridiculous skirts of the dress, getting into the carriage was something of an ordeal, but she managed it at last, plopping down into the seat opposite Theo. With a lurch, the carriage moved forward.

“Good of you to join us at last,” Theo said, smiling frostily.

He tore his gaze away from the tip of his glove and looked at her properly. The smug expression on his face wavered.

“I am sorry for my lateness,” Anna answered primly. “And I thank you for your patience.”

He was staring at her ever so oddly. It was dark, of course, but light shone from the lantern hanging on the side of the carriage, illuminating the side of his face.

She fidgeted under his stare, longing to pull up the neckline of her gown. It was low-cut, almost scandalously so, and it had seemed so perfect in the safety of her room. Were people going to stare? Was Theo wishing he hadn’t bought the dress for her?

Oh, heavens, was it not as flattering as she thought?

“Not at all,” Theo said quite suddenly. “We are a little late, but not shockingly so. I would describe our arrival asfashionablylate, and as everybody there will want to see us—or, more to the point,you—I think that a little lateness will be tolerated.”

“I see,” she managed, at last. “And the dress—it’s not inappropriate, is it? I won’t look silly? I can’t remember the last time I was among very fashionable people.”

He looked at her again with that level, unblinking stare, and Anna felt the urge to wet her dry lips with her tongue.

“You look entirely presentable, Duchess,” he said, a tinge of frost in his voice.

Anna colored but was relatively sure that the darkness of the carriage hid it.

There was no more conversation about that. Theo stared out the window determinedly, his chin resting in his hand, and did not address her again. Anna shifted and shifted, trying and failing to find a comfortable position in the dress. It was beautiful, certainly, but already she was looking forward to taking it off.

When the carriage began to slow down, joining the queue of other carriages dropping off their illustrious cargo at their destination, Anna had finally had enough. She leaned forward, tapping Theo hard on the knee.

“Look, something is clearly wrong. Do you want to tell me what it is now before we go in, or would you rather we seem like an awkward and distant couple, hopelessly unmatched?”

For a moment, she could have sworn that Theo was looking at her bosom.

“It’s nothing,” he said, at last. “I have had a long day, that’s all. And… and would you like the truth?”

“Well, obviously, I should prefer that you do not lie to me.”

He rolled his eyes. “I wish I hadn’t made quite so many rules between us.”

Well.Thatwas unexpected.

Anna sat back, frowning, trying to decide how best to respond to such a remark.

There was no time, in the end. The carriage jerked to a halt, and the door was flung open, revealing that they were at the bottom of the ornate Fairhaven steps, and there was nothing to do but to climb out and make their entrance.

“I shall follow directly,” Theo drawled, inspecting his nails.

Anna stared at him, probably upset that her husband was not entering with her. Itwasa breach of etiquette, but sashaying into a genteel party with an erection of all things wascertainlya breach of etiquette.

Muttering something under her breath—that girl did like to mutter—Anna climbed out, maneuvering her rather fabulous skirts around herself.

With the door closed, Theo sat back with a sigh, deliberately thinking of the coldest and most unattractive things.

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