Page 19 of Trapped with her Cruel Duke

He held back a smile as she shot him a withering look with all the fury he had come to expect from his Iron Harridan.

“Try to resist me until then,Your Grace.I look forward to your surrender.”

CHAPTER 8

Louise barely slept the previous night.

The Duke had kept his word and had not come to her room. She had not seen him again after he left her, for which she was grateful.

His mother had called on her to make sure that she had everything she needed, and she seemed to be an accommodating and kind woman. The resemblance between them was striking. His mother’s dark hair and olive skin were reflected far more in him than in Marcus.

I wonder why they do not get along.

Louise was dressed early the next morning and was eager for something to occupy her until she went downstairs for breakfast. She looked around her room for something to distract her, but it was rather bland in appearance. Her heart soared at the sightof some daffodils in a vase on the mantelpiece, but when she approached them, she discovered that they were made of silk.

Feeling out of place and rather downcast, she decided to unpack her trunk herself. At least it would keep her mind busy with something other than thoughts of the Duke.

With a resolute shake of her head, she flung open her case, determined to tackle the task at hand and do something productive.

One by one, she began pulling out her dresses, smoothing the fabric as she placed each item on the bed. After a few trips back and forth, she paused, eyeing the heavy trunk with a sigh, then crouched down beside it. Bracing herself, she attempted to drag it closer to the foot of the bed, hoping to make the process a little easier.

She managed to lift it a fraction of an inch, but it was far heavier than she had expected. Frowning and uncertain what could have added to the weight, she removed the rest of her clothes from the trunk, only to discover a thick layer of books beneath them.

Her heart swelled as she took in the titles.

All of them were linked to botany and the study of plants. She pulled them out and laid them on the floor beside her, smiling for the first time in days.

“Bless you, Mama,” she said softly.

It was beyond doubt that this was her mother’s doing. Louise had loved plants since she was a child. She had found joy in studying them and had taken to drawing them later.

These books belonged to her father, and as she imagined her mother placing them one by one into the trunk, she felt a sense of satisfaction that her mother had defied him so blatantly.

She took her time arranging them around the room. She put most of them on the mantelpiece, but there was one calledThe Language of Flowersthat she put beside her bed.

She could not wait to dive back into them, beyond grateful that her mother had given her this gift without her even having to ask.

She went down for breakfast in much higher spirits than when she woke up. But her good mood lasted until she walked through the door and found the Duke waiting for her with a peevish expression.

“Thank you for joining me,” he said pointedly.

She opened her mouth to enquire if she was late and then decided against it. She thought that a man like him would probably value punctuality.

I shall be late for everything from now on.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” she said automatically as she took her seat, then flushed crimson as she remembered the circumstances of him calling her that the day before.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” he echoed. A muscle in his jaw ticked, and she could tell the title annoyed him.

There was a plethora of food on the table, including boiled eggs, cold tongues, and a plate of kippers. It looked absolutely divine. She suddenly realized how hungry she was.

Louise began to eat her buttered toast as the tea was poured. The Duke’s eyes stayed on her the whole while, and she cleared her throat several times, trying to suppress her blush.

I have never blushed so easily in my life as with this man.

“Tell me, why are you so certain that you will not give me an heir in the first year of our marriage?”

Louise glanced nervously at the servants in the room, but the Duke appeared unbothered by their presence.

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