Page 35 of The Duke and the Accidental Bride

Without even realizing that she was doing it, Isabella had already started walking toward the door. And then the door was open. A spike of fear struck at her as she looked down the empty hallway, but at the same time... a pinprick of excitement that she did not understand.

The wolf’s den sat at the end of the hall and foolishly, she was about to walk right into it.

The room was filled with steam. It hovered thickly before Isabella’s eyes and the heat had her sweating through her dress before she had even taken one step into the room.

“He -- hello?” Isabella spoke softly, confused because she had been certain this was her husband’s bedroom. “Your Grace?”

“Isabella?” his voice drifted through the steam and the darkness. “What are you doing?!” he barked.

“I...” She thought to close the door quickly and hurry back to her room. But it was too late for that now, as he would just come and see her himself. No, she was here and had no choice but to commit. “I was hoping we might talk for a moment?”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.” She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

It took a few seconds for Isabella’s eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. And when it did, she realized where she was and the utter tragedy that she had stepped into. Willingly, at that.

This wasn’t the Duke’s bedroom. It was the washroom! And there at its center, in a bath made from porcelain, sat the Duke. Up to his waist in water, the tub was too small for his hulking frame, making him appear even bigger than usual. But that was the least of Isabella’s worries.

Her eyes went wide as she registered his naked body. She could only see his chest and arms and abdomen, but it was enough to have her gaping. A hair-covered chest, thick and muscular arms, pink skin dripping with water in a way that wasn’t at all unpleasant to look at...

“What is this?” the Duke demanded.

“I --” She hesitated, only just now noticing the housekeeper standing beside the tub. He had a washcloth in hand and could not have looked more nervous.

“You may go,” the Duke said to the housekeeper. “Now.”

The housekeeper let out a frightened gasp and hurried around the tub. On the way, he dared a glance at Isabella and she could have sworn she saw fear in his eyes.

“Is something the matter?” the Duke asked her the moment the door closed.

“I...” She was staring at him with her mouth hanging wide open. A shake of the head and she tore her eyes free, clearing her throat and then looking past him. “I think we need to talk.”

“And now is the best time for that, is it?”

“It is the only time,” she said as she willed some sense of confidence into her being. “Despite my objections, you and I are now married and --”

“I am glad that you noticed,” he said with a light chuckle.

She ignored it. “And I would like to know what happens next. What is...” Her eyes flicked to his body again, her pulse quickened, and she looked away. “What is to be expected of me?”

“Expected of you?” He frowned. “I am afraid that I do not quite understand your meaning.”

“As husband and wife,” she continued, speaking into the room rather than at him. “What is ah... expected.”

“You said that already.”

She breathed out her nose. “My meaning is, some couples are expected to break their fast in the morning together, and to share supper of an evening. Balls and promenades and such, also, we will be expected to attend as one. But outside of that...” She could feel herself begin to sweat as she came to her point.“I was hoping you might be able to confirm that you and I will... that there will be no... that I am not expected to...”

Say it, Isabella! What is wrong with you?

He chuckled to himself, seeming more than a little pleased at how put out she was. “You and I are far from what most would consider normal, would you not agree?”

“I would.”

“Then I would not expect normalities to concern us. As you may have noticed, I did my best to give you space today for I was certain you did not want to spend more time with me than was necessary.”

“And I thank you for that.”

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