Page 52 of The Unwanted Duchess

“I was not planning to,” he replied honestly, “but I did not wish to disturb you with my leaving.”

That part was not entirely the truth, but that was not important as far as he was concerned. What mattered was that she accepted it and smiled. He loved it when she smiled.

Later that morning, in the carriage, Graham knew that he had to talk to her about their new life and how he would need time, but he did not know how. He also knew that, so long as he told her before their arrival, all would be well. Then time passed, and he knew they had a mere ten minutes or so before they stopped, and he panicked a great deal.

“Samantha,” he said quickly, “I do not mean to be so distant.”

“I was hoping that was the case,” she nodded.

“Before we arrive, I wish to explain something to you.”

She looked at him expectantly, and he wondered how to tell her. It was such a foolish thing to admit, but they had promised each other not to keep things from one another, and he had to practice what he preached.

“I hate this house,” he said at last.

She smiled at him.

“I hated mine, too. Is it the decoration in it or something else entirely?”

“It is a little bit of everything, I must confess. It is… dour. I cannot stand it, and I have not been there even a single time since the death of my father. In truth, I cannot tell you with full confidence that it will be as I left it.”

“Is it uninhabitable?”

“No, it is hideous.”

“And are you happy to go there?”

“Not at all. If I never see it again, it shall be too soon.”

“Then what if we were to return to London?” she asked. “I for one would much rather live in a house that feels like home, and if you have no connection to this one, then we might as well not touch it.”

He was so pleased that she would so willingly drop everything for him, and the offer was indeed tempting. He could simply return to the city, where he had no need to see his brothers and their strange company, and simplybe.

But it was not as simple as that.

Accounts had to be handled, and estates had to be managed. All of this would be nearly impossible if he were far away. Not only that, but it did not matter how much he did not wish to become a duke — he was one, and that was that. There was no arguing with the way things were, and if he had to fulfill his role, then he would do it to the best of his ability.

“I’m afraid we cannot,” he sighed. “Besides, the longer I am away, the worse it shall be when I eventually have to return.”

“That is, of course, the right thing to do,” she replied, “but I prefer for you to make your own choices.”

“What I need you to know,” he continued, “is that I may be out of sorts for a while. There are things about this place that I have not thought about in a long time that are bound to come back to me, and whilst I adapt to it, I may be rather closed off.”

“I understand. I shall not push you to do anything that you do not wish to do.”

“And I appreciate that. It is not only that, of course, but I shall have some matters to attend to which will sit there until I have seen to them. It is not that I am ignoring you, but —”

“I understand, Graham,” she said gently. “You have things to do, and with your absence, that list has grown. I am not a fool.”

“I simply do not want you to be afraid for any reason. It is a new place with new staff, and I cannot tolerate your unhappiness here.”

“Well, if it becomes intolerable, I shall notify you at once. Aside from that, you must remember that I am more than capable of meeting those here and befriending them. It is something that I would have hoped to do whether you were with me or not. It is my duty after all.”

“You will be a wonderful duchess,” he promised.

And it was the truth. She was perhaps not as graceful and perfect and polite as his mother had been expected to be, but as far as Graham was concerned, that was for the best. If anything could breathe life into the place he was forced to call home, it would be her. It had to be her.

Samantha clearly did not understand what he had meant until she stepped inside. Everything was expensive and old and dark.The furniture had been in the family for generations — only the finest and only the dullest because his great-great-great-grandfather liked it, and he was the prime example of all that a duke should be. That was what Graham had been told at least.

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