Page 14 of Married to the Cruel Duke

And to look at him, well, he certainly cut an imposing figure, but to her surprise, she didn’t feel anything even remotely resembling fear.

But even so, the way he looked at her was nothing like the way her father had always looked at her. True, there was mistrust, skepticism, perhaps even a fair bit of suspicion, but there was no animosity, no aggression. She doubted he would ever deprive her of food, or clothes. He didn’t seem inclined to hurl insults or worse. She was surprised by just how safe that made her feel.

She had to bite back the urge to smile. She didn't think he would appreciate it at the moment, but she almost couldn’t help herself.

He was nothing like she thought he would be. This life was nothing like she thought it would be. She was starting to hope that maybe, just maybe they could be happy together, but for the moment, all she could do was get through the moment in front of her.

The silence that settled over them once again felt different than the one that had existed when they first left the church, at least it did for her. Gone was much of the fear and anxiety she had entered with. In its place was a faint spark of excitement to see the place that would soon become her new home.

Batton Manor was situated right in the center of London, much to her surprise. She would have thought someone known to be as reclusive as the Duke of Danton would have fled for a country house, but apparently not.

The place was also shockingly well-maintained. If Rebecca hadn’t been told who the house belonged to, she never would have guessed.

Even from the outside, she could tell the place was far larger than her childhood home. Flowers climbed along a trellis on one of the pale stone walls.

She didn’t move until William started climbing out, only then did she race after him.

“I don’t expect much of you,” he said, voice startling her. “But you are a duchess now, so you will have some duties. I’ll have Mrs. Anderson, my housekeeper, explain them to you.”

“Oh!” It should have been obvious, but Rebecca couldn’t help but be a little surprised. Her father had never trusted her with even a trip to the market without someone watching over her.

“If you have any questions, I’m sure Mrs. Anderson will be more than capable of helping you. Aside from that, you are free to spend your time as you see fit. Would you like to change before dinner?”

For a moment all she could do was blink as she tried to grasp everything he had said. “No, I don’t think I need to.”

After all, it wasn’t like she had a complex or proper wedding dress. Her hair was also rather simple and she didn’t have any jewelry either. There really wasn’t anything all that different from what she would wear on a normal day.

Part of her was more than a little disappointed if she was honest. Still, it wasn’t something that surprised her. After all, why would they waste money on a new dress for her when there was no party or big ceremony. Not only that, but she was getting married before her older sister, something liable to bring Dorothy no small measure of shame and embarrassment. She was sure Dorothy was lamenting her lack of worthy suitors at that very moment with some of her friends.

“Are you sure? I was led to believe most women would.”

“Perhaps, but I am plenty comfortable, I assure you. You don’t need to worry about me.”

He stared at her for a moment before he shrugged. “Very well, whatever you like. If there’s nothing you need, then you can simply follow me then.”

Rebecca scurried behind him, eyes darting everywhere, desperate to take in any details of her new house and what it might tell her about her new husband.

But he was moving fast and it was hard to notice much of anything. What she could see was more than overwhelming on its own. Everywhere she looked was finery. The place didn’t even feel like a home, rather a bit like a museum. Father’s home was full of flimsy but shiny new gimcracks, but here she was surrounded by old pieces that were clearly passed down through several generations.

Rebecca couldn’t help but smile. The few older pieces her father hadn’t sold off ended up in the attic with her. There was something reassuring about seeing something at least vaguely familiar.

Only a few moments later, the pair made their way into the dinning room. As William took his seat at one end of the long table, Rebecca finally had a chance to really take in one of the rooms.

The room was large, almost overwhelmingly so. It wasn’t all that ornate, only a painting on one of the walls, a few wall sconces,and the main decor was of course the table itself. It was long enough for a full dinner party, but there were only two chairs, one at each end. He sat at the head of the table then looked at her expectantly.

Rebecca raced to comply, all but falling into the seat at the other end. Silence hung over them.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, servants came out and the plates in front of them. Then, they uncovered the tray.

When Rebecca saw just how much food there was she gasped. It seemed like there was everything she could possibly think of. There was fresh bread, roast beef, savory vegetables, and none of the portions were small. It was easily more than double what she would have eaten not for a meal but in a day at home. Surely this had to be a mistake.

For a moment, she thought the servants had mixed up their plates, but when she glanced over to him, she saw William’s was the same.

Maybe it was because it was their wedding day. He might want to give her a warm welcome and thought it was a good way to do that. After all, she didn’t want to think about the possibility that it could be some kind of test. She chewed on her lip, toying with her fork while she sat paralyzed and unsure.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, startling her from her thoughts.

She looked up to see he had set his own silverware aside and was staring at her, a deep frown on his face.

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