Page 27 of Her Bear of a Duke

"You are to be kinder to her," he instructed his housekeeper that evening.

Mrs. Herrington looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you accusing me of being otherwise?"

"I am telling you that you are to be good to my wife. Your duty is to her, and nobody else. Do you understand that?"

"And what of her?" she asked in a hushed but frustrated voice. "What do you plan to do with that?"

"She is fine. She has a nanny, and I shall see her frequently. You are to do as I tell you. Have I made myself quite clear?"

Mrs. Herrington nodded begrudgingly before walking away. Morgan pitied her; he knew that she had a bond with his niece and he did not want to jeopardize that in any way, but it had to be done. He needed his wife to be shown respect, and if that was achieved through force then so be it.

He returned to Catherine's room before she went to bed. When he entered, she was standing by the window looking at the moon.

"Am I truly to pretend that I am her granddaughter?" she asked.

"No," he said with a half-smile. "Not if you do not want to."

"I want to be honest. It is wrong to lie."

"I know, but–"

"No, Uncle. If anyone should have been lied to, it was me. I would have been perfectly happy to have been told that you were my father."

"Would you?" he asked, and she thought about it for a moment.

"If it were true, yes. That is precisely why we must be honest with your wife. Mrs. Herrington says that she will not be like a mother to me, but perhaps she might be an aunt of sorts?"

"Eventually, that is precisely what she will be, but not yet."

"Why not?" she asked.

"Please Catherine, ask me anything but that."

"Very well. Who was my mother?"

He did not know which question was worse, and so he refused completely.

CHAPTER 10

Dorothy was reluctant to go down to breakfast that morning, even though Cook made excellent meals.

"Come now," Francine said gently, dressing her. "You must not give in. This will pass, and the sooner you try to fix this the sooner it will be done."

"But how can I fix something when I do not know what is broken?"

"I do not know, but I am certain that you will find a way. I believe in you."

She admired her lady's maid's confidence, but she was not so certain. She did not know how to speak to her husband when he was never there, and so she would have to wait until he dared to come out of his rooms and go to her himself.

She had not expected to see him in the dining room waiting for her.

"Your Grace!" she gasped. "I– Good morning."

"Good morning," he smiled. "And I insist that you call me Morgan now that we are married."

"Very well," she nodded, taking her seat. "That means you will call me Dorothy, yes?"

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