Page 41 of Her Duke for Thirty Days
“I’m all right,” she quickly replied, rubbing her upper arms with the opposite hand.
Without thinking, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, feeling the chilly night breeze on his own upper body. Their eyes locked. She was smiling. Not a weak effort this time, but a real smile.
“Thank you,” she whispered, gripping the jacket, and holding onto it tightly. She looked so lovely under the moonlight, her skin porcelain pale, and her eyes sparkling brighter than the stars themselves.
“Why don’t we go back inside?” he suggested, yearning to wrap his arm around her shoulder and bring her closer to him, but he managed to fight off that urge. It would only make things more confusing, and eventually, more difficult.
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
Phyllis, adorned in the resplendent gown of midnight blue silk, stood before the ornate looking glass in her boudoir, anticipation igniting a spark in her eyes. The gown, elegantly tailored to accentuate her grace, cascaded in soft waves to the ballroom-ready floor. Tiny pearls adorned the delicate bodice, catching the candlelight and casting a subtle glow on the intricate lace.
Her golden curls, styled with a touch of whimsy, framed her countenance, and a delicate silver comb adorned with sapphires nestled in her hair. A pair of shimmering earrings, a gift from Alexander, dangled gracefully, their brilliance accentuating the warmth in her eyes.
As she applied a hint of rouge to her cheeks, Phyllis couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of reuniting with her sister. The ball promised an evening of laughter, music, and perhaps a fleeting moment of respite from the duties that weighed on her shoulders. It beckoned with the promise of enchantment, and Phyllis couldn’t wait to share in the festivities with her sister, whom she had not seen since Joyce’s marriage to the viscount. With one final glance in the looking glass, she took a steadying breath, ready to step into the swirling dance of the night.
Just as she opened the door, she almost stumbled onto Alexander, who was standing in front of it, with his fingers curled into a fist, obviously ready to knock. When they exchanged a meaningful glance, they both burst into a chuckle.
“Perfect moment,” he pointed out once the laughter subsided.
“Indeed,” she nodded. “Did you come for me?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “The carriage is ready.”
“So am I,” she smiled, accepting his offered arm, as they descended the grand staircase together.
“If I may say,” he started as they left the house and headed towards the carriage, “you look absolutely beautiful.”
“I do?” she asked, surprised to hear it. “I mean, thank you,” she quickly corrected herself with a smile.
They proceeded to climb into the carriage, which rocked them gently through the cobbled streets of the city, leading them to their destination. They did not talk much, apart from a few casual comments regarding the ball and how she was joyful to see her sister, to which he nodded.
Once they arrived, they exchanged a meaningful glance, just before they gracefully moved through the crowd, in search of the hosts. To the outside observer, they were a perfect image of marital bliss. The strains of the orchestra music which flowed all around them masked the subtle tensions that lingered beneath this polished façade.
Phyllis could feel all those curious eyes on them, and she tried her best to endure them. For some inexplicable reason, it wasn’t as difficult as before. The edges of all things had a tendency to soften in time. She had read that in some book a long time ago, but she didn’t understand it back then. Now, it made a little more sense as she was able to navigate the maelstrom of her own emotions and keep them under control, in an effort to present the image of a blissful marital union and a blushing bride.
“There they are,” Alexander pointed at the couple cheerfully talking to another couple. “Lord and Lady Ashbury.”
Phyllis nodded as she allowed him to lead them towards the hosts, whom they continued to greet cordially, upon waiting for the previous conversation to end.
“Oh, the Duke and the new Duchess of Woldaves!” Lady Ashbury’s eyes widened in wonder and tenderness, as only the eyes of a childless mother could. Phyllis knew, as everyone else did for that matter, that Lady Ashbury’s biggest tragedy in life was the greatest of all desires to have a child, but she had never been blessed with it. Nonetheless, all this love and tenderness seemed to soften the lady’s features, making her appear and act as if she were a mother to all those she met.
“How lovely it is to see you two together here,” Lady Ashbury continued to gush, which made Phyllis feel slightly less strained.
“The pleasure is ours, my lady,” Alexander replied courteously, bowing before her.
“Your home is absolutely stunning,” Phyllis commented, wanting to return the favor of kind words to her gentle hostess. “The decorations are truly awe-inspiring.”
“Oh, you are such a dear to say so,” Lady Ashbury beamed with pride, pressing her husband’s shoulder tenderly.
“The decorations are the same every year, darling,” Lord Ashbury, a man slightly older than his wife, which would make him about sixty years of age, did not seem exasperated by those comments, but was rather making a playful jab at his wife, much to everyone’s amusement, even her own.
“Are they, now?” Lady Ashbury turned her sky blue eyes towards her husband, pursing her lips slightly. “Well, if you think decorating the whole house and the ballroom for an event such as this one is an easy feat, why don’t you take it upon yourself to do so next year?”
“Oh, good heavens no, please!” her husband’s eyes widened in mock shock, which provoked a chuckle on part of everyone involved in this conversation. “The decorations are truly… as Lady Woldaves said, awe-inspiring.”
“They’d better be,” his wife threatened him with her finger in a playful manner, to which the man laughed wholeheartedly, turning to Alexander and squeezing his shoulder as if the two of them were in a conspiracy together. “Mark my words, young man. This is the secret of a long lasting marriage, agreeing to whatever your wife says.”
His words, in turn, made his wife giggle like a young girl, but instead of replying something, she merely leaned over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Phyllis watched this exchange with tenderness in her heart. It was obvious that these two, even after all these years, were still madly in love with each other, something she never thought was possible in a marriage.
