Page 44 of Wicked Is the Duke
Leaving Anna as soonas they returned weighed heavily on him. They'd shared two days of bliss, and he hadn't wanted it to end. But end it must. He had business to attend to, especially in light of their upcoming trip to London.
Though he had plenty of matters to take care of, he found he couldn't concentrate. His mind kept creeping back to Anna and the time they'd spent together.
Chapter Fifteen
Blackmont's ducal carriagestopped in front of his London home. Not a townhouse like so many kept in London, but an actual house, encompassing most of the block where it sat.
A footman opened the door, and Blackmont exited the carriage. He lifted his hand to assist his wife as she descended. Anna looked up at the three story structure in awe.
"I never knew your London home was so large," she whispered. "I heard rumors, of course, but I had never seen it until right now."
Blackmont tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and began walking toward the stairs. "Blackmont Manor was built by my grandfather after the original structure burned to the ground."
"That's awful. Was the original home as large?"
"No. When it came time to rebuild, my grandfather decided he needed something more ducal, more intimidating."
She smiled. "He certainly accomplished that."
"I think you'll enjoy it. There is a rather large ballroom, which my mother and grandmother adored, plus a small garden off of that."
She arched a brow. "Is that a hint, Your Grace, that we need to host a ball?"
Blackmont smiled down at his duchess. "At some point in time, yes. For now, I think we should keep thetonwaiting with bated breath."
"Yes, I have to agree," she replied. "I'm sure we've got our fair share of invitations awaiting a reply."
He stopped at the bottom of the steps. "I'm sure we do. Would you like me to go through them with you?"
"Please. I want to make sure I accept the right ones."
"As you wish," he replied. "Come, let's go inside. The sky looks as though it's going to open up any second."
They hurried up the steps and past Blackmont's London butler, Oswald. Inside, the butler had staff lined up in the entry hall awaiting their introduction to their new duchess.
Henry followed his wife through the line of faces as Oswald introduced each and every one, indicating their position and how long they'd been in the duke's employ.
