Page 43 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
Meanwhile, a little way down the hall, Julian was making his way farther and farther from the nursery, his heart and mind strangely heavy from what he had just heard.
And somehow, he knew he would be unable to think of much else until he had found a way to deal with it all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Her Grace will be down shortly, Your Grace.”
Julian nodded, no stranger to waiting. He could be extremely patient and yet, it seemed as though Anna was determined to eat away at every good characteristic within him until all that was left was nothing but need.
He needed to have her again, to keep her attached to him with lust, utterly unable to do anything other than yield to him repeatedly.
Alas, it was as though she wasn’t satisfied with that, but needed to haunt his thoughts and notions differently. He did not know what it was she wanted from him, what she expected him to do, because she couldn’t seem to decide on whether she hated him or not.
And he did not have the time, nor the strength to play games with a person who had a knack for constantly changing the damn rules.
“I’m sorry. Did I keep you waiting?”
At the sound of her voice, Julian turned around to reprimand her – knowing fully well they were not late but still wanting to tease her anyway – only for every single thought in his head to melt and pour out of his head through his ears at the sight of her.
When Anna had assured him that she had many options to wear for the ball, he had wanted to trust her, but still, he couldn’t help but wonder why she would have dresses made, when she fully well knew, she might not get to wear them.
And then he recalled what she had said to the nursemaid about wishing she had stayed and they had developed some sort of relationship. Suddenly it wasn’t hard to imagine them going to balls together, with her on his arm for entire evenings as the ton looked on enviously.
Anna was already beautiful. He had acknowledged as much the day they had gotten married, and had been unable to ignore it every day since he had returned to the estate. But following her with his gaze as she descended the stairs to meet him, clad in a lovely dark green dress that made her eyes shine, her lovely dark hair pinned upward in an elaborate updo, with small curls framing her face, and a sparkling tiara to crown it all of… Julian suddenly felt unwell.
Perhaps he should have stayed. Perhaps he should have given himself a fair chance to have this beauty. There was still time. Surely it was not too late – it was not as though he wanted to go to that silly ball anyway. They could just head back upstairs to his room and he would get down on his knees and worship her –
“Your Grace? Are you all right?” Anna asked in concern, reaching out for his arm.
Although her hands were covered in silk gloves, all the way up to her elbows, her touch still sent a chill down his spine and it somehow reinforce the heat spreading through him.
“Yes. Yes, I am. And… no, you are not late. You are… exquisite.”
Good God, the things that blush of hers always did to him.
Anna lowered her gaze, shyly looking up at him through her lashes and Julian thought it was ridiculous, how someone would look at her and believe that she was a demure creature, when she possessed the stubbornness of a bull.
“Well, you look quite sharp yourself. And handsome.”
“Thank you.” Julian swallowed, unable to take his eyes of her.
She was literally sparkling, like a star in the sky and it only made him want to covert her even more.
“Are you ready?” he asked as he put on his coat.
“Just a minute,” she told him, turning around as the new nursemaid wandered into the foyer with Nicholas in his arms. “Are you sure you will be fine?”
Eloise nodded confidently. “I am absolutely certain. Please do not worry about us and enjoy your evening, Your Grace.”
Anna seemed as though someone had asked her to sever off her right arm and live as a productive member of society while depending on her left henceforth.
“I’ll try,” she sighed, leaning in to press a small kiss to Nicholas’ cheek, chuckling when she pulled away and noticed the rouge on her lips had stained his face.
After wiping it away gently with her napkin, she whispered to him softly,
“Behave for Miss Eloise. We will be back before you even notice we’re gone.”
Then she turned back to Julian, shoulders squared as she announced,
