Page 75 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
He had long since stopped asking questions about what he had done to deserve such blissful days. Instead, he had resolved to tell himself that it did not matter what he had done to earn such a blessing. Anna was his now, and there was nothing that would happen to change that.
Julian was committed to thriving within each happy day, feeling his heart open more and more with every moment he spent with her. He felt lighter, as though he had traded off his burdens at some point without realizing it, finally learning to leave the past behind him.
Just as he had predicted, Anna was in the garden, seated at a table that had been set up for her with tea and scones, a book clutched between her fingers. For a moment, Julian simply watched her, somehow falling in love all over again with the way her eyes skimmed over the words on the book, how she bit her lower lip in concentration, how she wriggled her nose before she sneezed.
It was all so endearing, and Julian couldn’t seem to shake off the obsession that lay within his heart over every single detail about her.
As if she sensed his presence, Anna looked up, right in his direction. Their eyes met, and a smile instantly fell upon her lips.
“Darling!” she grinned as she sat back, slipping the bookmark between the pages of the book she was reading. “Has your friend left already?”
“He should have. The sooner he does, the sooner he can lick his wounds in private,” Julian murmured, leaning downward to steal a kiss from her lips.
“It sounds like you’ve been teasing him again. Don’t be mean, I would like to be friends with his wife.” Anna tutted, patting his chest gently.
“The rivalry between Lysander and me has gone on as long as our friendship has. Whatever relationship you wish to build with his wife would be free of our influence, I assure you.” Julian promised, sitting down next to her.
“If you say so,” she said, offering him a grape.
“But, it is quite a coincidence that you should bring up Margaret, because according to her husband, she wishes to attend a fair tomorrow and we have been invited to join them as they promenade the grounds.”
Anna perked up visibly. “A fair? Oh, I’ve never been to one! No matter how many times I asked or begged, mother and father never let me go to any, as they claimed that it was not suitable for proper young ladies. Can we really go?”
Her excitement reminded Julian of how Lysander had said that he was keeping Juliet trapped within the estate, and guilt struck his heart. Although his friend was merely jesting, Julian couldn’t help but wonder if he had indeed made his wife a prisoner in their own home.
“Of course we can. We can do anything your heart desires. I am sorry if I have not expressly stated that you are free to do as you wish. I did not feel that I needed to, and I’m sorry for keeping you confined here,” Julian apologized sincerely.
“Confined? Whatever do you mean?” Anna questioned, her features twisting in confusion.
“I… I have been made aware of the fact that I might have trapped you within the estate. I know that my affections for you have been… a lot, lately, and I have stuck to you firmly, but I hope that you do not feel as though you cannot live your life, independent of me. You may go wherever you wish, and speak to whomever you feel you want to speak to. I do not mind in the slightest.” Julian stated seriously.
Anna stared at him for a moment, then she burst into a fit of giggles.
“Oh, dear,” she gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth, trying to conceal her mirth. “You are quite entertaining to be around, my love. Firstly, you fib. You have a particular possessive streak, so encouraging me to speak to whomever I wish is a tad tricky, because I risk making you jealous.”
Julian saw no need to deny it, as he was well aware of how much he treasured his wife. In fact, the guilt that currently lingered in his veins heavily stemmed from the fact that once, while they were engaged in the throes of passion, he had considered locking her up, so that only he would be graced enough to lay his eyes on her whenever he wished.
“And secondly, I have never been under the impression that I was trapped within these walls. I do not have a lot of friends, and I mostly venture off to see my sister or the modiste. I do quite like being at home. The house I was raised in never really felt like a home for me, growing up. Leah was always so obedient and good, and I kept making mistakes and upsetting our mother and father. After she got married and left, things grew worse with how insistent they were that I marry for their benefit. Although it was scary at first, the home you gave me provided me with peace I hadn’t felt in a long time. And it is all so much better with you here, now.
“So… you do not have me trapped, Julian. However, if you did, I would not complain. I cherish every moment I spend here with you, anyway.” She smiled gently at him.
“You are determined to be the death of me, my love.” Julian grinned back, taking hold of her hand and raising it to his lips
“Not on purpose,” Anna pointed out innocently. “But can we still go to the fair, my love?”
“Certainly. I would be happy to accompany you tomorrow.” Julian said.
And he had meant it.
However, he should have really considered how comfortable he would be, milling among a noisy atmosphere, with so many people who were seemingly utterly fascinated to see the duke and duchess of Morland grace such a modest event.
“I had no idea it would be so lively!” Anna exclaimed, her eyes wide and filled with childlike wonder. “My goodness, the sights… the smells! What is that delicious smell?”
As it turned out, the smell was from a tent that sold baked goods, with breads and cakes lined up behind a showcase. A single look from Anna and Julian’s hand slipped into his pocket to grab at his coin purse, and moments later, his wife was happily nibbling a large cookie containing bits of chocolate and walnuts.
“Ah! Harrow! You came!”
Julian turned to see Lysander and Margaret approaching them, the latter’s expression lighting up at the sight of Anna.
