Page 47 of The Duke's Inconvenient Bride
“Are we not going to your London house?” she asked.
He frowned. “No. We’re heading for my family’s seat in Norfolk.”
Had he not told her that?
She turned to him, her eyes wide. “We’re leaving London? But I…”
“Yes?” he prompted.
“Nothing.” She shook her head and pressed her lips together.
The pang of guilt worsened.
Damn.
He’d made an effort to avoid his bride in the weeks leading up to their wedding, but he’d never meant to blindside her like this. What a goddamn oversight.
CHAPTER 12
She was leaving London?
How could he not have told her that?
Emma loved the country, and while she’d never been to Norfolk, she was sure it wasn’t so different from Surrey. However, if she’d known that she was leaving London, she’d have taken more time to make her farewells. She’d have hugged Sophie for even longer, and perhaps extracted a promise from her to write.
She’d thought that she’d be a short carriage ride away from her family in Mayfair. She’d found comfort in the idea of being able to return to her parent’s home whenever she liked. Now, Carlisle House would be more than a day’s journey away.
She mentally kicked herself. She shouldn’t have assumed they’d be staying in London. She should have asked. Not that she had many opportunities to do so. Perhaps if she’d seen her husband-to-be sometime in the month prior to their wedding, they wouldn’t have had this misunderstanding.
“Tell me more about your home in Norfolk,” she said. “What is it called?”
He glanced at her, divots forming between his eyebrows as if he were surprised by the question. “Ashford Hall. It’s a large Elizabethan house set on a sprawling property.”
“Do many people live there?” she asked, fiddling with the hem of her skirt in an attempt to distract herself from the fact that she was alone in a carriage with a man—her husband—and likely would be for several more hours.
He rubbed at his temples. “I’m afraid I have a headache. I’m exhausted after the day we’ve had. Do you mind if we don’t speak for a while so I can rest my head?”
Emma closed her mouth. He’d made the request so politely, but she couldn’t help feeling chastened. Her fists tightened in her skirts. She wasn’t a very good traveler. Her mind tended to wander, and she got bored easily. She didn’t want to irritate the duke, but without something to occupy her mind, she’d probably bother him more.
“I understand. I don’t suppose you have any reading material?” she asked.
He leaned over and, to her surprise, lifted the padded seat off the bench opposite them. Within the bench, where some carriages stored warm bricks, were a stack of books. He reached inside and offered her one. She read the title. It was an adventure novel.
“Will this do?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you.”
He put the seat back in place and gazed blindly into space while Emma cracked open the book. It was worn and had clearly been read many times. She should have guessed that the duke was a reader.
Although if she had considered the possibility, she’d have thought it more likely for him to read political treatises and land management books than novels.
The inside of the carriage was dim as the afternoon light faded, and Emma angled herself toward the window to get the most light possible onto the page. She leaned over it and began to read.
She was rapidly engrossed in the story and continued turning the pages for much longer than she ought to have before finally giving in because it was too dark to continue. Her mother would have scolded her for squinting in case it gave her wrinkles, but the duke didn’t seem to care.
In fact, he’d hardly moved since they’d started on their journey. If not for the fact that his eyes were open, she might have thought he’d fallen asleep.
“How far are we traveling today?” she asked softly, hoping he wouldn’t chide her for breaking the silence.
