Page 49 of The Scarred Duke's Bride
“Of course, you do.” Eric teased, “But you just don’t.”
William opened his mouth to protest this characterization but closed it again. He and Isabella had certainly found creative ways to pass the time, including hiding all the chamber pots one day just to watch the servants frantically searching for them. Eric had confined them to the schoolroom for two days.
“If you want to behave like children, then we will treat you like children,” he’d admonished.
Even then, they’d decorated the schoolroom walls with chalk drawings and put grease on the chair so that when Mrs. Beecham tried to sit, she fell to the floor. They were nothing less than holy terrors who would onlysometimeslisten to Mrs. Campbell. Eric was tempted to put them over his knee, but he could well remember that age, and he enjoyed seeing the younger pair carefree and uninhibited by the weight of societal or familial expectations.
“Let them be. They’ll grow tired of it soon enough,” he told his mother when she came to him in worry. “The novelty of having a companion is probably what is egging them on.”
Mrs. Campbell made a skeptical sound, but she agreed to give them their space.
“However, if you want to go for this ball, you will have to behave a lot better than you have been.”
They exchanged glances. “Fine. We shall be the very soul of propriety.”
“Good. That’s the spirit.”
* * *
There were gowns to be made for herself, Mrs. Campbell and Isabella. Freya was quite preoccupied with preparations for the next few days in addition to supervising the removal of wallpaper from the drawing room. She could almost pretend that Eric did not exist. He spent most of his time locked in the study with his steward or riding off with him to heaven knew where.
At night he came to bed when she was already pretending to be asleep.
It was not ideal. Especially since Silver was still watching them closely. But he could see how busy they were, and that was a perfect excuse for the distance between them. Eric did insist that they sleep cuddled up together so that nobody would suspect that nothing else was happening in their marriage bed.
Sometimes, he would take his shirt off, and the feel of him, tight and hard, strong arms around her, would keep her awake long into the night. As a result, she was tired during the day and disposed to be crabby. Thankfully, her mother-in-law and sister attributed it to the many fittings they had to do as well as shopping for hats, gloves, and just the right shoes.
Freya was almost surprised on the morning of the ball since she had not been paying much attention to the dates. Two carriages awaited them outside, and she naturally headed for the one bearing her sister.
Silver intercepted her, pointing to the other, smaller carriage. “You and Mr. Campbell will travel in that one,” he said firmly.
Freya opened her mouth to protest but then remembered in time that she and Eric were supposed to be a loving couple. She marched to the smaller carriage and settled herself in the corner, pouting slightly. Eric soon joined her, and they took off, rocking gently from side to side on the bumpy road.
Eric sighed, turning to her. “What will it take for you to stop sulking at me?” he asked wearily.
She crossed her arms, pouting even more. “I amnotsulking.”
He just stared at her in disbelief. “You have been sulking for days. Is it because I told you to mind your own business? I am sorry for being abrupt.”
“Abrupt?” she screeched quietly. “You embarrassed me in front of the entire household, closed the door in my face, and treated me like a nuisance. You were not justabrupt!”
Eric had the temerity to smile. “You’ve been waiting a long time to say that to me, have you not?”
She simply narrowed her eyes at him.
“All right, I am sorry. I was rude and unthinking. I had more important things on my mind.”
“What things?”
He glanced at her cautiously. “Will you shout at me again if I say it’s none of your business?”
“I am your wife.”
“When it’s convenient for you, yes.”
“What isthatsupposed to mean?”
“Only that you only call yourself that when you think it will get you what you want from me.”
