Page 43 of His Scarred Duchess
“It’s quite all right,” Adeline replied, about to continue on her way when she caught the tail end of the other maid’s mumbled comment.
“… least she could do is cover them up. It’s unseemly for a duchess to be walking about with her face all…”
Adeline froze, her hand unconsciously rising to her cheek. The maid’s words, so carelessly cruel, struck her like a physical blow.
She opened her mouth, though whether to reprimand the girl or to flee, she wasn’t sure.
Before she could speak, a deep voice cut through the tense silence. “I beg your pardon, Mary? I don’t believe I heard you correctly.”
Adeline turned to see Edmund striding towards them, his gray eyes stormy with barely contained fury. The maids paled, bobbing deep curtsies.
“Y-Your Grace,” Mary stammered. “I-I didn’t mean… That is, I was just saying?—”
“You were just saying,” Edmund interrupted, his voice dangerously soft, “that my wife,your mistress, is somehow lacking in appearance? That she should hide herself away like some shameful secret?”
“No, Your Grace, I?—”
“Silence.” The single word, spoken with quiet intensity, was enough to make both maids flinch. “Let me make something perfectly clear. The Duchess of Holbrook is to be treated with the utmost respect at all times. Any member of this household who fails in that duty will find themselves seeking employment elsewhere. Is that understood?”
The maids nodded frantically, murmuring apologies before scurrying away. Edmund watched them go, his jaw clenched tight, before turning to Adeline.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Adeline stared at him, her heart pounding with surprise and something dangerously close to hope.
When she finally found her voice, it came out as little more than a whisper. “Why?”
Edmund’s brow furrowed. “I beg your pardon?”
Adeline took a deep breath, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “Why did you defend me? I thought… that is, you’ve made it clear that our marriage is one of convenience. Why should you care what the servants say about me?”
For a moment, something flickered in Edmund’s eyes—an emotion Adeline couldn’t quite place. But then it was gone, replaced by his usual mask of polite indifference.
“You are my wife,” he said matter-of-factly. “The Duchess of Holbrook. No one has the right to disrespect you, regardless of the… nature of our union.”
Adeline nodded slowly, trying to ignore the pang of disappointment his words caused. Of course. It wasn’t about her, not really. It was about maintaining the dignity of his title, of the Holbrook name.
“I see,” she murmured. “Well, thank you, Your Grace. I appreciate your intervention.”
Edmund inclined his head, a hint of awkwardness in his posture. “Yes, well. If you’ll excuse me, I have some correspondence to attend to.”
As he turned to leave, Adeline found herself reaching out, her fingers just brushing the sleeve of his coat. “Your Grace, wait.”
He stilled at her touch, turning back to face her with a questioning look. Adeline’s breath caught in her throat as sherealized how close they were standing. From this distance, she could see the golden flecks in his gray eyes, could smell the faint, enticing scent of sandalwood that clung to his skin.
“I,” she began, suddenly unsure of what she wanted to say.
Thank him again? Ask him why he really defended her? Beg him to look at her, truly look at her, and see the woman beneath the title of Duchess?
In the end, she said none of those things. Instead, she simply offered him a small, genuine smile. “I hope your correspondence goes well.”
For a moment, Edmund’s carefully controlled expression softened, a hint of warmth creeping into his eyes.
“Thank you, Duchess. I hope you enjoy your time in the library.”
With that, he was gone, striding down the corridor with his usual purposeful gait. Adeline watched him go, her heart racing and her skin still tingling where she had touched him.
Perhaps, she thought as she continued on her way to the library, there was hope for them yet. It might not be the passionate love affair of her girlhood dreams, but maybe, just maybe, they could build something real between them—something based on mutual respect and understanding.
