Page 31 of Claiming his Cursed Duchess
Her heart pounded in her chest as she waited for his response.
He turned to face her, his eyes piercing through her.
“As are you. You have been avoiding everyone, including me.”
She shrugged, trying to appear indifferent, but her heart raced. “I prefer the solitude.”
“Do you?” he questioned, his voice laced with doubt. “Or are you simply tired of being treated like a pariah?”
She hesitated, her gaze flickering away from his.
He sees through me,she thought, a mix of fear and admiration stirring within her.
“I have learned to endure.”
“Endure?” he scoffed, his eyes boring into hers. “A woman like you, with a mind as sharp as a dagger and a spirit as fierce as a storm, should not be forced to endure.”
His gaze held hers, a silent challenge.
He thinks I am strong?she wondered, a flicker of hope igniting in her heart.Perhaps, just perhaps, he could see beyond the scars and the rumors.
A warmth spread through her, a sensation she hadn’t felt in years.
She looked at him, a flicker of hope, then a spark of defiance, in her eyes. “You think so?” Her voice was low, a challenge.
He nodded, his expression serious, his jaw clenched. “I do. You deserve better.”
He looked away from her, his gaze distant, his face a mask.
“You must stop avoiding my staff.Ourstaff. You are my duchess, and they must learn to treat you as such.”
“You don’t,” Rosaline replied, her voice steady, her posture straight. “You do not treat me as your duchess, let alone your wife. Why would your staff do any differently, if you do not lead by example?” She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I have more pressing responsibilities,” Adam began, his voice a bit defensive.
Rosaline could see the flicker of surprise in his eyes, a testament to the unexpected sharpness of her retort. He was caught off-guard, she realized, and a surge of satisfaction coursed through her.
“Then, why did you marry me?” she pressed, her voice low, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “I know there is no advantage to you agreeing to this union, not by virtue of marrying a cursed woman like me. So what did you gain from this bargain with my uncle? What pawn has he made me in this damnable game of his?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her scarred arms hidden from view, but her posture was defiant.
“You truly had no knowledge of his plan?” Adam blinked, then turned away again, his eyes darkening.
“What plan?”
“No matter. It was a necessary arrangement, and it seems that our arrangement of separate lives should be more suitable than I hoped.”
“A necessary arrangement?” she repeated, her voice rising, her anger growing. “A necessary arrangement that has left me isolated, feared, and alone.”
She ran a hand through her hair, a nervous gesture that belied her outward confidence.
He doesn’t understand,she thought, frustration gnawing at her.
Rosaline tilted her chin, her eyes flashing with defiance. She smoothed the folds of her gown, a subtle gesture of control.
Her gaze drifted to the scars marring her arms, a stark reminder of her past. She quickly averted her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest.
“I never intended for you to suffer,” he said, his voice softening, his gaze meeting hers.
