Page 21 of My Blind Duke
It seemed as though she was now a permanent fixture in his head, either consuming his thoughts or floating about in his dreams. He could not shake the memory of her body in his arms, the scent of her perfume. If he were any less than a gentleman, he would have pushed her against the wall and ravish her until…
No. This is merely because I have not been with a woman since the accident.
He was also still thinking about Lord Montclair’s accusations, and even if he had not made up his mind to involve the necessary authorities yet, he still had Robert keep a watchful eye on her.
If she was truly capable of killing a person and had poisoned her late husband, she likely would not take things lightly with him after his attempt to have her removed from the house.
“How is Melanie doing?” William asked suddenly, recalling the way Prudence had stood between him and his intention to scold her.
Either the duchess was a good actor or she was not who the marquess thought she was, because her empathy and concern for Melanie had confused him as much as it had irritated him then.
“She is doing well, Your Grace. Still as… spirited as ever,” the steward responded with a strange inflection in his voice.”
William immediately knew the other man was attempting to fib.
“Robert.”
He heard a sigh of defeat before the man continued,
“She really is well, Your Grace. Occasionally, a complaint of her little jokes will surface from a maid or a footman, but such antics have become fewer and fewer. It is as if she is becoming more well-behaved as of late. She has also been attending her lessons and most of her tutors have done nothing but sing praises of her excellence.”
“Is that so?” William asked, impressed by the news he had received.
It was quite a relief to hear that she had begun to adjust and act appropriately. It was about time she found some normalcy and order in her life.
I wonder if the duchess had anything to do with it, a part of him thought, knowing it was more likely that pigs would take flight in a moment than for his daughter to suddenly turn over a new leaf without motivation.
If there was one thing they had in common, it was their stubbornness.
A thought suddenly occurred to him and he wasted no time voicing it out, “You said ‘most’of her tutors have commended her. Why not all of them?”
He heard Robert inhale sharply and guessed from the blurs moving in front of the man’s body that he was likely wringing his hands together nervously.
“Well, you see – I did all I could, Your Grace. I have begged and pleaded with her, but the little lady has refused to attend some lessons. She can be quite… determined when she wishes to be.”
With a sigh, William queried further, “What lessons?”
“Her music lessons, Your Grace.”
At the mention of the word ‘music’, William felt his body stiffen and his fingertips began to itch.
Images flashed through his mind, with a rush of screamed words and threats, rage and frustration that eventually boiled into horror as he watched the flames blaze higher and higher, consuming everything in its path.
His hands tightened on the arms of his chair as he recalled the distraught echoes of loss that had nearly brought him to his knees when he found his wife’s body as he desperately held onto his daughter, doing all he could to save her at least–
“…Grace? Your Grace!”
William blinked, taking his hands off the arms of the chair and intertwining his fingers together tightly.
“Yes? What?”
“N-Nothing, Your Grace. You were just… you fell quiet and began to stare into space so I was worried I had upset you–”
“You have not,” William said, cutting Robert off. “I was… I was merely lost in thought, is all.” The duke cleared his throat and continued. “If Lady Melanie refuses to attend her music lessons, then let her be. As long as the other ones are keeping her out of trouble, then it is fine.”
“A-Are you sure, Your Grace?” Robert pressed, sounding surprised.
William nodded and heard the man sigh in relief.
