Page 55 of His Forsaken Duchess
“Good evening.”
The soft lilt of Audrey’s voice pulled Cedric out of his thoughts. He turned, and for a moment, words failed him. She stood in the doorway, dressed in a deep blue velvet dress that seemed to shimmer in the candlelight. The rich hue framed her pale shoulders and brought out the brilliance of her eyes, which were fixed on him with polite expectation.
Cedric swallowed hard, willing himself not to notice. She was his wife in name only—a role born of necessity, not affection. He had no right to admire her, let alone want her. His throat tightened as he forced his expression into one of neutral courtesy.
“You look… prepared for dinner,” he said, his voice low but steady. He stepped forward, offering her his arm.
Her lips quirked up faintly, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she replied. She accepted his arm, hertouch sending an unwelcome jolt through him. “I see you are, too.”
They began their walk toward the dining room, the soft swishing of her dress against the polished floor an almost rhythmic counterpoint to their steps.
“I half expected you not to come down,” Cedric admitted, keeping his tone casual.
Audrey glanced at him, her eyebrow rising slightly. “Why would you think such a thing? I have a duty to fulfill as the Duchess.”
Her words, so cold and detached, sparked an unexpected irritation in Cedric.
Is that all I am to her? A duty?
But hadn’t he insisted on this arrangement? Her sudden aloofness was the natural consequence of his declarations, and yet the sting of it lodged deep in his chest.
“You are nothing if not dutiful,” he said curtly, guiding her into the dining room.
The table was set impeccably, and Cedric pulled out a chair for her. As she sat down, her gaze flicked up to meet his for a brief moment.
Something twisted in his gut—a pang of longing that he pushed down immediately. Clearing his throat, he took his seat across from her, nodding to the footman to begin serving the first course.
A delicate consommé was placed before them, and Cedric stirred his spoon absently, his thoughts torn between irritation and the undeniable magnetism of the woman sitting across from him.
“We need to discuss our plans for London,” Audrey said, breaking the silence. She dipped her spoon into the soup, her movements precise and deliberate. “The events we’ll need to attend, the people we’ll need to charm. We must appear… in love.”
Cedric let out a low, humorless chuckle. “In love? You make it sound so simple.”
Audrey’s spoon paused halfway to her lips. “It is not simple,” she admitted, her voice calm but firm. “But it is necessary.”
“I don’t know how to pretend,” Cedric said darkly, setting his spoon down with a soft clink.
“You can try,” she countered, her voice sharpening. “Unless, of course, you prefer that your wife and her family remain the object of scandal.”
He looked at her, his jaw tightening. “Audrey, I—” He paused, inhaling deeply. “I apologize. That was unfair.”
She gave him a small nod, but her expression remained cool. “Apology accepted. Now, as I was saying, we’ll need to be seen together at Hyde Park. It is where everyone goes to see and be seen?—”
“Do not tell me that I am expected to drive you around in my phaeton like a lovestruck dandy?”
“Yes,” Audrey replied with a saccharine smile. “And it is impolite to interrupt someone when they are speaking.”
“You are being a princess,” he retorted, though there was no heat in his tone.
“Rightfully so,” she said with mock solemnity, lifting her spoon to her lips.
Cedric shook his head, but his lips twitched despite himself. “Continue, then. What else must I do to play the part of doting husband?”
“We’ll need to go shopping,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
Cedric set his spoon down and leaned back slightly in his chair, his eyes narrowing. “Shopping,” he repeated. “What’s next? Shall I be seen hopping from one bookshop to another with you before indulging in ice at Gunther’s?”
Audrey’s blue eyes gleamed with something akin to mischief. “Precisely,” she said, nodding. “I’m pleased to see you are beginning to understand.”
