Page 88 of His Forsaken Duchess
Audrey blinked, still dazed, as she watched him walk to the door.
“Goodnight,” she whispered, though he was already gone.
The study was suddenly too quiet, too empty. She pressed her fingers to her lips, the phantom feel of his kiss still lingering there. Her heart ached with something she couldn’t quite place, and as she stared at the empty doorway, one thought echoed in her mind.
What just happened?
Thirty-One
Audrey paused just outside the breakfast room, her hand resting lightly against the doorframe. Cedric was seated at the table, one large hand cradling a cup of coffee while the other expertly turned a page ofThe Times. His dark hair, unfashionably long and still slightly damp from his bath, fell in waves about his shoulders, though his expression was as unreadable as ever.
Did he think of it?The kiss?
Audrey had turned the moment over in her mind so many times since it happened that it had taken on a dreamlike quality. She thought of his mouth on hers—warm, tender, and far more deliberate than she would have expected. She had felt it in her very toes, and yet, as far as Cedric was concerned, she might as well have been a stranger since.
He shifted then, glancing up as though sensing her presence. Their eyes met, and for the briefest of moments, she thoughtshe saw something flicker in his gaze. Recognition, perhaps? A memory? But it disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. A faint smile curved his lips.
“Are you planning on lurking in the doorway all morning, or shall I have Astor bring you a chair?” he drawled, raising an eyebrow.
Audrey squared her shoulders, though she felt the heat of a blush creeping up her neck. “I was merely considering how deeply engrossed you were in that paper, Your Grace.”
“I assure you, it pales in comparison to the intrigue of watching you loiter like an uncertain guest in your own house.” He beckoned her forward with a lazy flick of his fingers. “Come, sit before I decide you’re plotting something.”
With an exaggerated sigh, Audrey crossed the room and took her seat at the far end of the table. As she smoothed her napkin over her lap, she stole another glance at him. Nothing in his expression—his faint smile, his composed manner—hinted that anything had changed between them.
It was a kiss, nothing more.A moment of weakness, perhaps, but it was fleeting.
Still, as she reached for the teapot and poured herself a cup, her fingers felt clumsy around the porcelain.
“Do you intend to bury yourself in that paper all morning, or shall we pretend this is a conversation?”
He lowered the paper just enough to meet her gaze, an amused glint in his brown eyes. “Would you care to start, then? Shall we discuss the weather? Or perhaps you would like me to comment on how many scones you consume?”
“I assure you,” Audrey replied, spreading cream cheese and raspberry jam over a slice of toast, “my appetite has never been your concern.”
“Only because you seem quite capable of managing it without my interference.”
Audrey rolled her eyes and took a bite, though the corners of her mouth twitched. She chewed thoughtfully, the room sinking back into a comfortable quiet, broken only by the occasional rustle of Cedric’s paper. It was strange, this moment—so normal that it felt disarming. A duchess and a duke, sharing a quiet breakfast like any other married couple. As though theywerelike any other married couple.
Before the thought could fester, the breakfast room door opened, and Astor entered with his customary air of calm efficiency. “Your Grace, Lord Belleville has arrived.”
Cedric groaned softly, lowering his newspaper once again. “At this hour? Has the man no decency?”
Audrey shot him a reproachful look. “Cedric, be gracious.”
“Graciousness is hardly required when one’s peace is being invaded,” he muttered.
Astor, unperturbed, turned his gaze to Audrey. “Shall I show him in, Your Grace?”
“Of course,” Audrey replied smoothly. “We are always delighted to see Lord Belleville.”
Cedric grumbled into his coffee, “Youmay be.”
“That,” she countered with a satisfied smile, “is precisely why you married me. I handle your guests so you don’t have to.”
For a moment, something in Cedric’s face softened, as though the gruff mask he wore so diligently had cracked just slightly. His lips curled into a rare, genuine smile. “And here I thought it was for your charm.”
Audrey opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a voice cut in. “What a sweet moment! Truly, the picture of marital bliss.”
