Page 33 of The Duke's Second Bride
Which was all the more reason not to wear her wedding dress tonight, she supposed. She was no blushing virgin, and there was no point in playing the part. And regardless of what the duke’s preferences would be, she took pleasure in having the time and space to choose for herself what she would wear on her wedding night.
Let him react how he would when he came to say goodnight.
If he came to say goodnight.
Which …
He didn’t.
Over two hours had passed, and not so much as footsteps down the hallway.
Finally, Ava sat up in bed and peeked her head out the door.
If he wouldn’t come to her, she would go to him.
Christian finally went to his room after a while of poring over papers. No matter how long, the numbers seemed to swim in his head. It had been such a long day.
And no matter what, he could not stop his mind from returning to the thought of what Ava might be doing right now, barely a few rooms away.
He was only momentarily surprised by her abrupt departure from dinner. As he knew himself, it had been a long day. And likely longer for her; at least coming home to the manor for him felt like just that: coming home. It was her home now, too, of course, but this was her first time seeing it, let alone setting foot inside. Her old house in London, her old staff, her old rooms, none of it was here.
Her room.
Surely she was asleep by now. He wondered if she was having trouble sleeping on her first night in a new home. If she ever felt lonely. No, she was likely used to sleeping alone by now, same as he. But even though he was used to sleeping alone, the idea of going to bed alone tonight rankled him.
“What are you doing?” came a voice from the door.
He startled from half-awake to fully awake and turned to see Ava in the doorway to his room.
He had to consciously keep his jaw from dropping. Wearing only her nightgown, white with blue accents around the hems, and the fabric so finely woven that the candlelight through it gave just the faintest outline of her silhouette.
Christian blinked. It took him a moment to realize that this was real—Ava was here, real, standing in the doorway. He stood from his desk, the smaller desk he kept in his room for when he didn’t feel like using his office, and took a step towards her, rubbing his eyes.
“Just going over some paperwork. Finances, household business. Nothing that needs to be any of your concern.”
“I should think any household matters would be of great concern to me,” she said sharply.
He raised an eyebrow. “You are bold to come here late at night demanding to know what I am doing. The real question, wife, is what areyoudoing here? I should have thought you would be asleep by now.”
“I …” She chewed on her bottom lip. “I apologize. I did not mean to pry. You must understand, I have always dealt with the finances of my home, and this past year …”
“What?”
She sighed. “Anything my brother-in-law kept from me was later used as leverage.”
His heart softened at that. Of course, she would be keen to know what was going on in the household.
She quickly shook that softening of the room, however, by taking a deep breath and stepping in closer.
“And I am here because it is our wedding night,” she said.
This past part was delivered with such bluntness that Christian wondered if he was actually sleeping and if this was all some twisted half-dream-half-nightmare.
A dream because—well, just look at her. She was perfectly fit for ravishing, his beautiful wife, her honey-blonde hair tumbling down about her shoulders, the candlelight glinting in those soft hazel eyes.
Yet her demeanor, her tone, her expression—all business. He wanted her badly, but not like this.
He cleared his throat, trying to appear steady despite the pounding of his heart.
