Page 46 of The Duke's Second Bride
“He is a little boy. It isn’t right for him to be shut away at home. If you want him to improve his speech, he cannot only have you, me, and the waitstaff for practice.”
“And Pudding,” he observed dryly.
Ava let out a surprised laugh, staring at him in disbelief. When he said nothing further, she cleared her throat. “Yes. Well. I think it would be good for him to be able to socialize with some people in the village. You are right, that society can be cruel, but surely this is nothing like London. And people here are familiar with your family. Surely when they meet him, they will be kind.”
Seeing Christian was unconvinced, she uncrossed her arms.
“I think it would be helpful,” she said. “For his progress.”
At that, Christian could not help but think that she might have a point. Luke would have to go out into the wider world at some point. The garden party had done him some good. Perhaps a trip out to the village would help him in a similar way.
And, if nothing else, having him there as a buffer would be a perfect way to douse any ill-advised feelings Christian might have towards Ava.
He sighed and nodded. “Very well,” he said. “We can go. I have some business to attend to there, anyway.”
“I know,” she said, then blushed at his inquisitive expression. “I asked Miss Grant what your usual visiting schedule was,” she admitted. “And I’m glad I did. Tell me, would you have agreed to let me come if I hadn’t asked you again and again?”
He couldn’t help but let out a half-chuckle at that. “You’re right,” he said. “Now go and get ready before I change my mind. We should leave in an hour, if we want to get there before the sun is too high in the sky.”
She nodded. He wished his heart didn’t leap so at the sight of the smile that lit up her face before she left.
Luke was practically bouncing out of the carriage with excitement. Unlike their travel to the manor from the wedding, this time he sat between Christian and Ava. Christian insisted upon it.
The village they arrived at was charming and quaint, comprised of low, simple single-story cottages, fields of crops, and a nearby pasture full of cows and other livestock. At this hour of the late morning, plenty of people were out and about, working the fields or walking to gather eggs, or bringing goods to a neighbor. Several people stopped to watch as the carriage approached.
When the carriage stopped, Christian was the first to descend. He helped Luke out and then extended his hand towards Ava. Once again, she tried to mask the jolt that ran through her at the touch of his hand.
She marked how the villagers eyed them warily. Not with fear, but with uncertainty.
“You have been here before, yes?” she murmured to Christian.
“Only the once,” he said, before turning to greet the village man who had come to meet them.
“Your Grace!” The man bowed and then turned to give another bow to Ava. “I presume this is the new duchess?”
Ava smiled at him. “Ava,” she said.
“Lady Ava,” he repeated. “A beautiful name, for a beautiful duchess. You and the duke are the picture of a perfect couple.”
“I’m off to check on the Southingtons,” Christian muttered to himself, and then went off with a few of the local farmers. Ava watched him go, wondering at his sudden departure.
“Ah. Good, he is able to get to his business,” the man said, clearly unsure of what else to say. He turned back to Ava. “We are most pleased to welcome you to town. I am Toby Withers; I run the inn.”
“How wonderful,” Ava said warmly. “I should love to see it. I should like to see as much of the village as possible. I know I am new to the estate, but I want to know how it is run, so that I can make sure we are making your lives as easy as we can.”
The innkeeper smiled. “My wife Bertha should be here somewhere, and I’m certain she would be most pleased to show you around. And who would this strapping young man be?” he asked, smiling down at Luke.
Luke pressed into Ava’s leg, suddenly shy. She patted him on the shoulder in encouragement. Luke made a small sound to himself—recognizable only to Ava as a meow—and then said, “Luke A-Adler.”
“Heir to the estate,” Ava said proudly. Looking down at Luke, she saw that he was smiling, too, undeterred by his small stutter. Indeed, the innkeeper didn’t seem to notice it at all, instead beaming down at the young man. “Luke has been showing me around back at the manor.”
“Ah, is that so?” the innkeeper asked.
Luke nodded vigorously. “Yes. And Ava has b-been teaching me how to r-ride a horse, and she reads w-with me.”
“Reads!” The innkeeper clapped his hands together. “Ah! We have recently built a bookstore in town—the first one. It used to be we had to get our books brought every so often; now that is still the case, but we have more of a collection standing for the villagers to peruse. You must visit.”
Ava looked forward to where Christian had gone. “Yes,” she said, forcing her attention back to the innkeeper. “That would be lovely.
