Page 53 of The Duke's Second Bride
“I ought to go. Make sure they are all right,” she said. “In case Pudding has gotten hold of … um, something he shouldn’t.”
With that, she followed the boy and the cat towards the dining room, calling out both of their names as she went.
Christian let out a long breath.
God, this woman was going to be the death of him.
Ava missed the country as soon as they left. The wide open air, the villagers nearby, and all the animals had been like a balm on her soul. Not to mention the distance from society—and from Brandon in particular.
However, she could not deny that the townhouse was beautiful. And, of course, she had missed Edith dearly. As soon as she, Christian, and Luke were settled in, she sent word to her friend to come visit.
Edith obliged, arriving for a visit hardly a day later.
“The blushing bride,” she said in greeting, looking over Ava with a brilliant smile lighting up her face.
They took tea in the garden. Edith looked splendid in a day dress of pink that made her look like a flower amidst the gardens behind the townhouse estate.
Across the garden, Luke played with Pudding, contentedly dangling a stick with a string and a feather attached. The cat seemed endlessly entertained by the simple toy, and the boy seemed endlessly entertained by the cat.
The two women watched him for a moment, both smiling. “I am glad to see Pudding has settled in well,” Edith remarked.
Ava chuckled. “That would be an understatement,” she said. “The duke has practically been unseated as lord of the house. Pudding is practically royalty.”
Edith laughed. “And does your husband endure this commotion without vexation?”
Ava bit back a small smile, considering. “Luke is very fond of Pudding,” she said finally.
At that moment, Luke looked up from playing with the cat and waved at the two ladies. They both waved back at him.
“The child is fond of you as well, it seems.” Then Edith turned her gaze back upon Ava. “This second marriage suits you, I should think.”
“Really?” Ava asked, trying not to sound incredulous.
Edith nodded decisively. “I cannot remember the last time I saw you looking so well, or with so much color in your cheeks, darling.”
Ava laughed. “That may be the countryside, more than the marriage,” she said, aiming for a lighthearted tone, though a slight pang went through her as she said it.
Edith didn’t miss the slight change in her friend’s demeanor or the implication of her words. “Is that so?” A divot appeared between her brows as she furrowed them. “He is not mistreating you, is he?”
“No!” Ava protested. The idea was laughable. Whatever her qualms with Christian were, she could not imagine him lifting a finger to hurt her. “He has been very … respectful.”
Edith’s brows lifted. “Respectful,” she repeated slowly. “In what way do you mean?”
Immediately, Ava had a flashback to the embarrassment she had felt on her wedding night. She chewed on the side of her cheek. The memory of Christian rejecting her stung so much that she barely wanted to tell Edith of it.
But on the other hand, who could she confide in, if not her best friend?
“He is very respectful of my space, for a start.” She sighed. “He does not seem particularly interested in our marriage being more than an arrangement,” she said carefully.
“An arrangement?” Edith questioned.
“He married me to ward off Brandon’s unsavory behavior, and I have helped Luke find some more of his confidence,” Ava said, nodding. “But the duke only speaks to me at dinner, really, and rarely then. We have not … slept in the same bed once.”
“Oh,” Edith said, blinking. “That is rather surprising.”
“Is it?” Ava asked.
Edith nodded. “I have seen the way you look at each other, my dear,” she said. “That is not the gaze of a man who sees you merely as a nursemaid to his son.”
