Page 29 of Married to the Forbidden Duke
“Call me Elizabeth,” the dowager countess said, leaning forward and smiling. A merry, bright smile that somehow, despite everything, reminded her of the Duke. “I am sure we are going to be great friends.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Frederick led Alice into his box at the opera. After some internal debate, he’d fixed on the opera as a means of displaying their unity without allowing either of them to showcase their discord in public.
He had another reason, too.
The first time he’d ever encountered her father, it had been at the opera. A mutual friend had introduced them, and although he had barely exchanged words with the man, they had spoken enough for Frederick to recognize the viscount’s love of the opera. There was no guarantee, of course, that Alice would enjoy the opera as well, but he thought it might be a chance.
An opportunity for her to find a reason to live for herself, to find joy in something that didn’t involve ruining him.
She paused at the top of the stairs, one hand on the wall as she tried not to breathe too heavily. Sweat beaded her brow, butunder the watchful eyes of theton, he knew she wouldn’t want to admit weakness. Odd, how she could be so brazen in some ways, so determined to be coarse and unrefined in her attempt to prove herself unworthy of her new title, yet still refuse to allow people to pity her for her leg.
“Here,” he murmured, then wrapped an arm around her waist, taking most of her weight. She was so frail, so slender—but in a way that alarmed him. She weighed practically nothing in his arms.
She glanced up at him, but he had no time to see whether she was grateful, for they were finally at his box. He opened the door and ushered her inside. She took a seat at the front of the box, trailing her hands along the painted wood as she peered down at the stage.
“I haven’t been to the opera since I was a girl,” she said, and suddenly it was as though all the air had been sucked out of the space. There was plenty left unspoken there. She was referring to before—before he had taken her family from her.
There would never be a simple moment between them that didn’t eventually lead back to that.
“I suppose you want to sit beside me and pretend to the world as though we are happily married?” she asked of him.
“I would prefer that, yes.” He took the seat beside her, though made no attempt to get closer. “Do you enjoy music, Alice?”
“Should a husband not know that about his wife?”
“A husband who married under more traditional means, perhaps.”
“You mean a husband who actually courts his wife?” She snorted and turned back to the stage. In the pit, the orchestra was already taking their places. Most people still talked amongst themselves; the opera was not so much a place to appreciate music but a place to be seen.
“Well, then, let me court you now.” His voice lowered. “You know I have plenty of interest in getting to know you better.”
She slanted him a long, angry look. “For yourownsake?”
“Excuse me?”
“I spoke to your aunt, Your Grace. She said it’s all very well you deciding to marry me, but you must also accept that I may not want to just forgive you and slide into the role as your doting wife—and you should give me the dignity to do just that, rather than putting yourself first.”
His mouth fell open. “You think I am doing all this for my sake?”
“Aren’t you?” Her eyes snapped, twin gunshots that delivered a fatal wound. “You married me soyoucould feel better about your actions. Now you want me to pretend to be your dutiful wifeso thatyoucan look better in the eyes of theton. This is aboutyouandyourwants, not about me.”
“I have endured more disrespect from you than I would ever dream of enduring from anyone else,” he muttered back.
“Then you are a martyr, but you are still doing it on your own terms.”
She moved closer, and he felt pinned in place under the force of her gaze. Warmth moved through his body at her defiance; he had to fight the urge to push her back in her chair and remind her who she was speaking to. If he urged her in the right ways, she would yield. She was a woman, and she held more passion than he suspected evensheknew, especially if she responded tohimin such a way.
But he did not do any of those things. Not because he was selfish, but because he knew she would not like it.
“Then what would you have me do?”
“You married me. Gave me status I would not otherwise have. Stability.” She considered. “You seem to want my health to improve. That can be the end of your role. That is all you need to do for my well-being. Anything further is for your own gain.”
He sucked in a breath, feeling as though his chest was too tight. “And I am to be satisfied with never living a life with my wife?”
She quite nearly rolled her eyes. “If you wanted that, you should have married for love.”
