Page 34 of The Duke's Spinster Bride
“Yes, I mean no. I mean…” she flushed a deep red and Frederick had the sneaking suspicion that she had been expecting some kind of angry outburst. It made his heart twist.
He felt as though he were walking on the edge of a sword as she surveyed him as though she had never seen him before that moment. He spread his arms wide, keeping his shoulders down through sheer force of will.
After a moment, she said, “I have not seen you like this before.”
Frederick swallowed, the hair on his body suddenly standing on end. “Like what?”
“Excited. Sharp. Ambitious even.” She gestured to him.Was that admiration in her tone?
He felt a warmth spread over him and moved towards the papers on the desk, gesturing to them. “It is hard not to be excited. What you are proposing could ensure the duchy is prosperous for years to come.”
“I thought you did not take such things particularly seriously.” She moved to one side, letting him get a better view of the plans. “After all, only this morning you were talking of hiding in trees.”
“Just because I do not actively seek out mundanity does not mean I shirk my duties.” He cricked his neck, massaging a knot that had formed in the muscles. “I have learned, keeping men waiting often means they are more likely to take you less seriously. The less seriously they take you, the easier it is to surprise them.”
Her eyes widened, and she drummed her fingers on the desk. “You lull them into a false sense of security.”
“I just seek the path of least resistance.” He gave her a self-depricating smile. “You make me sound much more competent than I am, especially when you have seen the state of my accounts.”
He continued before she could say another thing. “Besides, your ideas are sound. I would need to talk to my solicitor to see about moving forward with some of these proposals, and it may be best for you to reach out to the Marquess’s wife about the sheep. Men like him can be rather prickly if they think such business offers are charity.”
“You mean to take my advice then?” Her fingers stopped tapping on the table.
“Of course I do. If you have any other suggestions, I would welcome them.” He looked up to see her frowning at him.
“You are not angry?”
“Why would I be?”
“I have rearranged your study.”
“You yourself said it was chaos, and now it is not. I can hardly fault you for doing a good job. Even if your intentions were less than pure, it seems you cannot help but do things well.” He gave her a meaningful look.
She flushed a deep scarlet—though whether it was at him correctly guessing her motivation or because he had paid her a compliment, Frederick could not be sure. He smiled at her, trying to inject as much warmth into it as possible.
“I am unlikely to be angered by sound advice and helpful actions.” He gestured around them. “If you had been born a man, with a mind like yours, there is nothing you would not have accomplished. To be honest, I suspect there is very little you could not do regardless of your sex.”
“I… Thank you.” She could not quite meet his gaze.
“It is my pleasure. Truly, what you have done here. It is magnificent. You are magnificent.” He had taken her hand in his without thinking, gesturing to the study around them.
Her skin was soft against his, the warmth of her touch spread through him like fire, but he was distracted from it by his own thoughts. “We could be quite the partnership I think. You clearly have a mind for business. I shall have to get you to look at some plans of mine for investments on the continent. And perhaps you would turn your hand to reorganising the Western Library, though you may need some assistance with movement of the furniture in that room.”
As he rattled off projects, his excitement grew. Things started slipping into place in his mind, the possibilities seemed endless. It was only when he felt Andrea’s hand slip from his own that he noticed his wife had grown very still. He faltered, his heart skittering to halt within him. “Only if you would like to engage in such projects, of course.”
He saw her bottom lip tremble, and he hesitated. “Andrea?”
“I… I will think on it.” She looked away from him and glanced at the grandfather clock. “I should get changed, I would not wish to keep you waiting for dinner.”
“Oh.” He felt a tug in his chest, and took a step towards her.
She stepped away from him and he froze. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him and she shook her head. “I… Perhaps I will take dinner in my room. I am suddenly feeling… Yes… Dinner in my room.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” He moved towards her, looking her up and down for a sign of injury. “That desk is remarkably heavy, if you need, I shall send for a physician.”
His heart hammered against his ribs, but she gave him a weak smile and stepped away. “That will not be necessary. I just… A night of rest and I will be right as rain.”
“If you are certain…”
