Page 47 of The Duke's Spinster Bride
He stood in the doorframe, folding his arms over his chest.
“Really? Because that is what it sounds like.” She gestured at him, leaning against the door. “Just look at you, you look as though you have sucked on a lemon.”
“I do not. It is just… It is frustrating. I thought we had reached an understanding and yet… You are not like this with me.” Frederick’s eyes met hers.
She laughed. “Careful, Frederick, you almost sound like a real husband.”
“I am your real husband.” He whirled around bringing his hands down on either side of her, his voice little more than a growl.
Her eyes met his, glittering in the moonlight. His heart hammered in his chest, the scent of her perfume was intoxicating. Her lips parted, eyes darting from his lips to his mouth and then back again.
Her breath tickled his skin. His own breathing was ragged.This is the closest we have been since we kissed.The memory of it seemed to fill the space between them.
A pressure built in his chest, an invisible string tugged him towards her. It would be so easy to give in. He wanted to give in. His eyes fell to her lips. With an effort, he tore himself away, adjusting the lapels of his coat.
“Frederick…” Andrea’s hand brushed against his arm but he jerked away.
“Good night, Duchess. I will see you in the morning.” He strode into the darkness.
He could feel her eyes on his retreating back, boring into him like the sun through a magnifying glass. He did not turn around. He did not trust himself to turn around.
ChapterFifteen
You took everything from me.Her father’s voice rang out in the mist of her dream. She whirled around, looking for the source. She could see nothing but blackness around her.
“Leave me alone.” She growled into the inky blackness.
Somewhere she could hear a woman crying, screaming in pain. It tore through her like a knife through butter and she clutched at her chest. She started to run. She needed to help, she had to help. .
The screaming cut off in an abrupt end.
Terror gripped her, squeezing her chest tighter than the tightest corset. Her legs shook as she collapsed to her knees.Your fault. Utterly cursed.
Her father’s words echoed around her.Who could want you?
Andrea woke with a start. Her cheeks were wet, her sheets twisted around her body like rope. Her breath came in shaking pants as she drew her knees to her chest.
“It was just a dream.” She murmured looking out of the window. “That is all. It was only a dream.”
She drew her dressing gown around her, swiping her hair from her forehead as she stood up and walked towards the door. The shadows seemed to grow around her. She could almost smell the stale smoke that seemed to linger around her father.
“A snack. That is what I need. Something to settle my stomach, and then I will be right as rain.” She nodded to herself and grabbed a candle.
It flickered to life on her second attempt to rekindle it, and she held it aloft as she made her way down to the kitchens. Her steps echoed in the hall around her, making her jump at every shadow.
When she approached the kitchen, she heard the distinct noise of someone rustling in the cupboards. Her heart sped up.What if it is a thief?
She spotted a candelabra on a nearby table and took it in her free hand. Carefully, she crept her way towards the sounds, her weapon held at the ready.
A tall figure was rifling through the cupboards, softly cursing under his breath. Andrea’s foot caught on the small step into the kitchen. She stumbled and the sound drew the man’s attention.
“Were you planning on hitting me with that?” Frederick pointed to the candelabra in her hand as he clutched a biscuit tin to his chest.
“I thought you might be a thief.” Andrea flushed as she put her would-be weapon and candle on the large workbench, tugging her dressing gown more tightly around her as she did.
She was very aware of the thinness of the gown and the night shift beneath it. The memory of the way Frederick had looked at her a few nights before flooded through her.
I am your real husband.She swallowed, a small shiver running through her as the smell of his cologne filled the air between them. Frederick had his own velvet dressing gown draped across him, though she noted it was not done up as tightly as hers. The hint of the bare skin of his chest was visible. Heat spread through her and she swallowed, licking her lips.All I wanted was a snack.
