Page 28 of Taken By the Dangerous Duke

“Margaret,” said the duke.

“Your Grace,” she replied.

“You do not have to call me that,” he reminded. “We are married now. You can call me by my name if you like.”

“I was too obstinate to give you your title when I had only just met you, and it only took us being married for me to treat you with a modicum of respect,” noted Margaret.

The duke let out a quick chuckle, unable to contain it. He shook his head, a sly smile on his face. “Sometimes, I do not know how to take you, Margaret.”

Margaret smiled in return. She wanted to say something in response, another joke about how he could take her, but she held her tongue. This was not the time or the place. And then the smile was wiped from her face. Behind the duke, further down the hallway, two maids were staring at her and the duke. They had slightly shocked looks on their faces. As soon as they caught Margaret’s eye, they composed themselves quickly and turned away, acting as if they did not know she and the duke were there.

“Are you feeling well?” asked the duke. “You did not look yourself there for a moment.”

“I am fine,” said Margaret. “I am still getting used to everything. It might take some time, but—”

“That is partly my fault,” interrupted the duke. “I have been rushing you. We were married as quickly as possible, and then the wedding night. I did what I needed to do, but I was not thinking about your needs, Margaret.”

“No, no, no,” stammered Margaret. “That is not what I mean at all. We don’t need to act like a married couple, do we? I knew what I was getting myself into, and the wedding night was… well, I did enjoy it. Please do not worry about me, Arthur. This is all more than I ever expected in life.”

“I don’t worry about you, Margaret, but I do want you to be happy. Just because we are entered into this agreement together, that does not mean that we should ignore each other’s feelings, does it?”

“I don’t know,” admitted Margaret.

“We both know what has to be done,” said the duke. “But, it should not be a chore.”

“It is not,” maintained Margaret. “I mean, it was not. The night was not—if that is what you are talking about.”

“I am thinking about it all,” said the duke. “I can’t claim to know a whole lot about the inner workings of the female body, but the act should be a pleasurable one for both, and that is what leads to more success with conceiving a child, right? And if a woman feels safer and more secure in a relationship, that can lead to a male child. Do I have that right?”

“I, um, I don’t exactly know. You will be better read than I am.” Margaret did not know what to say. She did not believe that at all, but she did not want to offend the duke. “I have no complaints, and I am glad that you have been treating me so well.”

“How about a boat trip?” asked the duke. “There is a lake not far from here. We could go out together and then try again.”

“I….” Margaret did not know what to say to that. All she had been thinking about was feeling the duke inside her again. The entire agreement was weird, but taking a boat out on the lake together seemed weirder. They were married, but Margaret had no expectations of acting like a married couple. Was it to be a date?

“Well?” asked the duke with a smile. “I fear I have asked you to do something unspeakable.”

“No, no,” assured Margaret. “I was only thinking of something else. Yes, that would be a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.”

“I will have the kitchen staff prepare a basket of food for us. Is there anything I should have them pack for you?” asked Arthur.

“I am sure whatever you choose will be delightful,” said Margaret, caught in a daze.

“Then it is settled. I have more business to attend to and I apologize for that, so you must excuse me this evening, but I will call for you tomorrow morning.”

“There is no need to apologize,” said Margaret. “I can explore more of your estate and perhaps read some of the books from your library.”

“My home is your home now,” reminded the duke. He stood there for a second. They had been intimate together, but it almost felt as if they should shake hands before parting ways. Eventually, the duke gave a small nod and left.

Margaret would explore the grounds, and she might find some books to read, but she had something to do first, and she went off in the direction the two maids had gone. They might expect her to act like a duchess and keep her mouth shut, but that was not who she was, and she was not going to let people treat her like less than she was. If they wanted to laugh at her, they could do so to her face, for she would not stand for them talking behind her back.

Margaret found the two maids in the laundry area, and they were both surprised to see Margaret there. The first bowed her head and continued folding the sheets, and the other was about to also, but Margaret caught her eye.

“I need to speak to you,” said Margaret.

The second maid kept her head down, afraid that she was going to be called upon too.

“Come over here,” added Margaret.

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