Page 21 of Claimed By the Duke of Ice

“I will speak no further on this. Now, get on your horse. We need to be heading back,” he commanded as he mounted his horse again. Even as he did so, his body revolted, being taken away from Grace. Even through the numbness and spasms, he could feel himself ache for her. It was confusing and maddening, and he didn’t know how to handle it.

“You’re not going to wait for me?” Grace called to him as he began to trot off.

“You seem to be a self-sufficient woman,” he called back to her, not turning around. “I am sure you will find your way back to the stables with no problem.”

CHAPTER TEN

“Is something ailing you, Your Grace?” Bridgette asked Grace.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Grace lied. But something was ailing her.

Grace’s body ached strangely, and she didn’t know what to do about it. It seemed when Nathaniel touched her, she was filled with pleasure. But when he pulled away, it left her feeling stiff and empty.

She had been so excited about winning the race against Nathaniel—even more so when he went through with giving out her prize. Just like it had the first time, Nathaniel’s kiss had sent a wave of dizzying pleasure through her, making her feel light and giddy. And she had wanted more.

For a moment, she had been sure that Nathaniel had felt the same, but when he pulled away from her, he did so as if he’d been burned by her touch. His at-ease demeanor had suddenly shifted to a cagey defensiveness, and the way he’d spoken to her had hurt her greatly. He had gone from pleasant and cheerful to steely and aggressive, and the way he’d left her standing alone in the field had been mortifying, even if no one else had been there to see.

Now, three days had passed, and she hadn’t seen him since. Once more, her husband had disappeared. A pattern, she realized, that surfaced every time they were about to make one step of progress. They’d be close—so close to turning a corner—and they would end up taking two steps back.

Grace saw the look of concern still stretched across her handmaid’s face and pulled herself from her thoughts. There was much more to worry about at any rate, and if she wanted to make a good impression, she would have to be on her toes.

“I am sure it is just nerves,” she continued. “My new aunt-in-law is arriving this morning.” Grace looked away from her handmaid and into the mirror. Bridgette had curled her blonde hair into ringlets. She had arranged them neatly in a very fashionable updo—one she herself had never been able to perfectly manage. Her rouge, too, was also newly done and of much higher quality than she was used to.

“Well, I promise you, Your Grace, you have nothing to be nervous about,” Bridgette promised with a kind smile. “You look absolutely angelic in this blue dress.”

Grace murmured a thank you as she ran a hand over the silk gown. There were many catches and snags in the once-perfect fabric, and frays had started at the hems. It was the last dress her parents had bought her before her father’s financial downfall, and even though she’d taken care of it, it was still starting to fall apart. She wished she had something better to wear in front of Tabitha, but it would have to do.

A knock on the door stopped Grace from her musings, and while Bridgette went to answer it, she finished her look with the modest string of pearls that her mother had handed down to her as a wedding gift. Just as she finished putting the clasp in place, Bridgette hurried back in.

“Your Grace, your husband wishes to speak with you in your sitting room,” Bridgette said with a quick curtsey.

“He does?” Grace asked, her stomach immediately feeling a flutter. She wasn’t sure whether she was excited to see him or was dreading it.

“Did he say what about?” she asked Brigette. Her handmaid shook her head.

“I do not know, Your Grace,” she replied softly. “It is not my place to ask such questions.” Brigette paused, then added, “He does look rather…solid, though.”

“Solid?” Grace asked. Brigette nodded.

“In his stature, Your Grace. Steady on his feet, if you will.”

Grace still wasn’t quite sure what that meant, but she decided to feel hopeful about it. She looked in the mirror once more then after Bridgette dabbed a bit of rouge to her lips, she hurried into her sitting room with a fluttering heart. Grace found Nathaniel standing in front of one of the landscape paintings, his eyes on the canvas as he clenched his hands behind his back. As usual, he was dressed in black, but Grace was quickly growing to like her husband’s style. Though he was a man of noble blood, his wild looks made him more akin to a pirate than a gentleman.

“Greetings, husband,” Grace greeted him respectfully, announcing her presence.

Nathaniel turned his green eyes to her, and she could already see the stress etched on his handsome face. Was it from his aunt’s visit? Or was it she that was causing such angst?

“Grace, hello,” Nathaniel replied with a slight bow. “My aunt will be arriving shortly, and I thought it best that we welcome her together.”

Grace’s heart sank as she heard this. So, he wasn’t here for an apology.

“I see,” she replied, sweeping her hands down the front of her skirt as she avoided his gaze. “Well, I am sure you are right about knowing what is best.”

Nathaniel said nothing, but his tense features slowly relaxed as his eyes swept over her.

“You have worn this dress before?” he asked, taking a step toward her.

Grace felt her temperature rise as Nathaniel reached out and brushed his gloved fingers over the skirt of her dress, his hand only a scant space away from hers.

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