Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

" A urelia!" a familiar voice called.

Aurelia turned around, her face lighting up as she saw Viscount Whitley approaching her. His easy smile and warm demeanor were a welcome relief.

"Finally, a familiar face," she said, her shoulders relaxing as he drew nearer.

Oliver grinned, taking her in with a casual glance. "Where is your husband? I thought he would be by your side."

Aurelia gave a light shrug. "He is here somewhere, I suppose," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Although I am not quite sure where."

Oliver laughed softly, shaking his head. "Typical of Philip. Always disappearing when there is fun to be had. Come," he urged, offering her his arm, "let me take you to the refreshments table. You have had enough wine, and it is high time that you tried some of these desserts."

Aurelia was surprised by his familiarity with her, but she welcomed it. She couldn't help but smile at his teasing tone.

She allowed him to lead her across the ballroom to a table laden with cakes, pastries and other delicacies.

"Thank you," she said as she picked up a small chocolate tart from the display.

Oliver watched her with amusement. "How is your ankle? I suppose it has healed well?"

Aurelia nodded as she took a bite of the sweet confection. "It is much better, thank you. Hardly a bother now."

"Good, good," Oliver said, just as two women approached. He turned, smiling broadly. "Ah, Your Grace, allow me to introduce my sister, Lady Catherine Riverton, the Duchess of Newden, and Lady Beatrice Spencer, the Duchess of Dunford. Their husbands are also friends, but I assume you have not yet met them," he explained.

Aurelia had heard of the other two dukes and their friendship with Philip. All three had garnered a certain reputation before each of them were married.

Heavens, she would never have imagined that one from their group would be married to her.

Both women curtsied politely, their eyes bright with curiosity. Aurelia bobbed a small curtsy in return, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their attention.

"So, Duchess, how are you finding life as the Duchess of Oakdale?" Catherine asked in a friendly but inquisitive tone.

Aurelia hesitated for a moment. She wasn't quite sure how to answer, not with Philip's strict warnings echoing in her head. These were his friends, not hers. They certainly viewed her as an enemy, just as he did.

"Oh, it is…blissful," she replied, her tone not as convincing as she'd hoped.

Catherine's eyebrow rose, and she let out a light laugh. "Blissful? Really?"

Aurelia's cheeks flushed. "I…I suppose," she stammered, feeling the weight of Catherine's knowing gaze.

"You don't need to lie to us," Catherine teased, her eyes sparkling. "I do not blame you. Philip is a difficult man to pin down, is he not?"

Beatrice smiled kindly, her tone more reassuring. "Indeed. You do not have to hold back with us. We may have recently met Philip, but we are not strangers to his…complexities. If you ever need someone to talk to, you can count on us."

Aurelia smiled weakly, unsure of how to reply.

Could she really trust them? Sharing her feelings with these women, no matter how kind they seemed, would be risking Philip's wrath.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Oliver must have sensed her discomfort because he quickly changed the subject.

"So," he asked with a grin, "how are you enjoying tonight's ball?"

Aurelia blinked at the question, confused.

"It is your first ball as a married woman. How are you enjoying it?" Oliver clarified.

A small smile spread across Aurelia's face. She was grateful for the change of topic.

Catherine and Beatrice both laughed, exchanging glances.

"It does not seem so different from when you were just a girl, does it?" Catherine asked, her voice laced with a hint of playfulness, wiggling her eyebrows.

Aurelia looked down at her feet, then raised her head with a smile. "I must admit, you are right, Duchess. This ball does not seem very different, but if I must point out something that is unusual, it would be the stares I have received from every member of the Ton. It is as though I used to be invisible, and now people finally see me."

"Poor thing." Catherine smiled, placing her hand atop Aurelia's. "You can refer to it as the pain of becoming a Duchess. You are suddenly in the spotlight. The whole country is watching your every move."

Aurelia heaved a small sigh. "I do not see it as a pain," she said after a beat had passed. "I see it as an opportunity. Before now, I had no friends, and when I got married, I had no one by my side and no one to confide in." She paused, looking at the two women beside her, and a small smile curved her lips. "I hope to find friends. Perhaps friends who would become like my sisters. Friends I could confide in."

Both duchesses watched her with compassion in their eyes.

"And you have found them. We are all so lucky that our husbands are as thick as thieves," Beatrice said with a warm smile that melted Aurelia's heart.

The conversation soon shifted as Oliver and the three Duchesses jumped through topics with light laughter.

Despite herself, Aurelia found that she was enjoying their company. Catherine's sharp wit and Beatrice's warm demeanor made her feel comfortable, as if they had been friends for years. But even as she laughed at their stories, there was still a small part of her that held back.

Could she really let her guard down around them? Could she trust them with her secrets?

Perhaps she couldn't, since she'd just met them. But she would be lying if she said she didn't feel the urge to spill her secrets to them. They seemed like women who would not judge her.

However, before she could dwell on it further, two gentlemen approached their small group. With polite bows, they requested to pen their names on Catherine's and Beatrice's dance cards and asked them for the next dance.

Catherine and Beatrice exchanged amused glances before accepting their requests.

"Well, it seems we have been claimed for the next set," Catherine quipped with a grin. "Do enjoy yourselves."

As they were led away, Oliver turned to Aurelia with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I suppose it is my turn to ask for a dance," he said, offering her his hand with a flourish. "Will you do me the honor, Your Grace?"

Aurelia laughed softly and placed her hand in his. "I would be delighted."

Aurelia's heart began to pound as they made their way to the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Philip standing across the room, his gaze fixed on her and the Viscount. The intensity of his stare was unmistakable and she could feel the waves of his anger from where she stood.

A thrill raced through her, and she couldn't help but enjoy it.

Let him stew in it .

Her lips curled into a small smile at the thought.

Let him feel a fraction of the confusion and frustration I have been feeling since the day we married.

Oliver led her onto the dance floor, his hand resting lightly on her waist as they moved into position.

"Is something amusing you?" he asked, noticing her smile.

Aurelia glanced up at him, the corners of her mouth still perked up. "Not at all," she replied, although the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement.

As Aurelia and the Viscount glided across the dance floor and the lively music carried them into the center of the crowd, Oliver's gaze softened as he studied her. His hand rested lightly on her waist, his movements graceful yet gentle.

"So," he began, his tone conversational but laced with curiosity. "If you do not mind my asking, what truly happened between you and Philip earlier?"

Aurelia's breath hitched slightly at the directness of his question. She hadn't expected him to ask so plainly, and she certainly wasn't prepared to divulge the full truth of the matter.

"Oh, nothing much," she said, glancing away for a moment. "Just a little spat. It is…well, it is complicated. Too many things at once."

Oliver arched an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching with faint amusement. "A spat? You both looked like the perfect couple on the dance floor. I could have sworn you were utterly enchanted with one another."

Aurelia let out a soft, incredulous laugh. "Perfect?" she echoed, shaking her head. "I assure you, that is far from the truth."

Oliver smiled but didn't press her further, though a thoughtful expression crossed his face.

"You know," he said after a pause, "Philip is not as cold as he might seem. I know he can come off as distant and severe, but there is more to him than that."

Aurelia raised her eyebrows slightly, her curiosity piqued. "Really?" she asked, unsure whether to believe him. "And what exactly would that be?"

Oliver chuckled, his tone turning reminiscent. "When we were younger, Philip and Gabriel were inseparable. Always up to some mischief, mind you, but never the cruel kind. I remember once, at Oakdale Manor, there was this incident with a stray dog. It was badly injured and would have died if not for Philip."

Aurelia's interest deepened, and she tilted her head slightly as she listened.

"Philip nursed that dog back to health, refusing to leave its side for days," Oliver continued.

Aurelia's thoughts drifted to when she had sprained her ankle, and how her husband had stayed by her side until the physician left.

"Gabriel was right there with him, of course, but it was Philip who insisted on caring for the creature. He would not let anyone else near it. Said that if something was broken, it was his duty to fix it."

Aurelia blinked, surprised by this glimpse into Philip's past. It was the first time she had heard anything about the man she had married, since no one in his household was willing to talk about him.

Despite herself, she could hardly picture the distant, stoic man she knew as someone who would tend to an injured animal with such care. It was a side of her husband she hadn't seen; perhaps a side she wasn't meant to see.

Oliver glanced at her, gauging her reaction. "He is far more compassionate than you think, Aurelia," he said gently. "Even if he does not show it."

Aurelia said nothing for a moment, her mind reeling with what he had just told her. Could it be true? Was there a part of Philip capable of tenderness and care?

The memory of their recent dance, the way his eyes had bored into hers with a mix of desire and frustration, lingered in her mind.

Yet, she couldn't reconcile the man Oliver described with the one she had married.

Philip stood on the opposite side of the ballroom, his hand gripping his glass with such force that it threatened to shatter. He watched them, watched her dancing with Oliver, a man who was supposed to be his closest friend.

His jaw clenched and his chest tightened with possessiveness and rage that he hadn't felt in a long time. It was infuriating, maddening even to see his wife talking so freely with someone else.

Where were Thomas and Kenneth when he needed them? They'd wandered off for a cigarette, leaving him standing alone, forced to endure the sight of his wife in the arms of another man. Even if that man was Oliver, Philip still felt a consuming possessiveness.

His stomach twisted with jealousy, a dark, simmering fury that gnawed at him the longer he watched them.

Aurelia had never laughed like that with him. She had never looked so carefree, so happy in his presence. What was it about Oliver that could coax such a response from her?

His eyes narrowed as he saw her glance over in his direction, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before she turned back to Oliver, her lips curling into a small, secret smile.

That smile ignited something in Philip, a raw, pressing need that only seemed to burn hotter with each passing second.

How could she smile like that at another man? His wife . She was his .

On the dance floor, Aurelia was acutely aware of Philip's gaze even as she continued to move gracefully with Oliver. She could feel his intense stare burning holes into the back of her head. A part of her, one she didn't want to acknowledge, relished it.

She glanced up at Oliver who was still smiling, oblivious to the storm brewing behind them.

His hand rested gently on her waist, guiding her movements with ease, but all Aurelia could think about was the way Philip's eyes had darkened the moment she accepted Oliver's invitation to dance. She hadn't meant to provoke him, but now that she had she couldn't help but enjoy the effect it had on him.

Oliver leaned in slightly as they twirled in time to the music. "You know," he said softly, "I do believe Philip cares about you more than he lets on. He has never been good at showing his feelings, but he is watching you now as if you are the most precious thing in the world."

Aurelia's breath caught at his words, but she quickly masked her surprise with a light laugh.

"I think you are mistaken, Oliver," she said, though her heart beat faster in her chest. "Philip and I…well, it is not quite what you think."

Oliver's gaze softened, but he didn't push it further.

"Perhaps," he said, his voice low. "But if I am right, then maybe you will see it for yourself, in time."