Chapter 4

Chapter Four

" Y ou have no right to forbid me from seeing anyone at all, let alone my own father!" Aurelia clenched the fabric of her new dress in her fists. It wrinkled under the pressure, leaving two very distinct dents above her knees.

Just who does he think he is?

Any notions of civility that she may have thought he harbored disappeared like mist in the sun.

"On the contrary, Duchess. I am your husband, you belong to me now, and as such, I forbid you from ever seeing your father again. You are to obey my orders now." He leaned back in his seat, a triumphant grin curving his lips.

"Was this part of your plan? You wanted to punish my father by never allowing him to see me again?"

Her blood ran cold when she thought of their final moments together in the chapel. She had been so cold toward her father, and had refused to listen to his side of the story.

Would the words she had said to him be the last she would ever exchange with her father?

I am not sure I know who you are anymore…

It broke her heart to think that their final encounter had been one of discord.

"You cannot forbid me from seeing my family," she said more quietly, clenching the fabric of her dress over her knees once again.

"Family? Your father is a murderer, a liar and a scoundrel who frequents gambling halls. Is that truly someone you want close to you?" The Duke leaned forward in his seat and placed his hands on his knees. "You had better take stock of those you surround yourself with, Duchess. Your father could care less about what happens to you, and you had better come to terms with that."

Aurelia took a deep breath, trying to ease the pang of hurt in her chest. "I refuse to believe that my father is a murderer. He married me off to you for my own good. We would have been left destitute if I hadn't gone through with it. If that is not caring, then I do not know what is."

"Even after everything that transpired, with the proof of his gambling debts? Are you so blind that you cannot see what he truly is?" The Duke's voice was dangerously low as his eyes dropped to her lips.

Her breathing deepened as she recalled the kiss in the chapel, and all rational thought flew from her mind. Though the kiss had been brief, she wondered what it would feel like to kiss him again.

She quickly put the thought out of her head, for her husband was now the enemy.

"My father is not a monster. It is your actions that are proving to be harsher than his. You are the monster here."

The carriage lurched, propelling her closer to him, and she felt their breaths mingle.

Philip's jaw twitched for a second. "If I am such a monster, then why did your father hand you over to me without so much as a second thought? Why did he push his only daughter into the arms of a monster?"

He sat back in his seat as Aurelia opened her mouth to reply, but shut it quickly as his words sank in.

Is he right?

She wondered if her father's actions had been genuinely loving and in her best interests when he had handed her over so quickly. Even she had to admit that his effort in providing a ‘better' life for her was questionable. He could have pleaded with the Duke to cancel the debts, or develop a plan to save them both.

Instead, he had offered her up quickly. Far too quickly.

"You see it yourself. Soon, you will come to realize that I am not the monster you believe me to be. A wolf can wear sheep's clothing. Remember that, Duchess," Philip whispered almost inaudibly.

Aurelia's eyes narrowed, her voice steady and laced with defiance. "The same could be said about you, Your Grace. You are also a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Philip's jaw clenched, his gaze darkening as he leaned in, his voice low and dangerous. "Fine. Cast me as the monster," he growled. "For your own sake you would do well to stay far away from me, little lamb. I assure you, I am very much a wolf without the clothing of a sheep. What you see is what you get."

The carriage lurched again, propelling her off her seat, and she yelped.

Her arms flailed for a second, searching for anything to break her fall. Before she could land on the carriage floor, Philip reached out and pulled her up as though she weighed no more than a feather.

"I…" Her cheeks suddenly filled with heat as she looked up from his lap and expelled a shaky breath as she took in his close proximity.

The firmness of his grip sent shivers down her spine. Her body simultaneously tensed and melted, and she found herself becoming lost in his gaze.

Why am I not pulling away?

Her heart pounded in her chest, and the sensation of her breasts rising above her corset inflamed her desires. She began to picture his hands roaming over her body.

"Whoa!" the footman suddenly called out to the horses, announcing their arrival at Oakdale as the carriage slowly drew to a stop.

The Duke cleared his throat and released Aurelia once she had returned to her seat. "We have arrived at Oakdale Manor."

He averted his gaze, giving her a chance to adjust her corset and dress.

Shame filled Aurelia's cheeks as she realized how quickly she had lost control in his presence. As the sacrificial lamb, she knew she should not give in to his charisma so easily. If she was not more careful, the Duke would end up eating her alive.

"That will be the staff coming to greet us," he added gruffly as the carriage door opened, revealing a footman in bright blue livery. He exited the carriage without looking back and waited for her to join him.

Aurelia composed herself and took a deep breath, her hand pressed flat against her abdomen. There would be plenty of time to mull over her feelings. What she now needed to do was to tackle her new responsibilities as the Duchess of Oakdale.

Climbing out of the carriage, she gasped when she caught sight of the magnificence that was Oakdale Manor.

An endless row of footmen and maids had lined up in their neat uniforms, hidden almost entirely behind a giant fountain. The craftsmanship of the fountain alone was more than enough to impress her as she took in the hundreds of tiny cherubs pointing their bows to the heavens.

If the number of windows was a measure of size, the manor had more rooms than she could count. The maids must have their work cut out for them to keep the place clean and tidy. The fine stone masonry complimented the buttresses and overly wide stone steps that led up to solid oak doors.

Looking to the side with her mouth slightly agape, Aurelia noted the satisfaction in the Duke's eyes.

"Welcome to your new dungeon, Duchess." He smirked at her before heading toward the stone steps.

Catching her breath, Aurelia hurried along and stopped by his side as they reached the long line of servants, who kept their gazes fixed on the floor.

A man whom Aurelia presumed to be the butler rushed forward and bowed. His large belly stood in stark contrast to his thin nose and even thinner legs.

"Welcome to Oakdale Manor, Your Grace. I, along with the rest of the servants, would like to offer our humblest congratulations on your wedding."

"Thank you…" Aurelia couldn't help but feel flustered when the butler came forward, revealing his flushed cheeks and arched eyebrows, which reminded her of an owl.

The Duke nodded to an older woman who hurried forward and curtsied. She looked a little younger than the butler, yet her years were evident in the salt and pepper streaks in her dark hair, which had been tied back into a tight bun.

"This is Mrs. Jarrow. She is the housekeeper and will see to all of your needs as you settle in." Philip nodded at the housekeeper in acknowledgement and moved past her, motioning for the butler and the rest of the staff to retrieve Aurelia's luggage from the carriage.

A wave of relief washed over Aurelia at the thought of having some distance between them. She wouldn't have to be so vigilant if he stayed away.

But he is the only one who knows the truth.

A feeling of dread settled in her stomach when she realized that she needed his company. He was the only person who could give her answers. If he was to isolate her, how would she achieve this if she never saw him?

The housekeeper drew her attention back to the present. "Would you like a tour of the house before I show you to your chambers, Your Grace? Or would you rather leave that for another day? I am sure you're quite tired after such a long day."

Her caring words were like a balm to Aurelia's exhaustion.

"I think I would like a bath and some rest if you do not mind, Mrs. Jarrow. As you said, it has been quite a long day." Aurelia offered the woman a warm smile and took a moment to examine her features.

Mrs. Jarrow wasn't an unattractive woman. Her slender features and long nose spoke of an elegance that belied her station. She had the face of a woman who would have been considered noble if fate had been kinder to her.

"Of course, Your Grace." Mrs. Jarrow curtsied again, before nodding to some of the maids who quickly disappeared around the corner of the house.

Aurelia wasn't sure if she had been mistaken, but she thought she had detected a trace of skepticism in the housekeeper's eyes. Shaking off the feeling, she followed the woman up the stairs and into the house.

The inside of Oakdale Manor was almost as impressive as the exterior. The white marble floor shone like a mirror. The large spiral staircase led to a gallery that boasted many fine paintings and portraits.

"Breathtaking…" Aurelia whispered before she could stop herself.

She hadn't grown up in a shabby or poor household, yet the Duke's residence put her ancestral home to shame.

"It is quite magnificent." Mrs. Jarrow agreed as she stopped beside Aurelia and clasped her hands together in front of her apron. "His Grace insisted on keeping all of the original architecture from his grandfather's days, whilst making a few alterations to modernize it."

As the housekeeper spoke, the pride in her voice when she mentioned the Duke made Aurelia look up from her reflection on the floor.

Who was the Duke when he wasn't barging into people's houses and accusing them of deplorable crimes? The way his servants had stood like statues, awaiting his orders, had led her to believe that he governed them with an iron fist. Yet, the way his housekeeper spoke of him hinted at respect and admiration rather than fear.

Clearing her throat, Aurelia decided to abandon caution and find out who her new husband really was. If she had to live in this house as a captive, she needed to know more about the Duke.

"Mrs. Jarrow, you mentioned His Grace's grandfather. Is His Grace a family man?"

Mrs. Jarrow took a deep breath and composed herself before continuing. "I am afraid that I am not the right person to be answering your question, Your Grace. I suggest that you allow His Grace to address it when the time is right."

She cleared her throat in turn and walked off before Aurelia could protest.

As she watched her walk down the hall, Aurelia was baffled by the housekeeper's curt dismissal.

I suppose I will have to find my own way to my chambers.

She looked around the empty hall and wondered what she had done wrong. If she had harbored any notions of gaining an ally in Mrs. Jarrow, they had quickly been quashed in the space of one brief conversation. It was clear that the housekeeper would only be loyal to the man who paid her wages, and not to some newcomer who fished for information.

What do I do now?

Aurelia looked around the spacious entrance hall as footmen and maids entered in a flurry, their arms loaded with her trunks and bags. They made their way up the stairs and disappeared from her sight before she could ask them where she should go.

I will just follow the throng to my chambers.

She lifted the hem of her gown and made her way up the stairs, wondering what life would be like in her new home without a soul on her side.