Chapter 16

“You’ve been talking about the fire again,” Ambrose said calmly, nudging a friendly glass of spirited lemonade against Duncan’s knuckles to announce his presence.

Duncan kept his gaze on Alice, watching her closely as she and Helena played some sort of shuffle puck game while he accepted the glass. He had been keeping an eye on her all day at the garden party, watching not just her but those around her. His gut was churning with anger as he saw the truth of his wife’s confession from the other night.

“I’m going to bloody Ezra’s nose,” he muttered under his breath.

His friend had sworn not to tell, and what had he done? Run his bloody mouth the first chance he got.

“Don’t be mad at him for being a good friend,” Ambrose countered, his own eyes watching his sister protectively.

From what anyone else at the party could see, it was simply two gentlemen looking after their women. Not what it really was—two friends at the beginning of a heated discussion.

“I thought you were going to let this rest?” Ambrose asked exasperatedly.

“I remembered something,” Duncan said, finally tearing his gaze away from his wife. “Or at least I think I do. I cannot be sure. It was in a nightmare. A few of them, really.”

“Duncan,” Ambrose growled. “Come on, old boy. Are we to chase leads from dreams now? Let it go, man! Don’t go down that road again. You have a good thing with Alice now.”

“I know,” Duncan gritted out, his eyes flicking back to his wife.

She looked so beautiful, so delicate. No one could fathom the strength inside her. The sheer will she had to make things better. It impressed him more by the day.

“You’re right,” he sighed, letting his shoulders slump. “It was a foolish notion. Let ghosts have their peace and all that.”

Ambrose let out a breath of relief and clapped him on the shoulder, clearly happy the issue had so quickly been resolved. But when he took a closer look at his friend, he realized there was something else.

“This nightmare business is not all, is it? What else has you worked up?” he asked, following Duncan’s gaze. He then realized and smiled. “She’s beautiful, Duncan. You’re a lucky man,” he stated respectfully, seeing the way his friend was admiring his wife.

Duncan raised a challenging eyebrow as he took a brief pause from taking in the delightful way his wife’s curves filled out her white and rose print garden dress.

“Don’t get all jealous with me, mate.” Ambrose sighed warily, leaning back. “It’s just a compliment.”

Duncan rolled his eyes and said nothing. After his little territorial display at the ball the other week, his friend had that sort of response coming. His hackles slowly lowered, and he turned back to Alice.

“It’s just that Alice told me something the other night,” he continued. “About rumors regarding her?”

Ambrose cleared his throat, as if suddenly uncomfortable, and swirled his drink, making the ice clink against the glass.

Duncan turned to him and saw his friend had shifted his gaze to the ground. “Ambrose?”

“They are just rumors, mate,” Ambrose sighed wearily. “Why bother paying them any mind?”

Duncan looked back toward Alice again. She and Helena had gathered at an empty table with tea, the two of them chatting happily. At a table next to them, though, he saw a group of ladies eyeing them up and snickering. He couldn’t make out the words, but he could tell it was something unkind.

“Tell me,” he demanded, feeling a protective urge rise inside him.

“Why?” Ambrose asked, but when Duncan shot him a murderous look, he gave in. “They say she trapped you,” he confessed. “That she was getting nowhere with finding a husband because of her?—”

“What?” Duncan gritted out, his temper rising when his friend paused.

“Because of her size,” Ambrose confessed in a rush. “They call her names behind her back, as they do with anyone who is different. It’s stupid slander, is all. Leave it alone, Duncan.”

Leave it alone?!The hell he was.

“And what do they say about me?” Duncan asked, his mind formulating a plan.

“Nothing,” Ambrose said with a shrug, “other than you were unfairly trapped into marriage with a co?—”

Duncan shot him another threatening look, stopping him from saying the hurtful moniker. “Well,” he said decidedly, walking toward Alice, “I shall have to fix that.”

“Duncan, no,”Ambrose insisted, jogging up beside him. “Might I remind you that you are a gentleman and a trained boxer, and those miserable birds are not worth being shot at?”

Duncan threw his friend an amused glance as he kept walking.

“Their words are sharp, but their bodies are small,” Ambrose insisted worriedly as they drew closer.

“Goodness, Ambrose,” Duncan mused, throwing him a mischievous smile as they approached Alice and Helena. “What do you think I’m going to do to them?”

“Uh oh,” Helena sighed, her blue eyes glancing above Alice’s head. “They don’t look happy.”

“Who?” Alice asked, turning in her chair to see who the girl was looking at.

She didn’t get far before she felt Duncan’s familiar touch slide over her shoulder, sending pleasurable tingles through her as he gently pressed her back into her seat.

“Hello, Love,” he greeted, his deep voice surprisingly loud.

Alice felt a jolt go through her as she looked up into her husband’s masked face and saw the most devilish expression. “Hello, darling,” she replied, throwing a quick glance around them as he and Ambrose took their seats between her and Helena.

Her eyes caught the ladies at the nearby table looking at them curiously, their chatter turning into hushed whispers. She had been sure she’d heard one or two foul words, but the day had been so pleasant, so she had chosen to ignore them.

“Are you enjoying the party?” she asked timidly, not sure what her husband was up to.

“Much more now,” he assured her, his lips slowly curling into a smile as his eyes raked over her from head to toe.

Alice felt a shiver of desire run through her, for Duncan’s eyes seemed to glow as he took her in. Then, as if unable to help himself, he pulled her chair closer to his, and his hand once more caressed her shoulder and the back of her neck. She wasn’t sure what he was doing, but whatever it was, she suddenly didn’t mind.

“Have you had enough fun with your friends today?” he asked, his voice dipping seductively.

His gaze once more flicked over to the nearby table and seemed to glow with vicious glee. The ladies were all blatantly staring now and completely silent, none of them trying to hide their fierce curiosity.

Suddenly, Alice realized what Duncan was doing, and she felt a boost of confidence as she happily began to play along.

“With my friends, yes,” she replied loudly, seductively.

Duncan winked at her in approval, happy that she’d caught on to his game. “Perhaps there is much more enjoyment to be had at home, though?” he asked, helping her rise from her chair. “Particularly in our bedchamber.”

“Good Lord, I can’t watch this,” Ambrose muttered suddenly, grabbing hold of Helena’s arm as he began to drag her away. “Come, these two need some privacy. Perhaps a priest for absolution.”

“But it is so romantic!” Helena protested, unknowingly helping Duncan’s little plan further.

“I think there is,” Alice replied, ignoring the comical display and keeping her eyes on her husband.

Duncan smiled wickedly as he pulled her into his arms and planted a kiss on her lips for all to see. Alice giggled against his lips as she heard the collective gasps of the women who had once been making fun of her, and in doing so, Duncan only pressed her tighter to him, his hand coming up to cradle the nape of her neck so she couldn’t pull away. Not that she wanted to.

It was a short kiss, but one full of passion, and when he pulled away, it left her a bit dizzy and light-headed.

“Apologies, ladies,” Duncan called to the table, turning to them with a nod. “I saw my wife’s beauty and could not contain myself.”

“Perhaps you should try!” one called back in a shrill voice as she snapped open her fan.

“An atrocious scene!” another harrumphed.

“It was my mistake,” Duncan replied, feigning remorse as he began to pull Alice away. “I shall offend you no longer.”

“See that you don’t!” a lady called to them as they both turned away.

“You are mad.” Alice laughed as they walked at a quick pace toward the carriages. “That shall be all of the talk tomorrow!”

“At least it will be accurate this time,” Duncan scoffed, motioning for the footman to open the carriage door.

“Duncan, wait,” Alice said, slowing down. “Don’t we have to say our goodbyes?”

“Truthfully, I would rather not,” he quipped.

Before she could argue, he had his hands around her waist and was lifting her into the carriage.

“We did enough socializing today, and I want that little scene to stew for a while,” he continued, shutting the carriage door behind him with satisfaction.

Alice bit her bottom lip, her amusement waning a little as she came back to reality. She was appreciative of Duncan’s little act, but she had forgotten briefly that it wasn’t real. Yes, she had confessed that she didn’t like what people said about her, but this much drama was starting to feel false and hollow. Even if it wasn’t her size, there had to be something about her that made her husband stay away.

She had been so thankful for what she and Duncan had shared the night she had saved him from his nightmare, but the loneliness she’d felt when she’d woken up alone the next day still clung to her. Their friendship—if that’s what it was—had become an addicting cocktail of lust, pleasure, pain, bliss, agony, excitement, and, above all, a longing in her belly that only grew more agonizing with each day. She was losing herself to it, and it had to stop.

“You have a meeting when you get back to the manor?” she asked, willing her body to cool down.

No, you are not going to get your hopes up again.

“No,” Duncan replied, giving her a curious look. She quickly looked away. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I assumed you had something else to do,” she replied, trying to sound casual as she kept her eyes on the window.

“I thought perhaps we could do something together,” Duncan ventured, concern lacing his voice.

In her peripheral vision, Alice could see him trying to meet her gaze, but she couldn’t let him. He had done her a great service today, showing those nasty ladiesthat a woman like her could actually be desirable. But it was a show all the same.

A resolve of sorts had come over her, a realization of what Duncan had offered her in the beginning. He’d laid his inability to provide a normal marriage right there in front of her, and she had been the one to overlook it in some childish, self-righteous fashion. She had to let these romantic feelings go. For her sake, and his.

“I am sure you have better things to do,” she insisted, doing her best to smile sweetly at him as her heart began to ache. “I noticed Ezra and Morgan were not at the party. I am sure they are at the club, as always. Perhaps you could go have a row or two with them.”

“Alice,” Duncan said, his brow furrowing as he reached for her knee.

“Don’t,” she gasped softly, pulling away from his touch before he could reach her.

Duncan’s expression shifted from concern to worry, but he respected her wishes and withdrew his hand.

“Are you upset with what I did at the party?” he asked.

His genuine confusion only made her feel worse. She let out a laugh, but it almost turned into a sob, and she pressed the back of her hand to her lips to stop it.

“No,” she forced out, her voice quaking.

It was getting harder to breathe in the hot, tight space, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of the carriage.

“Then what is wrong?” he pressed, his tone growing more concerned. “Are you ill? Shall I have Mrs. Fletcher call the physician when we arrive?”

“No!” Alice repeated, louder this time, feeling her chest grow unbearably tight.

Finally, the carriage came to a stop, and she was out of it and stumbling down the gravel parkway before Duncan could stop her.

She heard him following behind her, occasionally muttering her name under his breath in an urge to make her stop. Servants quickly turned away from them as Alice made her way to her quarters, giving them privacy out of either fear or respect. She knew there was nowhere to run from him, nowhere to hide from his stalking pace, but she kept going anyway.

He was twice her height and—she would not be surprised—her weight, with all that muscle, and she knew she could not lock him out of a single room in the house. Whether with key or muscle, he’d have no issue getting to her, and she could tell by the way he was following her that he was not about to let her get away.

“Leave us,” Alice instructed when she saw Rebecca waiting for her in her sitting room.

The maid shot up from the seat instantly, as if sensing the growing tension, and scurried out of the room before shutting the door behind her.

“Alice, talk to me,” Duncan pleaded, following her into her bedroom. “What is going on?”

“Turn around,” she demanded, giving him a sudden stern look.

He glared at her right back, unfazed, and took a step toward her. “Why?”

“Because I cannot breathe in this dress,” she hissed defensively, feeling her heart begin to pound recklessly as she grew unbearably hot “And I do not want you to see me disrobe!”

“I’ve seen you disrobe before,” he argued.

“Well, this is now, isn’t it?” she snapped, fiddling with her dress.

“Let me help,” Duncan implored, reaching for the back of her dress.

“I can do it myself!” she protested.

Alice quickly slapped his hand away as it reached for her, but to her shock, Duncan let out a low, animalistic growl as he caught her wrist and dragged her to him. He glared down at her disapprovingly as his other hand made quick work of her corset strings, then released her and turned away respectfully when the garments began to pool to the floor.

Cheeks burning, Alice walked, naked, to her bed and reached for her summer robe, a lilac-dyed cotton ensemble that covered little and kept her cool in the privacy of her room. It was a bridal gift from Barbara that she’d ordered from a French boutique—back when there was hope that her soon-to-be husband would want to see her in it. Now, though, she only wore it for herself.

“Tell me what is going on,” Duncan insisted again, his back still turned to her. “If it’s not what I did at the party, it has to be something else. Is it more rumors?”

“No.” Alice laughed, pulling her windows open.

Why did this man have to irritate her so? And why on God’s bountiful earth was there no damned air?

“I’m just finally putting the picture together, is all.”

Duncan let out an exhausted sigh as he turned back to her. “What does that even—Jesus!”

His eyes ravenously raked down her figure. His right hand slowly went to the back of his neck, rubbing some apparent tension there, then slowly glided down to his jaw before it rested over his lips and his cheek.

Alice felt desire stir within her as she watched his body shift subtly. She wanted so badly to give in… but this was lust, not love. And she had to stop setting herself up for disappointment.

“Where—when—where did you get that?” Duncan stammered out, his eyes glued to her body.

Alice was shocked by his tone. He was normally so dominant, so sure, but now he appeared like a young buck seeing a woman naked for the very first time. She willed herself not to be satisfied by this, but it didn’t work.

“Barbara got it for me,” she explained shamelessly, rolling her hips as she shifted into a relaxed stance.

“Why have I not seen it before?” he asked, losing track of their earlier argument.

His eyes still glued to her figure, he began to walk toward her in a trancelike fashion. Knowing she’d lose her resolve if she let him touch her, she began to step backward on the balls of her feet.

“Duncan,” she warned, trying her best to use her most stern tone.

It clearly did not work, as he continued to stalk toward her. Not realizing where she was heading, Alice suddenly felt the seat of the swing brush against the back of her thighs, and as she rested her backside on it, she lifted one leg and pressed her toes against Duncan’s chest, stopping him, and used the other to anchor herself to the floor.

Alice felt moisture begin to trickle down her thighs as Duncan let out an animalistic grunt and looked at the foot resting against his chest with wonder.

Stop it.

She was struggling to hold onto her new resolve. But when Duncan’s hand slowly came up and gently caressed her instep, she nearly felt her body give up altogether. Her other foot touching the ground began to tremble, threatening to give out and bring her toward him.

“And where have you been hiding this magnificent, little talent?” he asked, looking up at her with lust-filled eyes.

“Duncan, I finally understand what you’ve been trying to tell me,” Alice forced herself to say aloud, hoping she sounded stronger than she felt. “And you do not love me. You helped me see that you find me attractive, and I’m very, very grateful for that?—”

Her words were cut off as he brought her foot to his lips and pressed a tender kiss to the soft, sensitive skin of her ankle.

“But this is lust, not love,” Alice continued, but her words were now coming out more as a plea than a statement as her body began to tremble with anticipation. “And I want love.”

“I would absolutely love to worship your body,” Duncan rasped, his eyes boring into hers as he planted another tender kiss, this time on her instep.

“Not the way I want you to,” Alice breathed, feeling the hurt of the truth take over her rising lust.

In an instant, Duncan was on her, his hand around her ankle, her leg locked around his waist as his free hand grabbed one of the ropes, steadying them. His hips were locked tightly against hers, his engorged length pressing against her sensitive petals through the fabric of his trousers.

“Don’t do this to me,” she begged, feeling the last of her strength wane as his fingers moved from the rope to slowly curl around her throat. “I cannot bear being left by you again.”

This eight-word confession from her was the first thing that seemed to pull Duncan out of his haze of lust. Alice felt his muscled body still, his fingers tightening around her throat. Not enough to cut off her breath, but enough to force her chin up.

Duncan pulled in a deep, steady breath through his nose as his blue eyes peered deeply into hers, and he let it out calmly, his chest rising in a way that caught her eyes. She wanted him to release her, to keep her. Something, anything, to break this cursed frozen state.

“I think,” he said at last, bringing his lips so close to hers that it made her whimper, “that it is time to redefine our relationship.”