Chapter 7

M arina's eyes opened as she stared at the ceiling in groggy confusion.

He left me alone last night.

The crushing confusion came back to her all at once as she recalled the way his body had stiffened above hers. Had he found her repulsive or lacking in certain ways?

Her mind reeled with questions that she did not know how to answer.

"Good morning, Your Grace. I hope you slept well." Isolde came bounding into the room before Marina could finish her thought.

The girl's mannerisms and sense of propriety certainly needed work, but there were far more pressing matters for Marina to deal with at present.

"I did, thank you, Isolde, what time will breakfast be served? Is His Grace already in the breakfast room?" She made up her mind not to avoid her husband. If she was to get to the bottom of what happened, then she needed to spend more time in his presence. Broaching the subject was no easy matter, yet a small spark of hope ignited in her chest.

"Oh, uhm, well, we assumed that your breakfast would be brought up to your chambers this morning, Your Grace. His Grace has already had breakfast and left." Isolde seemed uncertain of how to act when Marina's brow knitted into a frown.

"Did he mention when he would return?"

Isolde's tongue flicked over her lips as she shifted from foot to foot. "He did not, Your Grace. He only said that he would not be returning for a few days and that we were to make sure that your every need was seen to."

Every need besides being bed by my husband.

She felt even more conflicted at his sudden departure. Had he been so repulsed by her, that he could not bear to even be in the same house?

"Would you like me to have your breakfast sent up now, Your Grace?" Isolde seemed uncertain as her eyes drifted to the open door.

"No." Marina flung the sheets from her legs and came up straight. There were many things that she was willing to put up with, but she would not lie in bed sulking.

"When would you like it to be sent up, Your Grace?" Isolde became increasingly uncertain as she fidgeted with the frilled edges of her apron.

Marina flung her gown around her shoulders, fastening the satin sash at her waist before making her way to the dressing table. "I will not be having my breakfast in bed, nor will I in the future. You may help me get dressed before instructing the housekeeper that I will break my fast at seven sharp every morning in the breakfast room."

Isolde's eyes widened again in a trait that Marina was quickly beginning to recognize as part of her character. "Certainly, Your Grace." She hurried forward and began to straighten Marina's hair.

"Did His Grace happen to say where he was headed for the next few days?" Marina lifted her gaze in the mirror as Isolde pinned her hair in place.

"He did not, Your Grace. His Grace often goes away on business, one can only assume that that is the case this morning. If it is not too impertinent of me to presume, Your Grace." She quickly corrected herself before placing a few pins between her lips.

Marina took a deep breath and waited patiently for Isolde to finish as she mulled over the situation at the back of her mind.

Business.

What business could a newly married duke possibly have that could not even wait a few days? He could have been more considerate and left a note, at least then she would know that she had not made a terrible mistake by marrying him.

I still would not have had a choice.

She reminded herself of the infuriating fact that his brother had jilted her at the altar and her uncle tossed her out of her house.

"What activities can I set up for the rest of the day, Your Grace? Will you be requiring the use of the pianoforte, or perhaps getting to know the house a little better? The gardens are lovely this time of year for tea." Isolde offered with a helpful smile.

The thought of having to spend her days in simple frivolity until her husband returned set her on edge. She would not mope around the house like an expectant waif. "I think I will invite some of my friends over for tea this afternoon. I know it is very short notice, but I am sure they would be thrilled."

"So soon, Your Grace? Is it not proper to wait a few weeks before welcoming any guests?" Isolde inquired innocently.

Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself that her maid was not at fault for speaking her mind. "It is proper to wait at least two weeks. Considering the fact that His Grace has already gone away on business though, I think my actions can be excused."

"Very well, Your Grace, I did not mean to be presumptuous. Shall I have the tea prepared in the rose garden? The scent is heavenly this time of year."

"Yes, thank you. Have tea prepared for the four of us. It will be nice to have some semblance of my old life amidst all of the chaos." She held her head eye and examined her reflection in the mirror.

"Chaos, Your Grace?" Isolde tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Never mind, just a turn of phrase. I did not mean anything by it." Marina offered the girl a warm smile in the mirror. In many ways, Isolde reminded her of her sister, both na?ve and innocent, yet Prudence was far feistier.

Isolde's reflection seemed to relax. "Very well, Your Grace. I shall have the footmen send the invitations as soon as they are written. The tea shall be ready and waiting as soon as the ladies have arrived."

"Thank you," Marina noted how efficient Isolde was despite her penitent for chatter and impropriety. At least that was something that set her mind at ease, even if her husband had left her with a heart full of questions.

"It can't be all that bad." Penelope Huxton sat up straight in her seat, looking at the others over the rim of her cup as she sipped her tea.

Marina licked her lips before sipping from her own cup and looking around the garden.

Isolde had been right, the garden filled with roses was both a delight to the eyes as well as the nose. Yet she could not bring herself to enjoy the scenery in light of her worries. Various colors and even kinds of roses bloomed in all directions as far as the eye could see.

"Let Marina tell us her reason for inviting us over before we go and make any assumptions." Eleanor Harrison, the Duchess of Larsen gently scolded her friend before smiling at Marina.

Cordelia exchanged an amused glance with Marina before reaching for a scone.

"It has been one day since the wedding, Eleanor. One day . There has to be a reason that Marina has asked us over for tea so urgently." Penelope had always been the wisest of their group.

Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh as her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I did need your advice on matters of marital… duties," Marina stated her case as gently as she could, wondering if asking Cordelia over had been the right decision.

Color filled her best friend's cheeks as Cordelia averted her gaze, allowing her naturally long lashes to shade her beautiful green eyes. At twenty-two, Cordelia had yet to find a husband. While her presence presented Marina with a great deal of comfort, her lack of knowledge on the matter did not help the current situation.

"See, I knew the situation was quite dire when I received the untimely note." Penelope nodded her head triumphantly and gestured for Marina to go on.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Marina cleared her throat before placing her cup back on the table that sat between the four friends. "Well, it is just that I do not quite understand how these things are supposed to work. The duke came to my chambers last night and…"

Penelope cut her short with a knowing smile. "That is very normal dear. Marital duties can be quite fun with the right amount of affection."

Eleanor almost spat out her tea as Cordelia blushed the deepest shade of red.

"Come now, Eleanor, you are a married woman. You know how fun matters can be when love and attraction are involved." Penelope continued to tease her friend with a wry smile.

It was Eleanor and Penelope's turn to exchange a knowing glance.

"What Penelope is trying to say, is that there is no shame in the marital act. You are a married woman now, Marina, all is fair in love and war." Eleanor smiled fondly at her own words and sat back in her white wicker chair.

"War seems to be more prominent than love, not that I think either will ever exist between us," Marina grumbled as she thought how the duke had left things between them before his very abrupt departure.

The knowing glances between her two married friends began to annoy Marina as they smiled at each other.

"Believe it or not, that too can be a very good thing." Penelope winked at Marina before biting her lips and blushing.

Rolling her eyes with a playful shake of her head, Eleanor turned her body toward Marina. "What Penelope is trying to say, is that these things can be normal at the start until you and your husband find ways to co-exist. It was not easy for either of us."

Penelope shook her head more seriously now. "No, it was not. Neither of us married for love. Much like you, it was a union born out of convenience. Love only came later. As did desire."

"I hardly think that the duke and I will be falling in love. His lack of emotions last night assured me of that if nothing else." She held back on telling her friends that his reaction had come before the marriage could be consummated.

She was not certain why, but the thought of sharing such intimated details of her marriage, even with her close friends, did not seem right at all. She may not have finished the interaction with her husband, yet it still seemed far too intimate to share.

"These things come with time, dearest, there is so much to be discovered in your marriage, do not give up hope just yet. Xander fell for me even after all those things my father did," Eleanor added sweetly.

"Do you want the duke to love you?" Cordelia spoke up, catching the others off-guard as they all turned to her in confusion.

Marina felt her heart racing at the question.

Do I want him to love me?

She shook off the uncomfortable question and reassured herself that her reaction to his assumed rejection was just due to confusion and self-esteem.

Penelope and Eleanor seemed to be watching her quite intently as their eyes portrayed a look she did not understand.

Feeling as if she were obligated to reply, Marina cleared her throat. "I do not think it necessary for the duke to fall in love with me. Our marriage is one of convenience and nothing more. I was in need of a husband to stave off the shame from my family's name, and he needed a wife to sire an heir. Quite frankly, the arrangement does not require love. I was simply confused as to why a married man would set off on a business trip the day after his wedding."

Penelope now placed her empty cup back on the tray and looked Marina in the eyes. "Did he say anything before leaving? Or even after you… finished last night?" She glanced in Cordelia's direction before choosing her words.

Marina shook her head, averting her gaze to focus on the half-eaten cakes and sandwiches that were still on the plates.

"This may have been just as big of a shock to the duke as it was to you, dearest. Give him time to come around, some men only realize they are married when they either fall in love or hear the yowling of their heir for the very first time." Eleanor offered her comfort in a soothing voice.

"I guess it will be the latter for the duke then," Marina added begrudgingly, eliciting more concerned glances from her friends.

The atmosphere seemed to fill with concern, as Cordelia watched her so intently that Marina felt compelled to set their minds at ease.

"Not that it matters, like I said before, our marriage is one of convenience and nothing more. I simply wanted to understand if the duke's actions were normal." She forced a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

Penelope and Eleanor seemed more relaxed, yet Cordelia's eyes still seemed to harbor concern.

I do not need the duke to love me. I do not have to be like my friends. Their circumstances were different.

She swallowed hard at the reassuring thought. She tried to convince herself that the only reason she was struggling with his sudden departure, from her bed as well as their house, had more to do with duty than anything else.

It could not have been the start of something more, after all, she had only just met the man.

"Rest assured my dear, everything will make sense in time. Most men are strange creatures at the start of a marriage. Think of your husband as an imperfect tapestry. There may be a few stitches here and there that need to be unpicked and sewn back into place." Penelope declared in a helpful tone.

Pursing her lips in disapproval, Eleanor gave her friend a disapproving glance before turning back to Marina. "I do not think that it is healthy to view your husband as someone you can change. He is who he always was and always will be. It is your job to make sure that you bring the best out in him. It will be your love, attention, and devotion that allows him a safe enough space to be his true self."

"How is that different from what I said?" Penelope raised an eyebrow and challenged her friend.

Turning her body toward Penelope, Eleanor sighed. "It is very different; Marina should not be trying to change the duke. He is a man, not a tapestry. A married couple needs to learn how to coincide harmoniously. What good will changing him do?"

"Don't you think Rhysand changed for me?"

The two entered a bickering match that did not require either Marina or Cordelia's attention.

Cocking her head to the side, Cordelia stared at her friend, her eyes conveying the same question as before.

…Do you need the duke to love you?...

The pit of her stomach tightened with feelings of uncertainty as her friends' bickering match faded into the background of her mind. Nothing seemed clearer to her after all of their advice. What was she to do once he returned from wherever it was that he had gotten to?