Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

O ctavia inhaled sharply as she stepped from the carriage and took in the sight of the mansion that lay before her.

The Sunderley estate was vast with sprawling gardens that boasted myriads of flowers and plants. Yet the mansion itself was something more akin to a castle than a house.

High buttresses and countless windows spoke of the affluence of the family while small details such as a pair of stone swans hinted at just a touch of elegance.

Her mouth practically fell open when she noted the large fountain to the side of the house. The base of the structure was almost big enough to warrant being called a pond rather than a fountain.

“Welcome to Sunderley Mansion; this will be your home for the foreseeable future.” Simon came to her side and offered her his arm when the rest of the carriages came into view.

Octavia looked up at him with a frown, already annoyed with the silence that had ensued in the carriage. She had been so shocked by their lingering kiss in the church that she had almost been expecting him to make more of an effort where the conversation was concerned. Instead, he had chosen to grunt replies at her whenever she asked him a question.

She shook her head and made a mental note to ask him what he had meant as the butler came forward to greet them both.

His black livery was impeccably ironed without so much as a button out of place.

“Good morning, Your Grace. May I be the first one to welcome you to your new home?” His straight, stick-like figure bowed so low that Octavia was afraid that a gust of wind would snap him in two.

“Has the breakfast banquet been taken care of?” Simon replied, not allowing her a chance to greet the man.

“It has, Your Grace. Everything has been laid out exactly as you asked,” the butler replied with a dignified tilt of his head as he came up straight.

Simon nodded his approval and practically dragged her forward without warning.

“Is there a particular reason for your haste, Your Grace?” Octavia complained, feeling her irritation growing with every passing moment. He had seemed so kind and even gentle in the church when he had kissed her; what had happened to that man?

“I would like us to be waiting at the door for our guests as soon as they arrive. We can greet them all before welcoming them to our home. There will be plenty of time to relax after the wedding breakfast has commenced,” he answered her curtly, giving off the same coolness that she had detested from the start.

Obeying him rather begrudgingly, Octavia allowed herself to be led up the stone steps and took up her position at his side once her uncle and godmother exited the carriage.

“Tell me, Your Grace, will I be allowed to find my way in my new lodgings, or will you be dragging me from room to room?” she snapped at him out of the corner of her mouth and forced a smile.

Simon seemed as if he were about to reply but flashed his eyes at her instead and welcomed their guests.

“You have a lovely home, Your Grace. I can see our Octavia being very happy here.” It was Matilda who came forward and kissed her goddaughter on both cheeks before addressing the Duke.

“Thank you, Lady Langhall; I hope you will feel welcome here during the course of your visit,” Simon responded smoothly with a glint in his eyes before shaking hands with the Earl.

Octavia instantly noted the mirth in Matilda’s eyes and tried her best to hide her smirk. If the Duke thought that he would be able to treat any of them with cool indifference, then he was sorely mistaken where Matilda was concerned. The older woman harbored the habit of teasing anyone who took themselves or their station too seriously in life.

“Thank you, Your Grace, the Earl and I will graciously accept your invitation to visit whenever we please.” Matilda hooked her arm into the Earl’s and led him away with a secret wink in Octavia’s direction.

It took all of her self-control to keep herself from laughing when Simon frowned. The kinder thing would have been explaining to him that Matilda had been joking, yet she enjoyed his discomfort immensely. It almost felt to her as if she had gotten him back for the silence in the carriage.

“You look as if you belong here already.” His grandmother came up the stairs next, followed by Arthur.

The way he rolled his eyes did not go unnoticed by Octavia as she hugged the Dowager Duchess.

“You may go inside with Octavia and take your seat at the table, Grandmamma. You must be quite tired after this morning, given your poor health.” Simon narrowed his eyes at her, making Octavia bristle.

She was not sure what had occurred between him and his grandmother, yet she was not about to allow him to speak to her in such a manner.

“I would be delighted to escort you inside.” She held her arm out to Bernice before turning back to Simon with a serious expression. “Oh, I forgot to mention, I have arranged for my uncle’s footmen to bring the pets this afternoon.”

“Pets?” Simon grumbled with a look of confusion and annoyance on his face.

“Of course, one of my charitable outreaches involves providing a safe dwelling for animals in need of a home. There are not that many: there are only fourteen dogs and several dozen cats. I hope that will not be a problem. You did promise my godmother that I could have anything my heart desired,” she explained sweetly.

Simon’s face turned the brightest shade of red as he began to splutter. “What?”

“I am only teasing, of course, Your Grace,” she added before he could explode in anger. The look of utter defeat that came over his face brought her an immense amount of pleasure.

The Dowager Duchess threw back her head and laughed in such an unladylike manner that Octavia began to love her even more.

“You better watch out, Simon; Octavia here may just break down all of those walls you worked so hard on building.” His grandmother continued to laugh and shook her head.

Holding his gaze, Octavia allowed the corner of her mouth to hook into a smile before turning and leading his grandmother into the house.

If he was not even willing to be civil with her during the course of their marriage, then she was not about to make things easy for him.

Bernice patted her arm as they walked into the foyer of the grand mansion with marble flooring. “You give him hell, dear. Simon may come across as grumpy as a cat in a bathtub, but his bark is worse than his bite. He will come around in time; you will see.”

Octavia glanced over her shoulder and noted the expression on her husband’s face. He was not amused with her, nor was he angry.

What are you thinking, Simon Wakefield?

Simon watched from the doorway as his grandmother and wife disappeared around a corner. He had not been expecting her to tease him like that. He wondered if she was always that playful, or if his gruffness had brought it out in her. Their kiss in the chapel had not been what he had expected either.

Her lips had stirred something within him that made him want to keep her at arm’s length.

Arthur let out another low whistle before chuckling. “You certainly have quite a wife there, Simon. She is stunningly beautiful, well-bred, and funny to boot. If you allowed it, I think you could have quite a successful marriage. It certainly will not ever be boring.”

Coming back to his senses, Simon pushed the unwanted thoughts aside and clenched his jaw. “Nothing in her behavior has changed my mind. Our marriage is purely one of duty. I will provide a good home for her, nothing more.”

Arthur lowered his head and shook it in exasperation. “You know the old saying that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink?”

“What of it?” Simon grumbled, already annoyed by his friend and grandmother’s insistence upon thrusting him at his wife.

“Apparently, you can lead a duke to a chapel, but you cannot force him to be happy.” Arthur raised his eyebrows with a knowing look before pushing past his friend and entering the house.

Why cannot everyone let things be?

Simon clenched his jaw and let out a deep breath before following his friend into the house.

Inside the dining room, things had been put in place exactly as he had instructed the servants. Trays of roast beef, chicken, and several delicacies had been laid on the serving table with the footmen waiting to serve them all.

Striding into the room with the long table and solid chairs, Simon took up his seat beside his bride and gestured for the food to be served.

Octavia seemed to be engaging in spirited conversations with his grandmother before turning to him. “You have a lovely home, Your Grace.” Her smile seemed sincere as if she were trying to placate him.

“It is yours now if you wish it to be.” He returned her smile with a great deal of effort, eliciting a frown from her.

The Dowager Duchess narrowed her eyes at him before turning to Lady Langhall and continuing the conversation.

Simon knew that she would not like it all if she heard of his plans to allow Octavia her choice of dwelling, but that was a bridge that he would cross when the time arose.

“Octavia, you must remind me to show you the rose gardens. They are simply splendid this time of year. After your honeymoon, I may want to come up from the dower house and spend my afternoons with you in the gardens.” His grandmother steered the conversation back to the house almost as soon as the footmen began to serve the food.

Sipping on his wine, Simon noted the mischievous glint in her eyes. She was certainly still up to something, even though they were already married. “Are you sure that you are well enough to be having tea in the gardens, Grandmamma?”

Octavia frowned and looked from one to the other. “Have you been ill?”

Simon thoroughly enjoyed the panic that filled his grandmother’s eyes before she composed herself again.

“You know it was the most curious thing, I had a bit of chest pains when I heard the news of August’s disappearance, but I am feeling much better now.” She threw Simon a subtle glare before smiling reassuringly at Octavia. “In fact, I am feeling much better now that I know Simon has you for a wife.”

“If you are feeling unwell, then perhaps you should not be traveling back to London. I am sure that Simon would not mind if you stayed the evening with us?” Octavia turned to him with a piercing gaze, her brilliantly blue eyes catching him off guard for a second.

It was Bernice who answered for him after taking a sip of her wine. “Oh, I do not think so, dear. It is kind of you to think of me like that, but I would not dream of imposing myself upon a young couple. Not when they have only just been married.”

Lady Langhall chimed in from across the table with a mischievous smile that had Arthur stifling a chuckle. “Not to worry, His Grace has kindly offered his home to us at any time after the honeymoon, have you not, Your Grace?”

Bernice chuckled gleefully to herself before reaching for her napkin, making Simon realize that she had been teasing him outside.

“Of course, everyone is always welcome to pay us a visit, after an extended honeymoon.” Simon rose to the challenge and raised his glass, locking eyes with Matilda.

A look of utter triumph came over the woman’s face as she turned back to her plate.

Was she attempting to draw me out of my shell?

Simon felt as if he had met his match when his leg suddenly brushed against Octavia’s beneath the table.

Her cheeks flushed, and her lips parted with a silent gasp as Octavia pretended not to have felt anything at all. He suddenly felt as if she were far too near to him for comfort. He shifted his leg away from her and focused on his plate. Images of her lips pressed against his as he removed her clothes filled his mind.

The attraction he felt toward her threatened the vow he had made to never sire an heir. He would need to be careful with her, that he was certain of. She was far too charming and beautiful for him to control himself if ever they were placed in a situation alone.

He knew deep down that he would have to speak with her alone after breakfast; there were things that he needed to explain to her, but after that, he would try and stay out of her way.

“Do you think that you will be doing much redecorating?” his grandmother asked Octavia after swallowing a mouthful of chicken.

Octavia’s lips curled into a smile that quickly faded when Simon jumped in.

“I hardly think that will be necessary. The house has been the same since you lived here, Grandmamma. Why would anyone go and change anything?”

Octavia turned to him with renewed fire in her eyes. “Of course, I would never do anything without consulting you first, Your Grace, but I am given to understand that is a lady’s right to redecorate a house as she sees fit, is it not?” She openly challenged him now as she cocked her head to the side.

“Of course it is, and I do not think any lady should have to ask her husband permission,” his grandmother interjected.

A wave of heat rushed through his body as Octavia continued to stare him down.

What is she thinking?

He fought the urge to take her into his arms and kiss her lips into submission. Every fiber of his being wanted them to be alone so that he could consummate the marriage. Her sheer determination to defy him at every turn lit a fire in his loins that needed to be extinguished.

“Octavia will have her pick of décor once we are settled in. She would do well to rest before barreling straight into having the walls ripped down, however.” He reached for his glass of wine and met her gaze over the rim, feeling the need to shift in his seat.

The sheer look of determination that flashed in her eyes made him want her even more.

“You are right, Your Grace. I will certainly need some time to settle into my new life. And who knows, perhaps I will take to rescuing animals if redecorating does not keep me fulfilled.” She turned to the rest of the table with a warm smile as the other ladies agreed with her.

Arthur raised his eyebrows and smirked as Simon sat back in his chair and surveyed the rest of the breakfast. Running his tongue over his lips, Simon finished his wine, wondering how he was going to make things work with a woman who was as utterly defiant as Octavia.

Defiant and beautiful.

His thoughts wandered back into uncomfortable territory as he noted her profile.

The woman would prove to be the death of him if he did not lay down the rules as soon as he could.