Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Charlotte twiddled her thumbs, occasionally looking at her husband as their carriage rumbled towards his home. She had seen it in the distance before but had never been inside. Her parents, however, had called upon the dowager duchess at her request at least twice, which led to her now being a married woman.

Tempted to hum something to keep her occupied, she quickly decided against it. William looked like a man who would grow annoyed, which wouldn't be a good start to their marriage. He already seemed so tense and uncomfortable and had barely looked at her since she entered the church.

She could count on one hand the number of times he had looked at her beyond reciting their vows. Truthfully, she had been disappointed that he hadn't reacted like someone impressed with his wife's appearance. He had certainly looked at her, but she had not seen any appreciation. He had simply been still.

Charlotte looked out the window, wishing Hermione had attended the wedding and was with her in the carriage. Her good friend had been married the year before and would have been the perfect person to tell if William's behavior was normal.

Charlotte didn't want to ask her mother because she would say it was perfectly normal, which wasn't helpful. She wanted to get to know her husband, so allowing him to continue keeping to himself simply wouldn't work for her. Louise definitely wouldn't be able to help since she was just as inexperienced as Charlotte, and speaking to her mother-in-law about her stepson didn't seem wise.

It seemed silly that she couldn't invite her friend to her wedding, but her mother had been adamant about doing everything just as the dowager duchess wanted. Charlotte was a little worried that the woman would wish to control the marriage, especially as they would live together. Hermione often talked about her mother-in-law, saying she meant well but interfered far too much.

Perhaps if Charlotte found favor with the dowager duchess, she might be able to have more freedom in the house. She was the mistress of the home, after all, but at nineteen, not many would believe she could handle a household of several family members and dozens of servants.

It always amused her that people decided that young women were old enough to get married and have children, but they were not old enough to make decisions for themselves. Considering both options required much time, effort, and responsibility, it was ridiculous that people couldn't see the irony of the situation.

Glancing at her husband again, she was glad he was handsome. One either had to have a lovely disposition or an attractive appearance. If one were fortunate, they had both.

William was a quiet man who couldn't rouse himself to speak to his new wife—that made for a dull marriage unless she could convince him to be at ease around her and speak his mind. Charlotte wanted to be a good wife, which meant understanding her husband, so she would if he didn't start the conversation.

She wracked her brain for a moment, thinking about something witty to say. She didn't know much about the war besides her country's deep hatred of Napoleon and his supporters, so that wouldn't be a wise choice. Biting her lower lip, she noted he had luscious brown hair that curled at his nape. She couldn't tell if he used a pomade to keep his hair back because soft curls like that tended to flop on one's forehead.

"You have lovely hair, William," she said. "It's a very rich brown, like the hot chocolate I drink every morning. Do you like hot chocolate?"

William slowly turned his equally rich brown eyes to her, his expression unreadable. "I do not like sweet things," he said.

Charlotte's eyes widened. "You do not?" she asked. "What do you usually eat for breakfast?"

"Plain toast and tea," he said. "Sometimes egg and fried meat."

Charlotte was surprised. Breakfast was one of her favorite meals because it was a mixture of everything right in the world of food—cakes, bread, eggs, meat, fruit, preserves—everything. To eat so plainly was foreign to her.

"What about dinner?" she asked. "What do you usually like to eat?"

"Whatever is served is fine," William replied.

"But do you have a favorite meal?" she pressed. "Perhaps roasted lamb and new potatoes, or pork pie, or fried mutton with thick gravy and Brussels Sprouts—"

"Anything is fine," William interrupted, his voice brooking no further discussion.

Charlotte deflated, her shoulders slumping slightly. At least she knew he wouldn't mind whatever he was served. She could probably have the chef boil chicken and serve it with day-old bread, and he would still eat it. Perhaps being in the military had taught him to be content with whatever food he received. However, being a commanding officer should have afforded him better rations than the lower military members.

Inwardly sighing, she continued observing her husband from beneath her eyelashes. Charlotte had noticed he favored his left profile, often keeping his right side somewhat hidden. Perhaps it had to do with the scar on his cheek. She had thought nothing of it when she first noticed, other than briefly admiring it.

Charlotte had once read a story about a handsome pirate with a scar on his face and she had fallen in love with the character. Since then, she grew to like battle scars. Louise thought it was an odd fixation, but not all fixations could be explained.

In Charlotte's opinion, the scar made William appear more mysterious and attractive. She wanted to tell him he didn't need to feel uneasy around her, but she doubted she could broach the subject without offending him. He appeared sensitive about it, or he wouldn't try to hide it.

"I am excited to see your home," she commented, hoping that would pique his interest. "Well, our home. My parents mentioned it was beautiful. I understand Russell Manor was built in the 1300s?"

"Yes," William replied.

Charlotte waited a moment, hoping he would elaborate, but he didn't. She had been almost certain that talking about his home would encourage a conversation. Topics about food and home were not good enough, so—

"We've arrived at the estate," William announced.