Chapter 14

Modesty And Impatience

Beatrice walked through the garden. She couldn’t explain her feelings. She had known from Edwin’s treatment of her that he was not cruel, but not knowing him fully had left some doubt. How he had sprung into action when Lord Pemberton visited told her everything she needed to know about his character.

He was a good man who did things the right way. He did have his business interests to consider, and he could have left her to deal with the scandal on her own and come out the other end smiling, but he was willing to fight with her.

Beatrice felt proud to be married to such a man.

Her feelings quickly shifted when she spotted Modesty in the gardens up ahead. Her thoughts had been profound and deep, an emotional journey to figure out exactly who Edwin was. But when she spotted her mother-in-law, all her thoughts and fears were replaced by unbridled amusement.

Beatrice burst out laughing. She had never laughed in such a way before, but the scene not twenty yards away from her was one of the funniest things she had ever seen.

The gardener did not share her joy, and he looked to be pulling his hair out as Modesty walked through the flowerbeds, holding a cane that she used to bushwhack some of the flowers.

Beatrice quickly ran over to get a closer look, but also to see if she could help.

“Please, Your Grace,” the gardener begged. “Those are not weeds!”

“Of course they are,” Modesty claimed. “You just told me they were.”

“No, I told you the small ones with the yellow tufts on top were weeds, but those ones are blue,” the frustrated gardener told her.

“I know what you told me. Now fetch me a spade, will you?” Modesty demanded. “Someone has to make this garden look respectable.”

“Is everything well?” Beatrice asked upon arriving at the comical scene.

“Oh, my dear, I don’t know. I’m trying to help, but I feel I am only making things worse.” Modesty looked around, as if she were surprised to be standing in a flower bed. “I only want to help, but I’m not, am I?”

Beatrice looked at the gardener with a glimmer of hope. He shook his head, and she almost burst out laughing.

“Let’s take a walk,” she suggested. “I know exactly how you feel. I often find myself making a mess of things when I’m trying to help.”

“Well, I can’t imagine that,” Modesty said. “You have only been here for a few days, and you have done nothing but good. It’s obvious how happy my son is.”

“Do you think so?” Beatrice asked.

“Oh, yes. He will not show it, but I know him better than most. He has had problems, but I see a light in his eyes that had not been there for a long time. The two of us might make things worse, but he is a fixer. If there is a problem, Edwin will fix it. You can count on that.”

Modesty laughed, and Beatrice could not help but laugh along with her. She had no idea why they were laughing, but it felt good to do so.

“Now, where is that spade?” Modesty asked. “There is so much work to be done in the gardens.”

“Mother, there you are!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she rounded the corner. “Wherever have you been?”

Modesty looked at Beatrice with an ashamed look on her face.

“Your mother has kindly shown me around the gardens,” Beatrice replied in her stead. “She has been showing me the flowers and instructing the gardener about what needs to be done.”

“That is all very well, but we have a ball to go to, Mother. Did you forget?” Elizabeth asked.

“I would never forget such a thing,” Modesty stated. “I was about to go inside and get changed. Why are you out here, looking for me instead of getting dressed, my dear?”

Elizabeth thought about it momentarily before turning to look at the manor.

Modesty took the opportunity to lean close to Beatrice and whisper, “I had forgotten about it.”

Beatrice placed a hand over her mouth to hide her giggle and smile as Elizabeth turned back around.

“Your Grace, we should have invited you, too. I apologize for not thinking about it,” Elizabeth said. “I hope I haven’t offended you.”

“Not at all,” Beatrice replied. “I am only just getting settled into my new home, and I don’t have the energy to attend events just yet, but I hope to start attending many more with His Grace.”

Elizabeth nodded, then leaned in close to Beatrice and whispered, “I think Miss Jennings might be there, so I don’t know if it would be wise for you to be there, too. Although, I would feel more confident if you were by my side.”

“You will be fine,” Beatrice assured. “Avoid her as much as you can and ignore any gossip that comes out of her mouth.”

Especially the nickname she has given me.

“Yes, I will,” Elizabeth agreed. She turned to Modesty. “Come on, Mother, we can go and get dressed together.”

“I hope you both have a lot of fun,” Beatrice said. “And, Lady Elizabeth, I will not be there today, but I will be there for your debut.”

Modesty immediately put her hand over her heart. “My gosh, what a lovely thing to say. Did you hear that, Elizabeth?”

“I heard it, Mother. Come on, or we will be late,” Elizabeth urged.

Beatrice watched them go before she turned to look back at the gardens. The gardener was hard at work, digging into the soil and shaking his head occasionally. She smiled. She did not wish to burden the gardener with extra work, but she enjoyed Modesty and her exuberance.

She turned around, intending to go back into the manor, and almost got the fright of her life when she found the Duke standing before her. As Modesty had done only a few moments ago, Beatrice put her hand over her heart.

“You scared the life out of me!” she gasped.

“Am I that terrible?” Edwin asked.

“No, you are not,” Beatrice told him. “I was not expecting you there. Has Lord Pemberton left?”

“You will be happy to know that he has. And Mother and Elizabeth will soon leave, too.”

“Yes, they were just out here, and Elizabeth was worried they would be late,” Beatrice said.

“My sister can sometimes be a little dramatic, but she means well,” Edwin spoke, watching the gardener.

“I wonder who she gets it from,” Beatrice quipped.

Edwin looked at her for a second before he smiled. “You have been spending time with Mother.”

“I have, and I have enjoyed it so far,” Beatrice replied.

“From what I have heard from them, they feel the same way about you,” Edwin said. “I have never known them to warm up to someone so quickly. You are doing something right.”

“And I will continue to do right by you. Whatever you need me to do at the garden party, I will do it,” Beatrice affirmed.

“Let’s walk,” Edwin said.

It was not a command, but it didn’t sound like Beatrice could refuse him either.

She fell into step with him as he led her toward the orchard, avoiding straying too close to the gardener, who looked completely absorbed in his work.

“You ran from the first man you were promised to, and you concocted this plan of yours when you were promised to a second man. Then, I forced you into marriage, but you did not run. Why now?” the Duke asked.

Beatrice could not tell him it was partly because of how handsome he was.

“I couldn’t run anymore, and I needed to do right by my father,” she replied instead.

“You escaped two men because you did not know them well enough, but you do not know me. And you knew my reputation before you agreed to marry me. You can claim to know me all you want, but you didn’t know me in any way back then. So, why me? You could have gotten out of it if you really wanted, and I would not have made a fuss, but you agreed without any thought.”

“I have hurt too many people. Not only my father but my sister, too. My youngest sister will debut this year, just like Elizabeth, and I could not set such a bad example for her. If you must know the truth, the man my father picked for me was horrible. Yes, I might have run from the first man because I did not know him, and I am thankful every day that it ended well for my sister, but I couldn’t wed Lord Mutton. So, when I saw you, I realized how narrow my options were, and I… thought you were very dashing. And when you wanted to marry me, I could not say no.”

“Dashing,” Edwin repeated. “You will not marry because you don’t know a man, but you will marry if he is handsome enough?”

Beatrice stopped below one of the fuller apple trees and pressed her lips together. “You are twisting my words. Is that all you got from what I said? Yes, you are handsome, but that was not the deciding factor. I mean, perhaps it was when all was said and done, but I entered into this marriage to help my family and restore our reputation, and I believe I have done that so far.”

The Duke reached past her and plucked an apple from the tree. Beatrice caught his earthy scent as he came close. He seemed to have trouble picking the apple before he finally pulled back.

“I have put you in a bad spot with your business associates, and I want to help you make that right. Your mother spoke of you being a man who fixes things, and I would like to be such a person, too. We will go to the garden party together, and I will do whatever it takes to fix what I broke. You have my word on that. Whatever it takes,” Beatrice promised.

“Whatever it takes?” the Duke echoed.

Beatrice felt her heartbeat quicken. When he had invited her on the walk, she had sensed something was bothering him, and perhaps it still was, but he had thoughts of other things now. And she felt it, too. She had felt it when he had leaned in close, and she saw it in his eyes as he stood before her.

“I will do whatever it takes,” Beatrice asserted, keeping her voice low and even.

“I am not a man who likes to leave things to chance,” the Duke noted. “If we are to do anything it takes, we should make sure we know what we are doing.”

It was an invitation and an obvious dare for her to take the lead, and Beatrice was unable to stop herself. She leaned forward and clumsily kissed him, but that didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered to her was feeling his lips once more, and the only thing that mattered to Edwin was pushing her to make the first move.

The clumsy kiss lasted little more than an instant before Edwin took control. He took her by the shoulders and backed her up against the tree’s rough bark. Beatrice immediately lifted her arms and wrapped them around the trunk, submitting to her husband.

Edwin took her face in his hands and kissed her properly, pinning her between the tree and his body—Beatrice was unsure which felt harder. She didn’t move and let him guide her with his hands and lips. She parted her lips slightly, but he didn’t use his tongue this time. The kiss was passionate but not rushed—it was sensual.

She was pinned to the tree, but she was safe, protected by the Duke as they kissed. She did not know yet how she would fix everything in her life, but she knew the Duke was happier when she gave him her body, and that was enough for now.

It is not only for his own good but for mine, too.

The Duke loosened his grip on her, and she was a little disappointed that the kiss was over so quickly. She had a fleeting hope that it might turn into something more again but was glad not to be in a state of undress in the middle of the apple orchard.

Edwin ran a finger down her cheek. “You must learn to be more patient, my dear. Your pleasure will come in good time, but you must wait.”

Then he turned and strode off toward the manor.

Beatrice was left breathless for many reasons. She could see how much enjoyment he got from pleasuring and teasing her, and she found enjoyment in both, too.

If everything went as planned, the Duke would resume his usual business dealings, and he would take her to his bed. It was only a few days until that happened, but it felt like an eternity.

The Duke was right to tease her. It was hard to wait for what she knew would be the greatest pleasure she would ever experience.