Chapter Thirty-One

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

L ater That Afternoon, The Duke of Grovemont’s Study

When Lucian stepped into his study to see Gemma bending over his desk, rifling through a stack of papers, he stopped short.

“Good afternoon,” he said in his most cheery voice. The one he’d been using whenever he saw her now. Honestly, it hadn’t been easy pretending to be the soul of happiness these last several days, but he was committed to changing his demeanor for his wife’s sake.

Gemma dropped the papers and shot upright. She slung an arm around her waist and used her other hand to innocently scratch behind her ear. “Um. I was just…uh…”

He bestowed her with an easy smile. “No need to explain. I trust you.”

He enjoyed watching her mouth fall open and then her struggle to close it. It might not be easy to pretend to be cheerful, but he had to admit it was fun defying Gemma’s expectations.

“You trust me?” she echoed, frowning.

“Of course, I do.” He walked around to the front of the desk and glanced at the papers. Some accounting information from his solicitor. Nothing particularly interesting. Though he doubted that was what Gemma had been looking for. It was plain as day on her face. She was nosing through his office to find out if he was up to something. She’d been treating him like this all week. As if he was hiding something. And he knew why she was suspicious. She didn’t trust why he was acting so differently toward her. It was comical to watch, actually.

“May I help you find anything?” he offered.

She rocked back and forth on her heels. “No. I just…”

“Have you decided whether you’ll go riding with me? Just say the word, and I’ll have the curricle put to.”

Her mouth snapped shut, and she was clearly contemplating the matter for several moments before she finally asked, “Why do you want to go riding in the park with me?” Her tone was accusatory.

Lucian allowed the hint of a smile to play around his lips. “I’m told it’s a pleasant experience.”

Her suspicious eyes narrowed further. “It is. But why would you want to go with me ?” She pointed at herself.

“I believe married couples do these sorts of things,” he supplied.

She perched a hip on the edge of the desk and crossed both arms over her chest. “That’s just it. We needn’t pretend we’re a regular married couple. Have you made your decision? About the divorce, I mean?”

Had he made his decision? Of course, he’d made his decision. There wouldn’t be a divorce if he had any say in it, but he’d spent the last several days coming up with an intricate plan. One he hoped she couldn’t refuse. He had only to present it to her.

“I have,” he said with a solid nod.“And I’m happy to explain it to you while we ride in the park.”

Gemma narrowed her eyes to slits. What in the world was he up to? Before he’d arrived, she’d been in his study for the better part of twenty minutes, and she hadn’t found anything about a divorce. If he had hired a solicitor to thwart her plans, there was no sign of it. But what if he’d anticipated that she would go snooping through his study? Perhaps she’d have to look in his bedchamber or even his wardrobe for such documents.

It hadn’t been a full sennight, but she’d asked him if he’d come to a decision to get the focus off herself and her nosing about his study. He’d surprised her by saying that he had come to a decision. Then he’d surprised her even more by asking her to go riding in the park to discuss it. She supposed she could demand an answer here and now, but she did like the park. Very well. If it meant he’d continue to act pleasant, she would go with him. She had to admit that over the last several days, his attentiveness had been far preferable to his previous surly orders. But her deep suspicion made her question everything he did and said. She would go riding in the park, but she would not trust him.

“Very well,” she said. “Let’s go.”