Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

T olley Manor was a delightful, Elizabethan-era estate, set on over two thousand acres just outside the market town of Saffron Walden, in Essex. From what Victoria could see as she peered out the travel coach, most of the land surrounding the manor house was under crops.

Robert shifted closer to her and pointed out the window. "We have several dozen types of herbs planted here, and various seasonal vegetable and fruit crops. A lot of the produce is harvested and sold in Cambridge, but some of the dried herbs make it all the way to London."

"And you grow saffron too?"

She gave him a cheeky smile and he nodded. They both remembered that night at the dinner party, when he'd been condescending about her knowledge of spices.

"I'm sorry I was so horrid to you that evening. I meant to hurt you." He sighed. "I behaved terribly. I am still ashamed of it."

"Well, one day you might find a way to make it up to me. Then I might forgive you."

Victoria turned back to the window.

Part way down the long road which led to the manor house, Robert rapped on the roof. "Pull over."

As soon as the coach came to a halt, he swung the door open and jumped down, landing on the roadway with sure feet. He held out his arms to Victoria. "Come on, let me show you the kitchen garden, then we can walk the rest of the way home."

Home. She liked how that sounded. This was her new home. And she would do her best to make it as warm and friendly a home as possible.

Maybe once I am settled, I can invite some family members to come and stay. It would be good to get Coco out of town, and away from bad influences. Give her some perspective.

The travel coach continued on its way up the long drive, Victoria watching until it passed through a brick archway which sat to the left of the main house, then disappeared from sight. Robert took a hold of her hand. "Do you like strawberries? I think we might have some in the greenhouse which are ripe enough to eat."

She found herself smiling at him once more. "You have a greenhouse, that sounds intriguing. And yes, I love all manner of berries, especially strawberries."

As her new husband showed her around parts of the estate, a warmth settled over Victoria's heart. Robert was attentive and generous. Though on the odd occasion he would stop what he was saying mid-sentence and suddenly change the subject. She hoped it was all just a part of him getting used to finding himself unexpectedly married. That in time Robert would feel comfortable enough to share everything with her.

"I'm glad we left town and came here. I think if we had stayed in London, people would be knocking on the front door and wishing to pay us calls. And without servants, that might have been a little difficult," she said.

Escaping the city also meant that she wouldn't have to spend her honeymoon being on social display for her mother. She was in no doubt that the duchess would have loved nothing more than to drag the new Duchess of Saffron Walden to every social gathering with the express intent of making sure that all her rivals knew about her daughter's excellent marriage.

Tolley Manor was exactly where Victoria wished to be, far from London. She wanted time to get to know her husband, to forge their relationship outside the bedroom.

Not that I am complaining about what happens when he and I are naked.

At the end of the drive they headed toward a large building, which revealed itself to be a well fitted out stables along with a blacksmiths. As they drew near, she caught a glimpse of another building at the rear of the big red brick one. It was topped with a glass frame.

"Is that the greenhouse?" she asked, failing to hide her excitement.

He squeezed her hand. "Yes, it is. Technically it's an orangery, but we grow much more than just fruit in it. Come on, I can't wait to show you inside."

Most people tended to offer him a polite, disinterested smile whenever he mentioned his crops and gardens, but Victoria seemed genuinely interested. Robert was sure his heart gave a little pitter-patter of delight when his wife let out a squeal as they rounded the corner and reached the greenhouse.

"Oh, it's magnificent!" she exclaimed.

He didn't know what to do with himself. This woman…their connection was so unexpected. His initial thoughts had been to marry Victoria, and in doing so, ensure her silence about what she might have seen that night. But every moment he spent with her, he found more reasons to want to keep her by his side.

A less stubborn man might have admitted the truth by now, that he was falling for her. Robert foolishly clung to his ways. To the notion that this was just a passing flight of fancy, brought on by the early lust filled days of marriage, and it would soon pass.

The only thing he didn't try to fool himself about was what would happen if those feelings continued to grow. If they did, he was going to find himself facing a world of trouble.

Inside the greenhouse, Victoria was as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. She let go of Robert's hand and skipped along the stone path which wound its way between the flowerbeds.

"Look at all these herbs." She bent and put her nose against some basil growing in a small pot. When she breathed in deep and then sighed, he wanted to drop to his knees and offer her the world.

Robert selected a ripe strawberry and trailed after her. When he reached her, Victoria was studying a miniature pear tree. An expression of unbridled fascination sat on her face.

"Here, try this," he said, handing her the bright red berry.

She took it and bit into the soft flesh of the fruit. "Mmm."

Her hum of pleasure went straight to his cock. Victoria was nothing like most women he'd met amongst the elite of London society. She didn't make any effort to hide her enjoyment of food and life. He was fast losing the battle to keep his emotional distance from her.

And would that be such a bad thing? To care for my wife.

That thought pulled him up sharp. He was running a dangerous and illegal spice smuggling business—he couldn't afford to get emotionally involved with her.

Victoria finished her strawberry. Robert's gaze settled on the small spot of red on her lips. Before he could stop himself, he'd reached out and brushed it away with his thumb, which he then licked.

"Would." He stopped and cleared his throat. "Would you like to see the crocus flowers?" The only thing croaky in the greenhouse was his voice.

She beamed at him. "I heard from a reliable source that the threads are worth more than their weight in gold."

Victoria had remembered his words from that night when he'd taken her prisoner.

She had snuck into his garden and stolen more than just a handful of herbs.

"Your Grace?"

Robert turned. A familiar figure stood in the doorway of the greenhouse and waved at them. He beckoned the man over.

"Victoria, may I introduce my estate steward, Jasper. Jasper, this is Victoria, the Duchess of Saffron Walden. My wife."

He loved how that sounded. My wife.

Jasper dipped his head. "Your Grace, welcome to Tolley Manor. If there is anything you need, you only have to ask. The head butler has the household servants assembled and awaiting your inspection at your leisure."

He gave a quick glance in Robert's direction. The message clear: the sooner they got the new lady of the house in the hands of the staff, the quicker he and his employer could talk.

When Victoria didn't make a move to immediately depart, Jasper cleared his throat, and said, "Your Grace, the wagon with the timbers from the lower woods has arrived. I have asked the hands to move the wood to the driest part of the main barn."

"Excellent, thank you. Is that the last of the timber?"

"Yes, Your Grace. Though you may need to come and inspect the cut of the wood a little later."

"Very good."

Robert offered Victoria his arm. "Would you like to go up to the manor house and meet the servants? After the long journey of the past two days, I'm sure you'd love to get some things unpacked and settled in."

She softly smiled up at him and nodded. "Yes, that would be lovely."

Jasper followed them out of the greenhouse. Robert glanced back over his shoulder at his estate steward. There wasn't any timber from the lower wood. Jasper had used code to explain that the last of the smuggled spices had arrived at the estate, and later tonight they would commence transferring all of it from the East India Company crates and barrels to their own. By week's end they would have all the evidence either burned or hidden, after which Robert and some of the workers would take the new Tolley Estate spices to Cambridge market and sell them for a tidy profit.

Things were coming together nicely. He had a pretty and intelligent new duchess in his bed. Hidden within his secret storage cellar was thousands of pounds worth of stolen spices which the Honorable East India didn't appear to be losing any sleep over recovering. All in all, the Duke of Spice had it made.

So why then, do I have this constant fear that my world is about to fall apart?