Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The woman was mad—there was no other explanation for it. William had never been spoken to in such a fashion by any woman. His father had been the only person to talk as he pleased and mercilessly criticized him, but no one else had, let alone a young woman barely out of the schoolroom.

William didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. The situation was entirely ridiculous, but she had also caused an unnecessary scene before the servants who would talk about it among themselves. He didn't like giving people a reason to discuss him.

On the other hand, Charlotte had no qualms with it at all. She had simply said whatever was on her mind, ignoring the consequences. She had also disrespected him, and that just wouldn't do. William was worried this wouldn't be the last outburst, so he needed to speak to her and ensure she wouldn't humiliate them again.

Pushing away from the table, he left the room and headed to the drawing room. If he were honest, he would admit he had avoided Charlotte because he didn't want to maintain a conversation with her when all he wanted was a quiet evening.

He had already tried to talk to her earlier, but she had been rather cold and unwilling to converse with him. Not wanting a repeat, William had simply decided to keep to himself. However, she had taken offense at his absence, further confusing him. He didn't know what she wanted from him.

"She's just spoiled and immature," he muttered, cupping the back of his neck.

The situation was adding stress, which he didn't need. Charlotte needed to learn her place, or this marriage would never work.

He entered the drawing room, releasing a snort of air when he found it empty. She had likely gone straight to bed after causing a scene. He would just have to talk to her tomorrow morning, although he wasn't keen to have breakfast with her. There was no telling how she would react during the meal. William had never met someone who blew hot and cold so quickly and easily. In an entirely odd way, it was exhilarating.

William couldn't recall the last time he had felt so alive. He was undoubtedly angry, but he felt alive . Fighting on the front lines had provided that experience, but his world had become dull when he left His Majesty's Service. It was interesting that a spoiled young woman had managed to return those feelings, but that didn't excuse her behavior.

"Your Grace," his valet called, drawing his attention. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Karsten wasn't accustomed to his master standing about idly. William usually had a clear idea of where he was going and what he wanted to do, so looking so undecided must have surprised his valet.

"No, Karsten," he replied. "I'm fine. I think I'll do a bit of reading in the library before I retire for bed."

He was too riled up to sleep, but a little reading would calm him down. He looked in the drawing room again as though part of him expected his wife to magically appear so they could have a much-needed conversation. Of course, that didn't happen, so he sighed and turned away.

"Shall I bring some coffee?" Karsten asked.

"No, I do not intend to stay awake any longer than I need this evening," he replied. "I would rather fall asleep. Another brandy would do."

Karsten nodded. "I'll bring it to you in a moment."

William slowly climbed the stairs, weariness weighing him down. Unfortunately, it wasn't the sort of weariness that brought sleep but a bone-deep feeling of frustration. He thought wives were supposed to make one's life easier, but Charlotte had only complicated everything. Now, he had to worry about what she was doing, what she was thinking, and her next outburst. The last thing he wanted was for his stepmother or brother to witness his wife behaving like a child.

"She might as well be a child," he muttered.

He was thirty, and she was nineteen—there was a world of difference between them. They might never come to an understanding because they were too different. She had mentioned understanding Ancient Greek, which he still found unbelievable. French was understandable, and perhaps Italian or Latin for a few women who applied themselves, but Ancient Greek was something else. However, she had taken great offense at his disbelief, and she had no reason to lie...

"Argh," he exclaimed, running his hand through his hair.

He might have caused some of the outburst with his insensitivity. Perhaps he should apologize, although he had been sincerely surprised and couldn't help his disbelief. She would have understood it if she had looked at it from his perspective. It was like him claiming that he knew how to cook, which was preposterous. He hadn't even seen the inside of his kitchen, and he had lived most of his life in his home.

William entered his library and settled in his favorite corner. One couldn't see it from the door or most of the room unless they peeked around the shelf of encyclopedias. It had been William's spot since childhood because he could hide from everyone when he wanted to. However, Karsten was well aware of the place because he appeared moments later with his brandy.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Karsten asked.

"No," William replied. "Why don't you retire for the evening? I can tend to myself for the rest of the night."

"Only if you do not need me," said Karsten, although he looked excited at the prospect of having the rest of the night to himself.

A little news had filtered to him about Karsten being sweet on one of the new maids. While there was no rule against servants having relationships, it was generally frowned upon because it caused problems once the relationship turned sour.

He would never forget when a chambermaid and footman fell in and out of love within three months. They both slacked in their duties until they were given warnings. Unfortunately, the chambermaid couldn't handle seeing the footman every day and left rather suddenly. That was during William's last year at home before joining the military.

"Go, enjoy the rest of your night," William insisted. "I will be fine without you."

His valet didn't need to be told twice. He hurried away, his footsteps barely audible on the carpet. Only the soft click of the door closing let him know his valet had left the room. William already had several books piled on the table beside him, so he selected one of them and settled in for the next hour or so.

It wasn't long at all before he heard women enter the library, their voices filling the room. He immediately recognized his wife's voice and surmised the other was her lady's maid. William considered letting his presence be known, but he stayed put.

"This library is one of the only good things about being married," he heard Charlotte say. "It's stocked with so many books. I think I found something on Ancient Egypt after breakfast this morning, but I was so upset with His Grace that I forgot where I found it."

William nearly scoffed out loud. She had been upset with him . Never mind that she had disturbed him.

"Will you add hieroglyphs to your repertoire of ancient languages?" Templeton asked.

"Well, since those French soldiers found a stone in the port city of Rashid, people have been trying to decipher what they assumed were just symbols carved on antiquities from Egypt," said Charlotte. "I'd like to be one of the first few to discover the alphabet of the phonetic hieroglyphs. Every civilization had a language, and that language had an alphabet of sorts. It's just a matter of discovering what each symbol represents."

William listened in awe. She had truly meant it, after all. He had never met a woman so interested in the ancient world. Now, he felt guilty for so quickly dismissing something she so obviously enjoyed.

"If anyone can do it, you can," said Templeton. "You have already conquered Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian, Arabic, and Greek."

"I wouldn't call it conquered, but I was fortunate to have a governess knowledgeable in these languages," said Charlotte. "Miss Nightingale was the most brilliant woman I have ever known. She believed I had a natural aptitude for languages and challenged me to study the ancients. I couldn't be more grateful to her."

William's jaw was somewhere on the floor. His wife was amazing. Not only was she one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, but she was also intelligent. However, that didn't excuse her childishness. Good manners were the backbone of English society.

"What will you choose to read?" Templeton asked.

"I do not know," said Charlotte. "Something to keep my mind busy. The other books are not helping me take my mind off my brutish husband."

William raised his eyebrows, vaguely amused. He had never considered himself a brute.

"His Grace seems a good man," said Templeton.

William smiled. At least the maid understood him. He had been nothing but good to Charlotte since he met her.

"A good man?" Charlotte repeated. "I married him yesterday, but he has made no effort to get to know me."

He had tried before dinner, but she wasn't very forthcoming with her answers. She was more interested in being annoyed with him.

"These things take time, Your Grace," said Templeton. "At least he is handsome."

William leaned a little closer to the voices, interested to hear what his wife would say. He shouldn't care what she thought about him because he wasn't a shallow man, but he wanted to hear her opinion.

"He is handsome," Charlotte agreed, coaxing a smile from him. "However, he is also arrogant and rude, which cancels out his handsomeness."

His smile fell. She had a cheek, calling him arrogant and rude when she had behaved unbecomingly for a woman of her status. William shifted in his chair, wincing when it squeaked.

"What was that?" Charlotte asked.

"This is an old house, Your Grace," said Templeton. "It is bound to have creaks and cracks."

"As long as it is not haunted," Charlotte replied. "I do not wish to see apparitions, or I will most certainly leave this house. I will not even care about an annulment."

"Annulment?" William mouthed.

Charlotte shouldn't have thought about such a thing when they had just married yesterday. The woman was mad!

"I think I'll read this book," said Charlotte. "We can leave. I think I'd like some hot chocolate now. Would you please ask them to add extra cream and three biscuits on the side?"

"Yes, Your Grace," Templeton answered.

The women left the library, none the wiser that he had been there. However, William was glad he had listened to their conversation. Charlotte undoubtedly did not like him, but that was fine by him. He didn't like her either, and she could forget about an annulment—he would never give it to her. They were going to remain married, and they would tolerate each other just like any other unhappy couple.