Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"O h, I think this looks quite nice the way it is," Nancy remarked.

"I thought so too, Your Grace." The footman nodded, stepping forward and beckoning her to follow him. "And if we put some flowers here, it will really brighten up the whole area."

Nancy hummed and stepped back, trying to imagine the suggestion he had just made, clapping her hands when she could picture the image he painted.

"I agree completely. Be sure to note that down, so we do not forget later on."

The footman nodded and wrote in his little notebook then continued to show her around the ballroom, so she could see how her plans were already being executed.

The ball was only a few days away, so the staff had begun to prepare the ballroom for the event. And gradually, they had started to bring in the decorations and were setting them up, whilst constantly checking with Nancy to make sure it was all coming together the way she wanted.

It still felt strange, she realized far too late, how she had gone from the daughter of a kind and noble marquess, whose only desire was for his family to remain happy and healthy, to a duchess and part of one of the most prominent families in England.

Suddenly, there was more to her life than she had ever imagined there would be. And it was a testament to her upbringing that she had not caved and folded yet but had persisted, committed to doing the very best she could.

"Would you like us to pull back the drapes on that night, Your Grace?"

Nancy nodded. "It would be lovely if the guests could get a good view of the night sky as they dance."

The footman nodded and gestured to a part of the ballroom they had not explored yet. "We are yet to receive the decorations that are meant to go here, but I believe they should arrive in the next half hour or so. Would you like to use that time to rest a bit, Your Grace? I could alert you when they're here."

Nancy had been on her feet during most of the morning, so she accepted the offer easily. "That sounds wonderful, thank you."

The footman bowed as she turned away to leave the ballroom.

Initially, Nancy had planned to rest in a drawing room a few doors down the corridor from the ballroom, but by the time she arrived at that room, she discovered that she had not explored that side of the castle yet.

There was an ajar door on the other side of the hallway, and she went to it, peering inside. It seemed to be one of the castle's libraries.

She thought a good book would be an ideal way to relax and pass the time.

Once she was inside, she realized that this library differed from the others in the castle as the shelves carried older volumes of books and special editions, their worn-out covers telling of how long they had been around. She continued to explore, impressed by the collection of classical literature pieces and even some booklets filled with poetry.

As she walked down an aisle, she noticed something from the corner of her eye and turned to investigate what it was.

It turned out to be a family portrait, the only one she had seen during her time at Wexford Castle. Richard stood with his brother behind his father, who wore a chillingly cold expression. While Richard's expression was simply blank, William's seemed to be the brightest as he sported a small smile.

Something about it haunted her, causing questions she had asked no one in particular about the Duke to resurface. She felt as though this portrait held some answers, but she had no clue how to obtain them.

"Ah, there you are, Your Grace…" Mrs. Silverstone trailed off as she came forward to stand beside the Duchess, following her gaze to see what she was looking at.

"As I told you before, His Grace has had quite a… tumultuous life since his birth," the housekeeper said suddenly, her expression sad. "His mother passed away moments after he was born. She had a rather weak constitution, you see. And so, his father and brother were all he really had."

"Yet his father…" Nancy's voice trailed off as she remembered what the Duke's father did to him.

"Unfortunately, one cannot really say his father loved him very much. The lord lacked warmth, patience, and tolerance. Still, with family… sometimes we would choose to suffer through the pain as long as we are not alone."

Nancy focused on his father's expression, taking note of the cruel lines on his face. "What happened to them? His father and his brother?" she asked quietly.

"His father died in a hunting accident. And his brother, the late duke, fell ill. He passed away last year, leaving His Grace all alone. His life might have not had a lot of warmth and love—without a mother and forced to endure life with a mean father—but he had William. Ah… His brother protected him as much as he could. He thought the world of him, even when no one else did. But he is gone now. That is why we had hoped that you would give him some solace, Your Grace."

Richard's story reminded her of the grief she had carried since her father's passing and of how homesick she had felt, trying to navigate her new life without her family by her side. But at least she had been able to receive some comfort from them initially.

Her husband had not been so fortunate. He had no one to give him support when he became a duke. He faced heavy criticism and was hardly seen as anything more than a rake. Knowing all of that now filled her with immense sadness for him.

"He must have been quite lonely," she mused quietly.

"At least he has you now." Mrs. Silverstone sighed. "And we are all hoping that you both can comfort and support each other. Please do not hold his mistakes against him, Your Grace—he is much more than his reputation."

Nancy nodded and tore her gaze away from the portrait, unable to look into the soulless eyes of her husband for a moment longer.

"Would it be all right if I took a break from the ball's preparations? Perhaps we can continue in the evening," she asked, suddenly feeling tired.

"Of course, Your Grace. You have done so much already, and there is still time to add the remaining decorations and finalize the preparations. So, please, get some rest," Mrs. Silverstone urged kindly.

Nancy did not look at the portrait again as she left the library, but it felt as though she was haunted by her husband's sad gaze on her way out.

* * *

Dash had really grown into a well-behaved little creature. He was obedient, attentive, and he continued to impress Nancy with how willing he always was when it came to staying with or without her. But still, he preferred to be by her side, hardly ever straying away from more than a moment and hardly without a fuss.

While he did not throw tantrums, he could often be heard whining as she walked away from him. Still, his behavior was exceptionally good, and it made her wonder when it would be a good time to suggest that her husband give the dog a chance to keep him company as well.

But of all Dash's less-than-adorable habits, the one that bothered Nancy the most was his knack for disappearing at night for a while. She eventually figured out that he had a tendency to slip out of her room when Paula was leaving, always eager to stroll around the castle before bed.

And as endearing as that was, Nancy also found it to be a horrible quirk, given that her husband did not like dogs and might actually be startled into a heart attack if he found Dash wandering around at night.

So, she was less than thrilled when she found out her dog was not in his usual corner, just as she was about to climb into bed after the long day she had. Thus, she grudgingly kicked off her blankets and climbed out of bed.

This time she remembered to grab a dressing gown, unsure if she could handle once again the way her husband had stared at her that night. After she had returned to her room, it felt like she could still feel his gaze on her skin, scorching her with desire.

Today was not the day for such thoughts.

Once she had properly donned her dressing gown, she stepped out of her room to look for her puppy. She had reached the end of the hall before she began to hear barking, and she sighed in relief that she did not need to search the whole castle for him.

She followed the sound of his excited barking to a door that was ajar, but she knew what the room was without having to look inside.

Dash was in her husband's study.

She winced, already imagining how badly things could have gone, worried about both Richard and Dash. However, when she peered into the room, the sight before her was not one she had expected.

Richard had a small ball in his hand, and he held it up out of Dash's reach.

"All right, one more toss. But you have to be quiet, or else you'll wake up the whole castle."

Dash yapped, this time softer, earning a smile from him.

Richard gently tossed the ball, and Dash immediately went after it, catching it in his mouth and proudly bringing it back to him.

"Good boy!" Richard grinned, patting the top of the puppy's head, making him wag his tail excitedly.

The sight before her warmed up her heart completely, and she smiled, enamored with how close they seemed.

Nancy had hoped that one day Richard might eventually give Dash a chance, and they might bond, but she had been worried about it all not working out. Yet, it had all happened without her involvement and knowledge.

Dash went still for a moment then he turned his head, immediately spotting her. With a little woof, he left Richard and went to greet her.

She had to keep herself from groaning out loud. She couldn't be upset with Dash for exposing her, but she could not be entirely happy either as she had hoped to retreat quietly and leave them be. Since Dash was clearly safe, she did not want to interrupt their fun.

Sheepishly, Nancy opened the door, bending slightly to run her fingers through his fur.

"Oh. Duchess." Richard stared at her in surprise then he hid the ball in his hand behind his back in a bid to pretend that he had not been playing with Dash. "Your… Dash just came looking for you. I was about to lead him back to your room."

The odd thing was how she found it charming that Richard wanted to hide the fact that he had been playing with her puppy.

As long as he had not been hurt and did not seem to hate Dash, she was fine with whatever he wished to do or share with her.

"Thank you for looking after him. I am sorry if he bothered you—he keeps slipping away when I'm not looking. I hope he didn't startle you," she told him softly.

Richard shook his head quickly. "No, it's all right. His training seems to be paying off."

Nancy smiled and bent over to lift Dash into her arms. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll take him away now, so you can rest," she said and then turned around.

But before she could walk away, her husband stopped her.

"Duchess," he said gently, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

Nancy faced him once more, not expecting the words that followed.

"Would you like to have a drink with me?"