Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"I will wait in the carriage. Take your time saying your goodbyes," was all her husband said to her after the ceremony came to a close.

Indeed, the wedding breezed by quickly.

Despite Nancy's efforts to abandon all thoughts of her previous expectations of marriage that she had once held as a young girl, she couldn't help but notice how utterly devoid the ceremony was of… feeling.

The vows were taken monotonously with neither of them making any sort of deep eye contact. Their countenance was stiff, and even the priest seemed keen to hurry things along, so he could leave.

There had been a moment when she found her soon-to-be husband's heavy gaze raking over her form as though he were studying her intently.

The way he looked at her made her feel as if she had been laid bare before him, causing discomfort to claw at her insides as she prayed that the ceremony would move quicker, so she might be free from his unwavering stare.

Barely seconds after she made that prayer, his expression shifted back to one of boredom, and he looked away. The Duke of Wexford walked out of the church, leaving her standing alone at the altar in an odd twist of irony.

Steeling her nerves, she went to meet her family, not surprised to find them all in tears.

"You really did look beautiful," Beatrice hiccupped as they Nancy from their seats to meet Nancy halfway down the front row.

"Is that all? We are never going to see Nancy again?" Anne questioned in alarm.

"Do not be silly. Of course, we will," Lady Suttington scoffed, pretending that she wasn't dabbing the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "We simply won't see her as often. She has a husband now, and he takes precedence."

"Still, I will visit as much as I can. Whenever you need me, please do not hesitate to write to me. I, too, will do the same," Nancy said, holding out her arms towards her siblings.

They fell into her embrace, all of them either sniffling or wiping their cheeks. It pained her to let them go, but she knew she needed to be strong for their sake.

Beatrice held onto Anne while she cried, and their mother stepped forward to hug Nancy.

"Do your utmost best to be a good wife to the Duke, Nancy," Lady Suttington whispered softly in Nancy's ear. "Keep him happy and comfortable. He will have no qualms helping us this way."

Nancy held onto her tightly, frightened once more by the prospect of being on her own from that moment onward. Still, she replied in the same hushed tone.

"I promise, Mama. I will do my best."

They walked her to her husband's carriage, waving as the coachman helped her into it.

"Do take care of yourselves," she told her family as the carriage door was closed.

Her mother nodded with a hand resting over her heart, her eyes glistening with tears as the carriage began to roll away from the church.

Nancy kept her eyes on the carriage window, watching intently until she could no longer see her family. Then she shifted her gaze to her husband, not surprised to find him doing the same thing, his focus fixed on the scenery they passed by as they headed to the outskirts of London, where his home was located.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air, and she sighed, already aware that this was a clue to what her future held.

After a handful of minutes went by, the Duke cleared his throat and sat up even straighter than he had been. He spoke up once she had given him her attention:

"Allow me to clear whatever possible misconceptions you might have had about our union. I married you for your title and dowry only. As my wife and the Duchess of Wexford, you will be granted whatever you desire and live as lavishly as you wish in my castle. But that is as far as my generosity goes. Our marriage is meant to serve as a means to an end, so you should not expect me to make any attempts to feed into your desire for a perfect husband or to perform any sort of acts related to that."

His tone was cold and curt, not to mention demeaning. He addressed her as though she were one of the numerous servants he had grown up with, seemingly under the impression she was to be at his beck and call.

Irritation flared within her, and she ignored the voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like her mother's, telling her that she needed to be on her best behavior to win over the Duke.

"You appear to be under the impression that I held some false notions when I accepted your proposal, Your Grace. That simply will not do. As you have your reasons for marrying me, I have mine as well," she replied and the Duke blinked in surprise.

"My father did not leave a will when he passed," she went on, "So his cousin—whom our family isn't fond of—came to us a mere day after he died to stake his claim over the title, funds, and properties he held, displacing my family in the process."

She could see his brow furrowing after hearing her family's predicament, his eyes filling with judgment.

"I am not some… na?ve child with dreams of a perfect marriage. My responsibility to my family is what brought me here, and I simply wish for them to be taken care of. There is nothing else I expect or want from you. With your influence and title, my dowry will only serve as an additional benefit for you," she added.

The Duke was taken aback by her bold tone.

"Your family shall take residence at one of my numerous estates in the countryside. I will make the moving arrangements as soon as we arrive at Wexford."

His offer was much better than she had expected, much less a mere hour into their marriage, and she found no issue in expressing her gratitude.

"Thank you, Your Grace," she said sincerely.

He merely nodded, his gaze reverting back to the window.

Silence fell over them once more then she forced herself to bring up a topic she expected would come up sooner or later, preferring to deal with it while she still had his attention.

"I suppose you want heirs?—"

"Absolutely not," he responded with a strange amount of disdain.

She stared at him, confused by his reaction. Most men with a title sought a single thing above all else, eventually—an heir to carry on the family name, title, and legacy.

And her husband was no mere, low-ranked nobleman but a duke . An heir was imperative.

"What do you mean no ? It is a duke's prime responsibility to have children."

"Yes, wife, I am aware of what my title is and its stipulations. However, it is my right what I choose to do, and one thing I am certain of is that I do not want nor need an heir."

An incredulous laugh escaped Nancy's lips at the ridiculousness of his words.

"You are not making much sense, Your Grace," she stated with a glare. "What do you hope to do? Live on forever and carry on your family name? Because otherwise, it could fall to someone unworthy who will only drag it through the mud and ruin what you and your predecessors have struggled to build. You need children."

"There are a lot of things I need in this life, but children are not, and have never been, among them."

His words sounded oddly particular, almost as though this was a belief he had expressed on countless occasions.

"Why do you believe so?"

He frowned at her. "I do not need to explain myself for having a particular dislike."

"Yes, I believe you do in this situation. Especially when it involves a responsibility I also share. This is the most important duty that I am expected to carry out. You cannot simply take it from me and not explain your reasons why."

The look on his face did not shift at all at her words.

"And as for your views on children, with all due respect, Your Grace, that is a ridiculous notion," she continued, "Children are evidence of a life well lived. In the long run, you will need a family of your own to support you and carry on your legacy. Had either of my parents decided that they wanted no children, my mother… She would have been all alone after the death of my father with no one to protect or save her from a life of poverty."

The Duke scowled, "You do not know what you speak of, wife . You know nothing about me or my needs. So, do not presume to have the answers to questions I did not ask. I have no need for children or an heir. Neither do I have any more patience to entertain this conversation," he snapped coldly.

Nancy had never felt so frustrated in her entire life. The tension between them had grown to a magnitude where she could scarcely breathe, her entire face feeling aflame as she did her best to remain respectful. It would be truly shameful for him to take away the offer he had made for her family.

"You do not get to decide that on your own. The least you could do is speak with me civilly and provide a valid and proper reason as to why you feel the way you do. Not make demands out of the blue and expect me to follow them as though I am some… servant without a will or mind of my own. That is wrong and?—"

Nancy choked on her words as the carriage suddenly hit a bump, making her realize just how far she had leaned forward during their argument.

She flew from her seat, half expecting to fall against the opposite side.

Instead, warm arms wrapped around her and brought her close to a sturdy chest, holding her securely in place as the carriage regained some of its stability, moving on smoother ground. Her hand had instinctively rested on her husband's shoulder; her grip tight as his musky scent filled her nostrils and left her feeling dizzy.

His grip on her hips filled her body with immense heat, burning away whatever thoughts remained in her mind until all that was left was the view of him before her.

This close, she could clearly see the tiny birthmark that rested on his cheekbone, underneath his left eye, and could note how his brown eyes gleamed like fresh honey.

The Duke seemed much more overwhelming than he had moments ago, and now, there was an itch she wasn't sure how to scratch.

Her breath hitched as his gaze flicked to her lips, the flames within her burning even brighter when he lifted his gaze back to hers, unrelenting and deliberate.

Just as she had begun to feel that the moment between them had dragged on for far too long, his gaze dropped to her bosom.

Disgust quickly replaced the heat spreading through her, and she wriggled out of his grip and settled back in her seat. Between his brief display of charity and their argument, she had nearly forgotten his reputation, and it was evident that he had no intention of doing away with his bad habits.

She despised how vulnerable he made her feel, just like he had at the altar.

"Your behavior seems to confirm your reputation, Your Grace," she huffed.

The Duke raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"For a man who claims to have no interest in siring an heir, you are far too promiscuous," she explained.

If he has no need for children, what was the point of giving attention to my body?

The man seemed keen on not making any sense to her continually.

He merely shrugged, stating with a blank expression, "Consummation isn't merely for the purpose of conceiving children."

Nancy frowned, her lips parting to ask what he meant, but before she could, the carriage came to a stop.

They had arrived at Wexford Castle.