Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"G ood morning," Nancy greeted, mustering up a small smile as she walked over to her seat by his left side.

"Good morning," the Duke responded, clearly reluctant and doubtful of whether he was, in fact, having a good morning.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked gently, unfolding a napkin and hoping he would not simply give her a curt answer but move the conversation along somehow.

All he did in response was grunt into his cup of coffee.

The awkwardness was so horrific, it was almost humorous.

Despite all the wrong ways their marriage rubbed off on her, she still intended to make the most of it. She put in more effort than she felt was necessary afterward, making sure she looked pretty, wanting to at least make the other members of the household view her as a worthy duchess.

Facing him again after he had left her outside the day before had grated on her nerves more than she thought it would.

She had honestly expected him to come to her quarters, if not to continue the conversation they had started in the carriage. Or to make good on the look he had given her during their little accident.

But he never showed up.

And that left her with an odd taste in her mouth.

She had honestly expected him to make some solid advances towards her. Everyone in London knew his name, and he was often used as a standard for rakes—an example to be avoided at all times.

But he did not approach her in that manner, and it made her wary. What was it he wanted? Just to secure his claim to the dukedom? Was that truly all?

"Well, I did." Nancy held her head up high, refusing to give up. "My quarters are quite comfortable, and the rest of the castle seems to be just as wonderful. At least the parts I did see," she told him

He seemed to sense her unwillingness to relent and sighed, sitting up straight as he lowered his cup. "Well. If you have any desire to redecorate or…" He waved a hand in the air, reaching for his coffee cup again with the other. "Feel free to do as you wish. I have no attachment to this place, anyway."

It was a strange way to perceive one's childhood home. She wanted to ask why, but when she faced him, he was frowning down at his plate, slicing his pieces of bacon apart, and she simply assumed he just didn't care about what she did. Because he cared for nothing.

"All right," she said instead, lifting her gaze to the windows facing them, giving her a good view of the courtyard as well as the wonderful bright blue skies above the magnificent green lawn. "Today's weather seems lovely."

She glanced at him in time to spot the wince of discomfort that flashed across his face and found solace in the knowledge that this was as torturous for him as it was for her.

"We do not need to talk about the weather," was his response.

"Well, have you got any other subject you'd prefer to talk about?" she asked.

"No," he said curtly, "Do not feel the need to entertain me, Duchess."

"Entertain you?" she scoffed, "Do I seem like a jester to you?"

"No. And you do not need to be. We can enjoy our breakfast in silence."

She felt the toast in her hand crack, not noticing how tightly she'd gripped it.

"Very well," she stated as she bit into her toast.

What a boorish man , she thought.

He didn't even try to be civil with her. Not even for appearance's sake. It baffled her, truly. However, she had to remain in his good graces. He had put a roof over her mother's and her sisters' heads. So, she quieted.

Just as the silence began to settle upon them, and Nancy resumed eating, the appetite she had managed to summon for the sake of this meal growing, some commotion outside caught her attention.

Curious, she stood up and walked to the window, wondering what all the fuss was about.

When she was close enough to peer through the glass, she noticed a handful of servants running around, their arms extended towards the ground, trying to catch…

"Is that a puppy?" she asked out loud, a smile forming on her face.

At the sight of the little white and brown creature, warmth filled her heart, and she could not help but coo, impressed by how the puppy dodged a footman that had leaped to catch it, smoothly escaping in the opposite direction.

"Not this again!"

Nancy jumped at the sound of her husband's voice behind her, craning her neck to see him staring out the window.

"Make sure it is caught this time and removed appropriately. I do not want that pest on my property," the Duke instructed a servant close by.

"What? No!" Nancy panicked, whirling around to face him. "Please don't get rid of him."

"What?"

"I would like to keep him as a pet."

The Duke's expression darkened. "Absolutely not."

Nancy huffed, unwilling to relent.

She had always loved animals, and her fondness for them was encouraged by the many friendly dogs her father had owned during her childhood. There was truly no better companion than a furry critter with a sense of loyalty.

And right now, she could use a companion.

"Please, Your Grace," she insisted. "He's harmless. Rather than tossing him aside for being born, we could put him to good use. I am no longer with my family. A companion would be nice, and that little dog would make a fine one."

"I would really much rather shoot myself in the foot than live in the same vicinity as that creature," the Duke said blankly.

"That is not only dramatic but also very unnecessary. Far too much fuss for a simple creature that just desires food, a home, and affection. All of which I can provide. You do not need to interfere in its care. I will be responsible for it, wholly," she persisted, noticing with a thrum of satisfaction that he seemed to be entertaining the idea. So, she doubled down, blinking up at him pitifully. "Please, Your Grace."

The Duke exhaled harshly through his nose, tearing his gaze away from hers in a bid to distract himself with the running animal on his property—which had thankfully been caught.

"All right. You may keep him as a companion—on the single condition that the beast is kept far away from me at all times."

"Thank you! I promise, we will not bother you at all," she beamed at him, trying to cover her disdain.

There was a flicker in the Duke's eyes as they roamed over her face. For a moment, his gaze rested on her lips, and his pupils dilated, which sent a shiver down Nancy's spine.

"You had better not," he suddenly replied, his face contorting back to his usual scowl.

Why is he acting like this over such a small creature? People who do not like animals are not trustworthy, she thought.

Before she could reply, the butler arrived in the breakfast hall.

"We have captured the puppy, Your Grace. What shall we do with it?" he asked.

The Duke jerked his head in Nancy's direction, and she noticed that he was still considering whether to get rid of the dog.

So, she repeated the words in the sweetest possible tone, "Please, Your Grace."

The butler seemed surprised to hear that, glancing at the Duke subtly to ensure that he was fine with it.

The Duke shrugged. "Take the Duchess to see the beast. She may do whatever she pleases with it," he stated simply.

Ernest nodded. "Right away, Your Grace."

Before Nancy excitedly followed the butler out into the foyer, she cast a final, thankful glance towards her husband, but their eyes did not meet; the Duke had turned his attention to the morning papers.

She frowned.

When they arrived at the foyer, Nancy saw the servant that was carrying the puppy in his arms. He swiftly released it, and the adorable creature immediately ran towards her, its tail wagging excitedly.

"Aren't you absolutely adorable?" she cooed sweetly, running her fingers delicately over its soft fur.

The dog barked happily, and her heart nearly burst right there and then as it gazed up at her, its caramel brown eyes playfully glistening.

"I am going to name you Dash," she mumbled, stroking the puppy.

Dash barked again, clearly accepting his name, and that filled Nancy with no small satisfaction.

Her father's favorite dog had been named Dash. It felt good to have something to remember him by, now that she was so far away from the only home she had ever known and her family as well.

"Come along, Dash," she prompted with a small smile. "Perhaps we can bribe the cook into giving you something nice to eat."

Dash eagerly followed her down to the kitchen, his presence promising the start of something wonderful.

* * *

"I did not think you would allow her to keep it, Your Grace," Ernest commented lightly.

Richard frowned at the papers cluttering his desk, trying to find a document that he needed to review and sign—which he could have sworn that he had just seen moments ago.

It was maddening, how even after a year as the Duke of Wexford, he could barely make heads or tails of it at times. William had always been more efficient than he was, still proving he was better suited for the title than Richard could ever hope to be.

"It will be fine as long as it does not come near me. On that note, hire a dog trainer to ensure that the animal is well-behaved," Richard instructed.

"That sounds like a fine idea, Your Grace. I will get on it right away." Ernest nodded, momentarily hesitating. "May I, Your Grace?"

Richard frowned in confusion, looking up at his butler.

Ernest stepped forward and plucked a single sheet of paper from the mess and set it before the Duke, a mere glance telling him that it was the very same one he had been searching for.

"No one in this household expects you to be perfect, Your Grace. Not because we have any doubts about your capabilities, but because we know perfection is rather unrealistic," he said.

"With all due respect, your brother was not perfect either, but his efforts were what made him remarkable. We see your efforts, and we appreciate them. You are no less than he is, not in our eyes. So, please, I implore you not to try to shoulder it all on your own. We are here to serve you, Your Grace."

Richard went still, and then he nodded. "I appreciate the thought, but there is much you cannot help me with. None of you can."

Ernest's lips parted, but the Duke continued before he could speak.

"The Duchess doesn't have much to do, so the dog trainer must be found soon to keep her busy."

And away from me .

Richard then shifted his attention back to his work with an air of finality.

The butler nodded and said quietly, "Of course, Your Grace. I will begin the search for one immediately."

When Richard did not speak again, Ernest took his leave.

The Duke quickly finished reading through the document and scrawled his signature on the bottom before placing it in a clear corner of his desk where Ernest could easily find it upon his return.

He appreciated his butler's sentiment, but the man failed to see that Richard was not merely trying to gain the approval of his household. That was far more than their view of him. He needed to do right by his brother, more than anything else.

Richard held no love for the ton, and it did not bother him that they viewed him as a disappointment to his family. Because when William was alive, he was the pride of the Harrington name. Now that the torch had somehow been passed to Richard—lost, unworthy, grieving Richard—he knew that there was much more at stake than his already tainted reputation.

He had to yield results, for William's sake, because it would be absolutely disheartening for his brother to be slandered while in death. Richard would not stand for that.

That is why he had done all this and was prepared to do much more. If for nothing else, to at least give his brother peace.

* * *

"My goodness, have you seen anything more adorable?" Paula squealed.

Dash tilted his head to the side in the tub, looking far too comfortable amidst the warm water and soap suds.

"I sincerely doubt it," Nancy admitted, rubbing her hands over the puppy as they washed him. "He seems to rank quite high on that list."

She had suggested bathing him as soon as he had been fed, and when Paula had stepped up to take on the task, Nancy could not pass up the opportunity to join her, already hopelessly enamored with the puppy and unable to entertain the thought of being apart from him.

He had been incredibly good since they placed him in the tub, sitting mostly still as they cleaned his fur, making more of his whiter patches show and letting the brown sides gleam cleanly. Every now and then, he would use a paw to swipe at the water, giddy with excitement at the way the water would splash.

"I am very glad you managed to convince His Grace to let you keep him. He has visited the property multiple times in the last two weeks, and each time, he was chased away. Mrs. Silverstone even instructed that we have him removed as soon as he was spotted before the Duke found out. Apparently, he doesn't like dogs," Paula said, gently lifting the puppy out of the tub and placing him on a dry towel.

Nancy frowned at the fact. Nevertheless, she'd managed to convince him to keep Dash, and that was all that mattered for now.

She sighed. "I, too, am thankful that he let me keep Dash. I hope that moving forward, Dash will try to repay him for his kindness."

Paula nodded, using another towel to dry Dash's fur, beaming at the puppy. "Mrs. Silverstone also informed me that His Grace is going to hire a dog trainer to ensure that he is raised to be a well-mannered pup. That was kind of him, was it not?"

It was certainly a good idea, and perhaps if Dash learned to act properly, the Duke would be able to see how lovely dogs can be.

"It really was. I look forward to the trainer's arrival then," Nancy agreed.