Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"I have picked out an estate," Richard blurted out.

A few days after the incident with Dash on the lawn, Richard found himself seated at another awkward breakfast with his wife.

It seemed almost coincidental how they had ended up together in the dining hall without any prior discussion. Apparently, the Duchess had all her meals there in the company of her dog. He had just decided out of the blue to eat outside his study for a change, not expecting to find her there.

Things were just as tense as they had been last time, for different reasons now, and Richard felt as though he was being smothered as he sipped his tea.

She looked up from her plate, confusion etched on her features. "I beg your pardon?"

Richard swallowed past the lump in his throat. "For your family. I picked the most ideal option and had it prepared for their arrival. They can move in as soon as they wish. I will also handle the expenses related to the move. Just let me know when all of it is set," he told her, relieved that his voice held no sharp edge whatsoever.

Nancy's expression softened. "Thank you. I am really grateful to you for how much consideration and effort you put into this. I will never forget it," she said gently.

Richard waved a hand in the air lightly. "Yes, well. It was part of our deal, wasn't it?"

She frowned for a moment but her smile returned soon, "Even so, there is no harm in extending my thanks to you, husband."

With the way she stared at him, all he could do was nod, her blue doe-like eyes innocent at first but with each passing moment turning deeper, darker. Filled with unholy thoughts, he added to himself.

His own mind filled with unholy thoughts and the way she could further extend her thanks to him.

He cleared his throat, thankful that he was seated, and he quickly brought up the next topic of discussion.

"The new Lord Suttington," he began, setting down his teacup, "I have plans to meet with him soon and speak with him about your family."

Nancy sat back and nodded curtly. "I see. All right?—"

Suddenly, the door to the dining hall swung open, interrupting her. Richard shifted his gaze to the newcomer, irritated by the interruption, already preparing to snap at the butler, but the man spoke up hurriedly.

"Pardon my intrusion, Your Grace, but you have a guest."

Richard frowned. "Who the hell would visit so early? Without even sending word first?"

"Ludlow Harrington, Your Grace," The butler looked nervous as he responded.

Nancy noticed the annoyance on her husband's face at the mention of the name.

"Who is he?" she couldn't help but ask.

"The Earl of Whitwood, Your Grace," the butler replied diligently.

At the same time, Richard sighed and admitted regretfully, "My uncle."

Before Nancy could properly understand the implications of those words, a man walked into the dining room, complaining loudly.

"You sly bastard!" the man said, "How dare you plan your wedding so quickly and deny me the satisfaction of watching you act smitten with your bride? You're my only nephew. It is my solemn duty to embarrass you a little in front of your wife. And tell her all the reasons why she shouldn't settle for a handsome devil like you! Woe is me."

Nancy couldn't help but snort, clearly entertained by the theatrics.

Richard, however, was not.

"Uncle, please," he sighed, feeling his patience wane.

Lord Whitwood held his hands up with an apologetic expression and it irked Richard to no end as he stood and gestured towards the intruder.

"Ludlow Harrington, the Earl of Whitwood, and my father's younger brother. Lord Whitwood, this is my wife, Nancy Harrington."

Lord Whitwood moved closer to where Nancy was seated, holding out a hand as he bowed and said, "It is a pleasure, Your Grace."

When Nancy placed her hand in his, he kissed the back of it lightly, and the action caused something to itch in Richard's chest.

Just as he was preparing himself to react—possibly violently by throwing a butter knife at him—his uncle shifted his attention back to him.

"I apologize for calling so early. And for imposing on you so soon after your wedding," Lord Whitwood said, moving to take a seat at the table.

"You are imposing. With this quantity of self-awareness, I would have expected that you would have had enough forethought to not visit at all. At least not without sending prior notice. And it is strange how nice you are being all of a sudden," Richard stated bluntly.

His uncle's presence filled him with discomfort. It was annoying to have a guest at all, but it was very odd that the visitor was his uncle, who usually held no love for him.

So, what were these niceties about?

"Ah, dear Richard, always so grumpy in the morning. However does your wife cope with you?" Lord Whitwood teased, dismissing Richard's words as a joke. "I have always been quite fond of you. I just did not want your brother to feel jealous. You know how well-liked William was. And I could not wait a moment longer to meet your bride!"

His attention shifted to Nancy, and he sighed.

"She is absolutely stunning, Richard. A breathtaking beauty, this one." Then he addressed Nancy with a teasing tone. "Wherever did he find such a lovely flower like you? You are a wonder to behold. He is truly fortunate to have married a woman as precious as you."

Nancy blushed and glanced at her husband. "I am the fortunate one for finding a good husband like him," she said softly.

Richard assumed she was speaking merely of the fact that their marriage had benefited her greatly.

"I never thought I would hear someone refer to you as a good husband , my boy, given your… habits. But I am happy that someone was able to make an honest man out of you, finally. Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you, Lord Whitwood," Nancy answered for them both.

Richard narrowed his eyes at the older man. His uncle's choice of words was particularly poor; they could have served as a problem had Nancy decided to pick a fight right there and then. But she remained polite, much to his chagrin, so he resolved to see this unfortunate meeting until the end.

"It is my pleasure, dear. Welcome to the family. Although many of us seem to be a curious assortment of … eccentric personalities, there is still enough decency left to promise that you will be taken care of," Lord Whitwood told her with a grin that set Richard's teeth on edge. "It's a shame I did not bring a gift. I intended to do so, but I was in a hurry to see you both. Let me give you a piece of advice instead."

"Absolutely. It is not as though it will be any more unwelcome than you are," Richard said loud enough for them both to hear.

Nancy looked surprised by his remark, but his uncle laughed it off.

"Trust me, this is for your benefit. I think it is in your best interest to host a ball as a celebration of your wonderful union, my boy. And you should do it as soon as possible."

Richard felt his annoyance simmer under his skin, slowly morphing into anger as he continued to hear his uncle's words.

"Your wedding took place so hastily… I hear there is talk in the city of its legitimacy. A ball will not only serve as a means to silence those silly whispers, but it will also help you both establish yourselves within Society," Whitwood drawled, "You do not want anyone to think that your marriage is a sham. It will only make you seem even more unfit for the title you hold."

It was at this point Richard reached his limit.

"Watch your tongue, Whitwood. You might be my uncle, but that doesn't give you the right to come into my home and order me around. The legitimacy of my marriage is no concern of yours, much less the ton's. You would do well to keep your unsolicited advice to yourself next time," he snapped, completely fed up.

His uncle's jaw dropped, and he stuttered around a response. "Rich—I mean, Your Grace, it was not my intention to?—"

"I do not care about your intentions. You cannot come into my house and order me around."

"We should do it. We should throw a ball," Nancy suddenly chimed in.

Richard shifted his gaze to his wife, stunned by her decision to agree with his uncle.

"No," he stated firmly. "We have nothing to prove?—"

"Then we don't throw it for the reasons they expect us to. You are right, we have nothing to prove to them. Our marriage is our concern and no one else's, and we do not need to show them that they are wrong about us. But it is important to build connections with important people and foster good relationships. The gossip does sometimes come in second place compared to the network that could be built," she argued calmly, lifting her cup of tea.

The only downside of how good a point she made was the fact that she had agreed with his uncle in the process.

"It would also be a good opportunity for me to see my family again. All of them," she added after a sip.

Including Suttington .

She was clever indeed.

"We will host a ball in a month's time," Richard begrudgingly relented, keeping his gaze on her.

"Excellent. I'm sure I can handle the task of organizing a ball."

Then his uncle spoke up and reminded him of the murderous thoughts that had been floating in his mind minutes prior.

"There you go! You really did pick a gift of a woman to wed, Your Grace. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders. I have no doubt that you both will bring honor to the family name." Lord Whitwood grinned.

"Thank you for believing in us, Lord Whitwood. And for visiting without any prior notice. I believe it is time for you to attend to other matters that are more important than coming to my home to instruct me as though I were your housekeeper. Good day." Richard glared at him.

Lord Whitwood chuckled good-naturedly, rising to his feet. "You are right, Your Grace. There are other things I must tend to."

He shifted his attention to Nancy and smiled. "It was an honor to meet you, dear Duchess. Welcome to the family, once again."

She smiled back at him, maintaining the polite air she had affected somehow in his presence. "Thank you, Lord Whitwood. It was an honor to meet you as well."

The man beamed, bowed, and took his leave moments after.

Silence filled the air again, and Richard lost all desire to continue their earlier conversation, feeling horribly worn out. It was only after his uncle left the room that he realized that he had been sitting stiffly in his chair, tense and anxious.

If there were someone who could scrutinize his behavior as the Duke of Wexford, it would undoubtedly be Lord Whitwood. Richard would rather die than give that goblin something to sink his teeth into.

"You don't seem to like him very much," Nancy noted quietly.

He sighed, weary and irritated. "Despite what it seemed like, he harbors no fondness for me. It was extremely disconcerting to have him here pretending that we are on good terms," he explained.

"Perhaps he came seeking a fresh start. Maybe he wants to be close to you since he wasn't in the past. You two are the only Harringtons left. It is important that you salvage what is left of your familial bonds," she replied.

Richard learned, yet again, how different their views were. It was obvious how loved his wife was by her family, given how much she valued them.

And it disappointed him how he could not view such situations from her perspective, how little he could understand the ease with which she made claims that family would only better his life.

"We have different views of family, Duchess , " he said in a low voice, rising to his feet. "And in my experience, family can hardly ever be trusted."

He had started to turn away from the table when her voice reached his ears, soft and sweet.

"Perhaps it is time to have new experiences, then."

Richard faltered, unable to look back at her, his chest aching in an odd manner.

Much like before, he found it practically impossible to disagree with her. He likely could have opposed her opinion, but when he searched within himself, he discovered he did not want to.

So, he simply continued walking to the door, letting a single word hang in the air on his way out.

"Perhaps."