Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

" O h, pardon me," Seraphina said with a nervous laugh as she ran into Lord Astor at the front door of Eldridge House.

The older lord looked her up and down as he sneered, "I see you're back from your sojourn. Was it worth the shouting match you had with my nephew this morning?"

Seraphina pinkened. "Hardly a shouting match. It was more of a difference of opinion."

"And were you raised to have differences of opinions with your husband?"

Seraphina gave him a strange look. "No, I was not. However, I don't see what business this is of yours."

Lord Astor puffed his chest out. "The duke is my nephew. I have his welfare at heart."

"Yes, well, the duke is my husband. So, I am equally worried about his welfare."

"Are you? That is not the impression you gave."

"I cannot be responsible for your impressions of me. Perhaps you should examine your prejudices. They might better inform your opinion."

"Well, I never! How dare you say such a thing to me?"

"What, tell you the truth?"

Lord Astor snorted. "Your family does not have much of a relationship with truth."

Seraphina puffed out her chest in anger. "I beg your pardon ? How dare you besmirch my family in such a way? You do not even know them."

"Your father is well known in town as a degenerate gambler."

Seraphina gasped in shock and paled as she gaped at Lord Astor. While it was true that her father was as the earl described him, it was such a faux pas to say so.

"All right, all right," Gerard's voice had them both turning to see him come striding down the corridor. "What is all this fracas about? Uncle Erasmus, you're not harassing my wife, are you?"

Lord Astor looked both disgruntled and shamefaced, "Of course not. I would not do such a thing."

Seraphina growled deep in her throat, her disagreement obvious.

"Well, I suggest that for now we all retreat to our respective corners. Your Grace, if you would come with me…"

Gerard held out a hand to Seraphina. She took it, albeit reluctantly, and let him lead her to the parlor. He let go of her hand, crossed over to the bar and poured them both a drink.

Handing it to her, he made a toast, "Your good health," before gulping the alcohol down.

Seraphina did the same, wincing when the bitter spirit hit the back of her throat. In spite of her shenanigans the night before, she was not much of a drinker thanks to her father and his example.

"I do not need you to find my battles for me," she said a tad bitterly as she lowered her glass.

"Battles? I wasn't aware you had any."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes at him. "Do not pretend not to know what I am talking about. It is obtuse and facetious."

Gerard chuckled, "Are you chastising me? How novel."

"Are you making a game out of me? How childish."

Gerard threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, I was not aware there was such a vixen hiding beneath your quiet veneer."

"Don't be ridiculous. I am no vixen."

He took a step closer to her, his eyes raking her frame. "Undoubtedly, you would not think of yourself as such."

He extended the hand still holding the glass and ran his index finger down her cheek. She was startled and wanted to shy away, but she didn't want him to think she was afraid, so she stood still and let him play with a strand of her hair.

Her heart was racing—out of fear, of course—he had never been that close to her before.

"But I see you have used our year of marriage to come out of your shell." His eyes dropped to her bosom, and he licked his lips. "I think I might enjoy getting to know this version of you."

Her breath stopped, caught in the surprise of the moment, her lips parted as she lifted her head to his. She could feel his breath ghosting against the skin of her nose.

Suddenly he straightened up. "Tonight, you and I will have dinner, at eight sharp. Do not be late."

With that, he put down his glass and strode out of the room. Seraphina gaped after him in some surprise. She slowly lifted her glass to her lips and downed the whisky before putting it down on the table. Her heart beat slowed down as she took a breath, and she lifted her skirts, stumbling out of the room and towards her bed chambers.

According to the clock, she had approximately an hour to prepare for dinner. She had a feeling that she would need every minute of it.

Seraphina's ice blue gown matched her eyes perfectly. It was made of thin muslin that swirled around her like a cloud, the diamond brooch around her throat, adding its own sparkle to her outfit. A silver comb holding her chestnut hair in an untidy mop atop her head completed the picture.

She had thought about adding some color in her pale cheeks but was too embarrassed about what Gerard might say about her efforts.

She came to a stop just inside the door of the dining room, silver slippers clicking together at the abruptness of it. Her eyes flew across the table, noting that only two places were set. Gerard stood at the head of the table. He executed an elegant bow before stepping away from the table to pull a chair out for her, on his right side.

Tripping a little with nerves, Seraphina walked towards him, nodding in thanks as she took her seat.

He resumed his own, his eyes never leaving her. "You look well this evening. It is good to see that if you are spending my money at least you are doing it with taste."

Seraphina narrowed her eyes at him, and pouted before she remembered that she was supposed to be buttering him up so that he could help her sister.

She plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you," she murmured though she had to stop herself from wincing in pain.

He gave her a strange look but did not comment.

The butler announced the first course, "Creamy mushroom soup with freshly baked bread, generously buttered," he said as the bowls and plates were put down before them.

Seraphina was rather startled because when she was on her own, the butler never bothered with such formalities. Still, she picked up a warm soft bun and took a bite, appreciating how it melted in her mouth as she washed it down with the soup.

They mostly ate in silence, and Seraphina was afraid that they might get through dinner without saying a word to each other.

We cannot have that.

She cast her around for a safe topic of conversation to get them started. Everything she thought of seemed fraught with potholes ready to trip them up.

"Shall we play a game?" she asked as the soup course was replaced with roasted pigeon in a bed of rice.

"A game?" he asked skeptically. "Are we not a bit too old for that?"

"You play cards, do you not?"

"Absolutely not. I do not play any games of chance."

Seraphina frowned. Before she had married him, she knew that the duke had been a bit of a rake in his relative youth. She was quite sure that he had been in quite a few gambling dens in his heyday. But he seemed genuinely disgusted by the thought of games of chance. It was an interesting paradox she meant to unravel if she could.

"Well, the game I propose to play is not one of chance. In fact, it is the opposite, because it gives you the chance to decide what you mean to do."

"What game is this?" he asked with an irritable frown.

"It's quite simple really. I ask you a question, and you have the choice of answering the question or taking a drink."

The furrow in his brow deepened. "What kind of question?"

She grinned at him mischievously. "Whatever kind of question I can think of. The objective of the game, however, is to get to know the other person better. So, the questions might be a bit… personal."

"What if I have no wish to know you better?"

She leaned towards him and smiled, "Surely you have some questions for me?"

He blinked at her and his eyes grew thoughtful. Picking up his glass he took a sip of port. "Very well then. Let us play. I'll start, shall I?"

Seraphina made a gesture for him to go ahead.

"All right then. Explain to me why you are spending so much of my money."

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "I do not spend a lot of your money. I live well within our means. But you married me and then you went off to Irondale without a word."

"It is my home. I was needed."

"You were also needed here, by your new wife."

"That was not part of our arrangement. I do not recall any clause where I was to wait on you hand and foot."

"I didn't say that there was. But I was a newlywed with nothing much to do except twiddle my thumbs I had to pass the time somehow."

"And you choose what? Buying gowns and importing furniture?"

Seraphina gave a much put-upon sigh. "I bought one painting from France. And yes, I took it upon myself to entertain, to have lively dinners with interesting people who could help me pass the time. Did you expect me to sit in the dark, knitting shawls for non-existent relatives?"

"You have a sister."

"She doesn't wear shawls," Seraphina shot back but the reminder of Tessa brought to the forefront of her mind the fact that she needed Gerard's support to sponsor her season.

She gave her husband a strained smile. "I do not want to fight. If I promise to be less of a spendthrift in the future, can we put this behind us?"

"That is all I ask," Gerard said.

"Then consider it done," Seraphina smiled at him.

His lip twitched as if he meant to smile back, but he ducked his head focusing on his pigeon.

"It's my turn to ask a question," Seraphina said.

Gerard looked up warily. "What's your question?"

"Why do you not like games of chance, Your Grace?"

His lip twitched again. This time she was sure it was almost a smile.

"Because they're already rigged, my dear. You will always be destined to lose more than you win."

"A surprisingly philosophical answer. Your turn."

Gerard sipped his port thoughtfully, his eyes on her. "Were you always gregarious or is that something that you have developed in the last year?"

She laughed. "I have never been gregarious. In fact, it is many of the same people who populate most of my dinner parties. I enjoy very specific company."

"Is that so? And would I make the criteria for the company you enjoy?"

"Ah ah!" She wagged her finger at him, "Those are two questions. It is my turn now."

He chuckled indulgently. "Go ahead then."

"All right. Were it not for the expectations of society, what kind of woman would you want?"

He quirked an eyebrow, looking surprised. "Aha! What a question." He squinted thoughtfully. "I have never thought about it. My life has not been about what I want. It has been about duty, and expectations."

She blinked at him, surprised at the candidness of his answer. "Indeed."

He gave her a look, "I ask you the same question. What kind of man would you have wanted?"

"One who is not dissolute. A kind man. Honest," she said at once.

He blinked at her in surprise. "Well… I think you lucked out then."

She laughed. "If you say so."

"Don't you believe me?"

"I don't know. We have hardly spent any time in each other's company."

"Yes, but when we met, I made you a promise and kept it. Is that not honest? I rescued you from your father. Was that not kind?"

Seraphina snorted derisively. "Did you really? Don't pretend that marrying me was not about fulfilling your own obligations. I was merely convenient and easy."

"Easy?" he scoffed, "You clearly have no idea what that word means."

"Oh, was it so difficult taking two days out of your busy schedule to arrange a wedding? Because that is all the effort you have put in this marriage."

"So ungrateful. Do you think that when you buy clothes, buy furniture, hold dinner parties, that the money comes from trees? I work hard so that you might be comfortable!"

"Ungrateful? Should I be grateful for being abandoned ? For having to make up stories about why my husband is never with me? Do you think it has been easy for me?"

Gerard rolled his eyes. "I see that you feel the need to be right."

Seraphina laughed pouring more port in their empty glasses. "Of course I do."

They both drank. "Your turn," Gerard said.

Seraphina giggled. "All right then, next question. Over in Irondale, what do you do for entertainment?"

Gerard tilted his head to the side as if thinking. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged one-shouldered. "Curiosity."

"You are curious about Irondale?"

"No. I'm curious about you ."

Gerard reared back a bit, staring at her like he was seeing her for the first time. "Well, my dear friends Dorian and Leo do keep me company now and then. Though Leo is currently out of the country. We have a drink, we hunt, we box… sometimes we just sit and talk." He shrugged.

Seraphina smiled. "I think I recall them from the wedding breakfast. Dorian is a boisterous fellow, is he not?"

"Ah ah… those are two questions," Gerard grinned at her triumphantly.

She snorted. "Very well then. Ask your questions."

"You have an interesting collection of books. Pray do tell, where did you get them?"

Seraphina choked on her port. She had a bit of a coughing fit and she put her glass down.

"What books?" she asked, her cheeks heating with embarrassment.

"Oh, I think you know what books. I found your lady's maid giggling over a passage she read aloud to a milkmaid and a footman in the library yesterday. An interesting introduction to the household I must say. I do hope the servants are not having orgies in the pantry."

Seraphina covered her face in mortification. She made a note to speak with Leticia about how she chose to pass her time.

"Those books were gifted to me by a good friend," she murmured into her hands.

"A good friend you say?" Gerard peered at her bent head, trying to meet her eyes. "What kind of good friend? The kind that keeps your bed warm at night?"

Seraphina's head shot up her eyes wide and outraged. "What? No of course not! Why would you ask me that?"

"Well, you have complained at length about how I have left you alone for a whole year, and how you have sought to pass the time with friends. Can I be blamed for thinking…"

"Yes. Yes, you can be blamed. I didn't ask you to leave me on my own. And I do assure you I have not broken my vows. Are you saying that you have?"

He gave her a strained smile. "No, I have not. Mistresses are nothing but trouble. I'm not looking to complicate my life in such a way. Also, as I said earlier, I am an honest man. A man of duty. I would not go against my vows in such a way. But we digress. We were speaking of your books and where you got them."

"I, like you, have bosom friends. And my good friend Rosalind is the one who supplies me with those books. You are right about a lover being complicated—especially when there are other ways to quench one's desires."

His eyebrow rose almost to his hairline. "I beg your pardon? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"I cannot read your mind, so I do not know what you think."

Gerard got to his feet, stalking towards her like a predator. He put his hand caressingly on her shoulder, bending down to whisper in her ear.

"Do you touch yourself intimately as you read, wife?"