Chapter 15
Fifteen
Isobel sat up in the soft sheets of her bed. She hugged her knees to her chest, feeling a distinct pit in the bottom of her stomach.
Supper had hardly gone according to plan last night and now she was expected to face Andrew at breakfast.
There was a knock on the door before it eased open slightly. The maid from last night, Selene, popped her head into the chambers.
“Your Grace, would you like to get ready for breakfast or would you rather take it in your room this morning?”
Isobel glanced at the little table with the dining chairs in front of the massive window. It was appealing to spend the day in her room and avoid having to talk about the night prior, but she would have to face her new husband sooner or later.
It would be best to show him now that even if he taunted her and teased her, she wasn’t going to be the kind of woman to back down.
“I’ll prepare for breakfast, thank you.”
Selene dipped her head and entered the room. She moved to the wardrobe and pulled out the clothing for the day. She helped Isobel dress without a word, only meeting her eyes when Isobel sat at the vanity and Selene started to work on her hair.
“I’m sorry about last night, Your Grace. I misunderstood the Duke’s words.” Selene’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
“It is fine.” Isobel offered her a smile as Selene slipped the last couple of pins in place. “Yesterday was just another day. Allow today to be a new one and let us not carry our burdens forward.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Selene dipped her head once more, her black hair shining in the sunlight, before stepping back. “Is there anything else I can assist you with before breakfast?”
“No, thank you.”
Selene left the room, easing the door shut behind her and leaving Isobel alone with her thoughts. As she glanced at herself in the mirror, she hardly recognized the woman staring back at her. For the first time, she didn’t have bags under her eyes.
So, this was what a few stolen hours of rest feels like.
Isobel stood up and went to the balcony doors, pushing them open and stepping out into the cold morning air. Her room overlooked the back terrace and the stone steps that led down into the gardens. There was a lake further beyond that.
It was hard to believe that this was her life now.
A knock came at her door, and she turned, stepping back inside and closing the balcony door behind her. “Come in.”
The door opened and the Duke of Foxdrey stepped in, his dark hair damp, his blue eyes taking their time running over her. “What a shame it is that you couldn’t wear the wedding dress every day.”
Isobel’s cheeks warmed and she stared at him even though she wanted to look away and break the tension between them. “Is there something I can help you with, Your Grace?”
“Is that how it is to be between us?” Andrew shut the door behind himself.
With that simple action, the room got smaller, the air warmer. It was hard to breathe, especially when he crossed the room to her in slow steps. She stood taller, tilting her head back slightly to meet his eyes.
“I see no reason for it to be any other way.” Isobel’s breath came a little quicker, her chest nearly brushing against his as he loomed over her.
She didn’t know why he caused such a reaction in her, but it became so much harder to think when he was standing that close to her.
“Very well then, Duchess. If that is the way it is to be, then I shall continue along with the same manner. Unless you wish to say the word.”
“And what word would that be?”
He smiled playfully at her. His fingers drifted up to skim along her jaw, sending sparks dancing across her skin. “I have business to attend to today. Mrs. Brendan, the housekeeper, will be the one to show you around the house and inform you of your duties.”
“My duties?” Isobel swallowed hard. Her job as a duchess was the part she was worried about.
While she had experience running a household, she had yet to plan any extravagant parties. And there would be charity work she was expected to do.
At least the thought of giving back to the people around us fills me with excitement rather than dread.
The Duke’s smile broadened. “Yes, your duties. You are the Duchess of Foxdrey. As such there will be things you are expected to do. You should’ve known that this was going to come with the marriage.”
“I did, but I thought there might be a couple of days to settle in before beginning my tasks.” Isobel tried to hide the waver in her voice, but it was hard with the overwhelming feeling of her life changing entirely getting to her.
“There will be time to learn,” the Duke said, his tone low and suggestive, gaze warm as his thumb swept across her jaw once more. “There are many things I could teach you.”
A pit opened in the bottom of her stomach, anticipation building, warmth flowing. “I don’t need you to teach me anything.”
"There are things you couldn't even imagine you don't know, wild cat." His hand cupped underneath her jaw loosely, giving her space to pull back from him if she wished.
She didn't retreat. Instead, she lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with that familiar defiance even as her breath quickened.
He leaned closer.
She remained silent. Her shoulder blades rested against the wall at her back, and she knew if he moved even a fraction of an inch nearer, their lips would touch.
"Tell me to stop," he murmured, his hand coming up to rest on the shelf beside her head, "and I will."
"I know," she whispered. And that simple acknowledgment, that she trusted him to stop if she asked, made her chest tighten with something far more pressing than desire. “You’re not going to start this again.”
Her mouth went dry as his hand left her jaw and found her waist, holding her in place.
“You’re right,” he said, voice low, lips brushing over hers slightly. “I’m not going to start this again. I have other matters I must attend to.”
It would be nothing at all for her to lean forward just a hair and press their bodies together. She would be able to feel the ridges of muscle, the heat of his skin. If she were only to lift herself to her toes, she could close the distance between them and kiss him.
Focus, Isobel. You’re not supposed to be giving in to his game and that’s all this is to him. Your feelings will never be real to him. Not when he’s still chasing around other women and working at the Mayfair Fox.
“Where will you be?” she asked, an idea of what he was doing with his day already in her mind. The thought of him being at the Mayfair Fox was enough to quell some of the desire running through her veins.
“Out,” he said, the stern tone suggesting that she would receive no more details on the matter. His body finally pressed into hers.
With every ounce of willpower she had, she gripped the wall behind her, resisting the urge to run her fingers through the messy strands of his hair.
His gaze searched hers for a moment, fire burning bright between them. “Unless you have something to say that would make me want to stay?”
Isobel pressed her lips together. The thought of giving in and just asking him to kiss her was tantalizing. She could already feel his hands as they squeezed her waist, holding her close while his lips slanted against hers.
It was hard to think straight with his body pressed against hers, but she couldn’t give in. She wouldn’t give in.
She put her hands on his chest, fingers aching to trace the planes of his body. Instead, she pushed him back a step gently, confidently seizing the power in their relationship.
“You may as well go to your club.” Isobel sidestepped away from him, heading for the door. “I have breakfast to attend.”
With her head held high, she strode out of the room, leaving him standing there.
Isobel nearly crowed with delight when she snuck a glance at him over her shoulder and saw the shocked look on his face. She felt like she had the upper hand, but she knew with the way the Duke operated, it would likely only be a matter of time until she lost control again.
There was something appealing about losing to him, as much as she didn’t want to admit it.
“Your Grace,” Selene said, meeting her at the bottom of the stairs. “Your breakfast is in the conservatory this morning. Mrs. Brendan thought you might like it best in there.”
“Thank you,” Isobel said, looking at the halls spreading from the foyer. “Which way is the conservatory?”
“Right this way.” Selene led the way down one of the halls, past the drawing room and library and out a set of doors at the end of the hall.
The walls of the room were glass. Plants grew wildly around the room, making the space look like a lush tropical garden as sun shone in from the glass roof above. Isobel eyed the little table toward the far corner of the room where a full array of breakfast items was already spread out there.
“Selene, please ask Mrs. Brendan to come join me. I’d like to speak with her about my duties while having breakfast.”
Isobel looked at the soft blue and white striped couches in the middle of the room, and admired a polished wood table between them, before going to the corner and sitting down. She lifted the cover off her food, her mouth watering at the sight of fruit and some sausage.
As she dug into her breakfast, an older woman entered the room and curtsied before approaching the table.
“Your Grace,” the woman said with a warm smile, the corners of her eyes and mouth wrinkling, gray hairs showing from beneath the cap she wore. “Selene fetched me and said you would like to speak. I’m Mrs. Brendan, the housekeeper.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Isobel sliced into the sausage and speared it with her fork. “I would be grateful if you would sit and tell me about my duties as Duchess. I’m afraid I only have a faint idea of how to run a household.”
Mrs. Brendan looked unsure for a moment, glancing between the other chair and Isobel before finally sitting down. “Thank you, Your Grace.”