Chapter 11 #2
Dominic stayed silent throughout the entire breakfast, and he didn’t once look at Selina. She tried not to let it bother her. He had been clear that this would be a marriage in name only, so there was no point in her wanting more.
After breakfast was over, it was time for everyone to leave. There was no after-party, after all.
That’s it? All that planning and worry over three days, and now it’s done?
She had expected to be relieved now that it was over, but instead she felt mild trepidation for what would come next.
Lady Gillray wasted no time in leaving. “Come along, Christine,” she said after saying goodbye to the dowager duchess and Dominic. “I hope to get home in time for tea.”
“I will be along in a moment, godmother,” Christine said as she walked to the front door with Selina. Lady Gillray shrugged and left to wait in the carriage.
Christine turned to her older sister and pulled her into a hug. “I’m going to miss you,” she said. “Please visit as soon as you are able. And write.”
“I will,” Selina said. “I promise. I’ve made arrangements with Lady Gillray to stop treating you like a maid. Please let me know if she reneges on her part of the deal.”
Christine nodded. “I will. Thank you. But please do not worry about me. I will be fine.”
Selina smiled. “You are my younger sister. I will always worry about you.”
Reluctantly, Christine pulled away from the hug and left the building. Tears stung Selina’s eyes, but she quickly blinked them away and took a deep breath. She would save any tears for the privacy of her bed chamber.
Her new husband walked up behind her, and his closeness sent a shiver down her spine. “You’ll spend the next few weeks learning everything you need to be a duchess and a good mother for Percy,” he said. “Your main task as my wife is to help Percy find his voice.”
She bristled a little at his cold, demanding tone. But she nodded as she turned to look at him. “Was he ever able to talk?”
He looked away. “Yes. He used to be very sociable, just like most children. That changed a year ago. I did not handle circumstances well and…” he cleared his throat. “It does not matter now.”
She frowned. “What happened?”
“You do not need to concern yourself with that,” he snapped. “All you need to worry about is helping Percy find his voice again.” He spun on his heel and walked quickly away, leaving her cold and with more questions than answers.
She glared at his retreating form. “If you wish to have as little as possible to do with me, then that is fine,” she muttered. “I can make Greystone Manor a warm and happy place despite your sullen moods, husband.”
“Did you say something, dear?” the dowager duchess asked from behind her.
Selina startled and turned around to face the older lady. Her cheeks warmed slightly with embarrassment. She smiled. “Forgive me. I was simply talking to myself.”
The dowager duchess smiled. “Do not fret about my grandson. He just needs to get used to the situation, but he will come around soon enough. Let me give you a proper tour of the manor.”
“Yes, thank you.” Even though she had been living in the manor for the past few days, she had not gotten a proper tour of the place because they had been busy with all of the wedding preparations.
“What did your finishing school teach you?” the dowager duchess asked as they walked.
“I learned dancing, the art of conversation, and some basic French,” Selina said. “However, a lot of the students went to this finishing school because they wanted to get employment as ladies’ companions and governesses, so there were some practical skills as well, like childcare and cooking.”
It was a quality school, with a mix of noble ladies and daughters of wealthy merchants, but none of the faculty expected any of their students to become duchesses.
“Then I will have much to teach you about how to host parties as a duchess,” the dowager said.
“Not to mention how to handle yourself in society when all eyes are on you. You can never repeat an outfit, and you must ensure your appearance is impeccable if you set foot outside the manor. Remember, only the royal family outranks you now. You only bow to them.”
“Oh, I do not think all of that will be necessary,” Selina said. “After all, Dominic said my main task is to take care of Percy.”
“That is true, but there will be many more responsibilities you will have to tend to as the lady of the house.”
The dowager duchess gave her a tour of the gardens, sun room, and ballroom, before taking her to rooms she had not seen yet, like the extensive library, Percy’s nursery, and drawing rooms used for more intimate gatherings than a huge party like the Duke Hunt.
Selina could not believe how big the manor was.
It was easily twice the size of Gillray Manor.
It was so strange that this was now her home.
The last room the dowager duchess showed her was Selina’s new bedroom.
Instead of the guest room she had been staying in before, Selina would now sleep in the suite across from Dominic’s on the third floor.
The duchess’s suite was huge, with a large, four-poster bed on one side, a spacious closet, and a writing desk.
Attached to it was a private sitting room.
“You can decorate it however you wish,” the dowager duchess said.
“Do whatever you would like to make it feel like home.”
“Thank you,” Selina said. “I will.” However, something caught her attention, something that struck her as odd.
There was also a balcony that overlooked the gardens. However, after a moment, Selina noticed very high railings that had been put in place that looked like they were newly installed. She went out to the balcony and realized they came up to her chest.
“What is the point of these?” she asked. “They do not really go with the rest of the decor, do they? And if I decided to sit down outside for a cup of tea, then my view of the garden would be obstructed.”
She was merely curious. She doubted she would have a lot of time to enjoy tea on the balcony when she would be so busy with Percy, but the railings still felt like an odd addition to the room.
The dowager duchess did not reply at first. Selina turned around to see the older woman looking sad.
“I suppose you should know, especially before you hear about it from someone else. The former duchess’s mind was very ill.
She was an unhappy woman. One dreadful day… well… she fell from the balcony.”
Selina gasped softly. “I had no idea.” That must be the unpleasant topic surrounding Dominic that everyone skirted around when they were with her. That must be why everyone thought he killed his wife. Such a strange circumstance, after all. “Is that why Percy does not talk anymore?”
“Yes,” she said. “Dominic blames himself for it. It is a sensitive subject, so if you want to talk about it with him or Percy, then please proceed with caution.” She took a deep breath and smiled, but her expression remained sad nonetheless.
“I will leave you to get settled in your room. Perhaps you can visit with Percy before dinner.”
Selina nodded. “Thank you.”
The dowager duchess left Selina to her thoughts. She sat down on the bed. The finery of her new room brought her no joy after learning of the terrible events that had taken place here. How can I make this place feel like home when it is filled with such sadness?