Chapter 14
Fourteen
Dominic was in his study when a maid burst in. She looked almost fearful at him. “Your Grace, the duchess is in the kitchen. She dismissed us and said that she was going to bake herself.”
“She did what?” He could hardly believe it, and could not contain his disbelief at the thought of his wife doing something so scandalous. She was not supposed to be bothering the servants. A duchess did not belong in the kitchen. “Is she still there?”
“Yes, Your Grace. She is baking.”
“I will handle her,” he said, getting up from his desk. He pushed past the maid and quickly made his way to the kitchen. What has gotten into her? Perhaps she has lost her mind.
He did not fully believe that his wife was in the kitchen, doing servant’s work, until he heard her cheerful laughter. The sound of it only incensed him.
But when he entered the kitchen, he froze. His son was in the kitchen too, helping her make the cake. Both of them were sweaty, their clothing wrinkled. Flour dusted Selina’s nose and Percy’s hair. He certainly never expected to see either of them in such a state.
But Percy was smiling.
His son had smiled very little in the past year.
Dominic considered backing away and telling the servants to leave her be until she was done. He wouldn’t mind it if dinner was a little late if it meant Percy smiled.
But before he could start backing quietly out of the kitchen, Selina looked up and smiled at him. “Good morning, Dominic,” she said. “We are making lemon cake. Would you like to join us?”
He felt his scowl deepen automatically as a way to hide his discomfort of being caught spying on them. He looked at Percy, whose expression was unreadable. At least he did not look blatantly afraid of his father at the moment. “I have no intention of making my clothes dirty,” he said.
Percy’s face fell.
“But I will stay and watch the two of you,” he said quickly. He certainly was not going to leave if Percy wanted him to stay.
Selina smiled at him, looking satisfied with his answer.
He stayed in the background and watched as she and Percy mixed the cake together.
She explained everything she was doing and why as they worked.
Percy did not say anything, of course, but he was very interested in the process.
He smiled when she let him taste the batter.
Dominic stayed quiet. He was careful to stay out of the way, and even though he pretended not to be interested, he could not help but be a little fascinated by the process. He had never considered everything that went into baking and cooking before, and it was interesting to him.
Finally, the cake batter was poured into a pan and placed in the oven. “It will take some time to bake,” Selina said. “And then it will need to cool. However, as soon as it is ready, we can all have a slice.”
Percy smiled up at her.
She laughed at the sight of him. “You are a mess, darling. Perhaps one of the maids can take you to get cleaned up.” She held out her hand for him, and he took it. Selina led him to the kitchen entrance, where she called for a maid to take him.
Dominic watched the two of them together, feeling warmth and sorrow fill him at once. Selina had already shown more warmth for Percy than his natural mother had ever shown him.
When a maid took Percy away to be cleaned, Selina turned to Dominic.
Silence hung heavy in the air as they looked at each other.
She was covered in flour. Messy curls framed her face.
Dominic wanted to peel off her clothing, piece by piece, and watch her bathe until there wasn’t a spot of flour on her anymore.
Selina’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Do you like lemon cake?” she asked him.
He blinked and took a moment to collect himself before answering. “I do not like sweet food at all.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Truly? I think there is nothing as comforting as a delicious piece of cake with a hot cup of tea.”
“I hope you realize it is highly improper for a duchess to be baking,” he said. “I am curious why you did it at all.”
She untied the apron she had covered her dress with, and placed it on a hook in the corner.
“This is only my third day as a duchess,” she said.
“I hardly feel like a proper one. Besides, I love cooking. It brings me great comfort, and it helps me think. I am not about to give it up just because it is not a usual activity for a duchess.”
“We have staff who need to use the kitchen during the day,” he said. “Do you expect them to work late simply because you have an urge to pretend to be a scullery maid?”
She shrugged, looking unfazed by his comment.
“I will simply find a better way to coordinate with the kitchen staff. After all, I do not want to inconvenience them.” She sat down in a chair next to the fire.
“That is better,” she said, sighing. “It is always nice to sit down after cooking something.”
He looked around and found another chair, which he pulled up next to her. He was so close he could reach out and grab her hand if he wished. Or he could brush some loose tendrils of her hair behind her ear.
There was a small dusting of sugar on the crook of her neck, and he wanted to lick it off.
Her face was already flushed, but maybe he could make that flush travel down her body with some careful touches.
But he kept his hands to himself. If he allowed himself even small touches, he would be tempted to undress her and take her on the kitchen floor.
“Where did you learn how to cook? Was that something you did with your own mother?” Perhaps it was an eccentric family tradition for her.
Sadness crossed her face as she shook her head. “No, definitely not. I barely remember my mother, to be honest. She died while giving birth to Christine.”
“I am sorry to hear that.”
She looked down. “It is all right. Even though I miss her, I accepted her death long ago.”
“My father died when I was a child,” he said. “It was quick. Sudden. He fell while riding his horse.”
“That is so awful! You must miss him,” she said.
“He is missed in Greystone,” he replied, careful not to let emotion creep in.
“And my mother, who fell ill and passed away a few years ago.” He cleared his throat, feeling strangely vulnerable and exposed.
He never talked about this with anyone, not even his grandmother.
Selina had a way of making him want to open up.
He would have to be careful around her, or he might end up spilling all of his secrets.
She reached out and grabbed his hand. “I am sorry,” she said. “That sounds hard.”
Her delicate hand felt good inside his own. He pulled away, however. It was too distracting having her touch him. It only made him want more. “Where did you learn how to cook?”
“I learned at finishing school,” she said.
“The school was very… frugal and practical. Even though it was intended as a school for ladies to learn etiquette so they could marry well or find employment as a lady’s companion or governess, they also touted the benefits of learning practical skills, such as cooking and cleaning.
However, I believe they mainly did not want to pay for a full-time chef. ”
She smiled a little, but it did not quite reach her eyes. “Instead, there were chores all of us had to do, including working in the kitchen. We would rotate chores. I enjoyed it when it was my turn to cook for everyone. I found it refreshing.”
“That is strange,” he said. “I would have expected parents to complain about their daughters learning such skills.”
“It was not a school for ladies whose parents were overly involved in their lives,” she said carefully.
“You mean it was a school where parents sent their daughters when they wanted them out of the way, or when they did not know what to do with them.”
She chuckled. “Quite. Lady Gillray thought it was a suitable place for me after my father passed away. Perhaps she was right. I was happier in that school than facing the wrath of the ton after…” she shook her head. “I only wish I did not spend so much time away from my sister.”
“I am sorry about your brother,” he said. “That must have been hard to have him disappear. I have heard you two were close.”
She laughed. “I am sure you heard more than that.” She brushed a piece of her hair out of the way. “I thought we were close, but I truthfully had no idea what he was doing. And I have no idea where he is now.”
“I believe you,” Dominic murmured. He barely remembered Charles Davidson, having met him only once or twice years ago. But he had known the young man was overselling the investment opportunity. Even if he had approached Dominic about investing, the duke would have refused.
She smiled wryly. “You might be the only one who does, apart from Christine. Sometimes I think my own godmother believes I was part of the sham.”
He grimaced, remembering that wretched woman. “Lady Gillray is hardly a good judge of character. I do not know how you and your sister have tolerated her for so long.”
“We simply do not have a choice. There was nowhere else to go after our father died.”
“So she sent you to finishing school to be rid of you,” he said. “While she raises Christine as her own.”
Selina made a face. “She hardly has love for Christine. My sister is not an embarrassment to her, at least.”
“Is she cruel to Christine, like she was to you?” He was curious, but he was just as intensely paying attention to his wife’s figure. She had shifted forward just enough to give him a glimpse of her breasts. He wanted to run his hands all over her curves.
He felt the unwelcome rush of heat, the urge to close the distance and claim her, an impulse he tamped down with iron control. She had no idea the effect she had on him.
Selina did not seem to notice his thoughts. “Christine hasn’t mentioned anything extraordinary; she keeps it mostly to herself. But I believe Lady Gillray is selfish. Christine’s debut Season would have been difficult if… well, I sorted that.”
Dominic frowned, his attention fully coming back to the conversation. “What do you mean?”
She looked up at him, startled at the sudden change in his tone. “Lady Gillray was using Christine as a personal maid. After our engagement, I was able to persuade her to find a real maid, so Christine would have time to fully participate in the Season.”
“I am glad,” he said. “I assume you used my name to persuade her to comply with your request.” He was pleased that she was making the most of her new position as duchess. Perhaps that meant she could learn to be happy at Greystone.
She bit her lip. “It was a little more than that,” she said hesitantly. “Lady Gillray wanted me to pay her back for the expense of my schooling. I said I would do it if she stopped using Christine as a maid.”
Anger surged through Dominic. “She extorted you for money? Why did you not tell me?”
“There was no reason to.” She tilted her chin defiantly. “It is my own personal problem, and I am handling it. I can easily pay her back from my pin money.”
“You will do no such thing. I will handle this matter myself.”
“That is not necessary.”
“Of course, it is necessary. You are my wife, and I will not let anyone exploit you. Your pin money is for personal purchases. Not for that woman.” He stood up. “I will take care of it immediately.”
She frowned as she stood too. “Are you sure? I truly do not mind. I have nothing else to spend money on at the moment.”
“It is no trouble on my end,” he said. It only made sense. He would rather that Selina focus her attention on Percy, and she could not do that if she was worried about her sister and Lady Gillray.
She smiled. “Thank you. This truly means the world to me.” Before he could react, she threw her arms around him in a hug. He closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, which only made him more aware of her lovely, natural scent, mixed with hints of lemon from her baking endeavors.
His instincts surged… he wanted to kiss her, taste her lips, then trail lower until she was gasping, her mouth parted in breathless moans. But he couldn’t.
Instead, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist for a brief hug before stepping away. “I shall make arrangements for her to be paid,” he said. “You should clean yourself up. Duchesses can hardly look like scullery maids, even in their own homes.”
She bit her lip. “Will you ban me and Percy from the kitchens now? Because it is unbecoming?”
He shook his head as he remembered his son smiling. “Certainly not. You are the duchess now. You may run the household as you see fit.” He turned and left before doing something foolish, like kissing his wife.1