Chapter 11
Dominic laid in bed an hour after leaving Verity and drinking his milk. Already he had bent his ear to the shared wall, wondering if he might hear the scratching of her pen.
Was she really writing to her sisters? What if she does write the gossip rag?
He didn’t like how she had run off like that, and he wondered if she would ever tell him the truth. And if he would know the truth when she said it.
Could he trust her even if she had secrets that she never told him?
Secrets were a strange and uncomfortable thing. He didn’t like it. And yet… He couldn’t control her. He wouldn’t dare attempt such a thing. Verity wasn’t the sort to be controlled, and he would not be his father. He would simply have to wait. And wonder.
At least he had seen her for a moment. He’d caught her studying him and was curious about what she saw. If it mattered.
Such a foreign desire settled strangely inside him in that moment; he pushed it out quickly. Turning over in his bed, Dominic attempted to remove her from his mind. He must try to sleep and he never would with Verity in his thoughts.
He slept little that night, waking disoriented and sleepy through breakfast. Just as he was leaving the room, he came across Verity.
“Oh! Good morning!” She was cheery with a wide smile as she placed a large cream-colored hat over her head. “I’m off for a morning walk.”
“A wonderful idea. Might I accompany you?”
The question surprised them both. He stopped in his tracks and she widened her eyes. But before he could take back the offer, she was relaxing her arms and beaming at him.
“I enjoy a hearty stroll for a good distance. I trust that would be all right, Dominic? If you are up for it, then certainly I would like your company. Do you need to change? Are you certain you’re not too busy?”
He supposed she asked this based on his note about his insomnia and related worries. It was an opportunity to change his mind.
While Dominic contemplated on doing just that, he found he didn’t want to disappoint her. Or himself. And he rather liked the idea of getting some sunlight.
“It’s not part of my routine,” he said aloud mostly for himself.
“No,” she echoed softly.
Perhaps she doesn’t mean for me to join her. She wants to do something else with her time, not with me. I haven’t seen her myself before noon any day thus far. I could change my mind and take my leave…
“As long as you shall not be embarrassed with me on your arm, I should be glad to go as I am,” Dominic said.
There was something glimmering in her eye when she nodded. “Very well. Shall we?”
He switched from his morning slippers and accepted a hat and cane from his footman. It only took a few minutes before he took his wife on his arm and they left the house together.
“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” Verity said warmly as they left the drive, looking about at the sunshine.
Her smile transferred over to him as she asked him, “I’m glad you decided to come with me.
I didn’t really think you would come. Your mornings are so often busy. What inclined you to change your mind?”
He hesitated over an answer before saying, “As you said, it is a lovely day. Besides, it is expected for newly married couples to be seen together. Not just by the household, but by our neighbors as well.”
The smile faded from her lips. “Ah, yes. Of course.”
“I suppose it is mostly for others to gossip upon,” he added, thinking that might boost her interest. If she did support the gossip journals, then wouldn’t this be something that mattered to her?
But she turned away from him, looking out onto the street.
Hiding a smile? He couldn’t decide. Dominic fell quiet as she did the same. There was a tension in the silence he couldn’t sort out. It left the walk uncomfortable. He glanced back, wondering if he should simply leave.
What good would that do us? No, she is my wife. Surely I can do right by her.
“Have you explored outside the house?” Dominic asked finally. “The grounds are maintained well through every season. I’ve seen the flowers bloom well. We also cycle the vegetable garden through every season.”
“Hm? Oh. Oh yes, the gardens are lovely. I explored them yesterday,” Verity added. “The pond was particularly quaint; do you like fish?”
“No, but my mother did.”
Her eyes widened as she turned to him, and then she glanced away for a moment. The truth was meant to be shared. She wanted honesty and he wanted to give it. All the same, Dominic was hard-pressed to hope that she wouldn’t ask more about his family.
He braced himself for the worst.
Then Verity surprised him by saying, “My mother didn’t like fish. We rarely ate it for supper. But my father loved kippers to break his morning fast. His breath always smelled fishy when he, er, talked to us. I rather like seeing them in the pond rather than on our plates.”
Dominic released the tension in his spine as she spoke. “I find I must agree.”
“The stepping path over the pond was particularly lovely. I felt like a child again. That’s often hard to relive such a memory since I am so tall. It always feels like I am towering over the world,” Verity shared while offering him a smile.
“I know quite how you feel.”
“Do you really?” She teased, before chuckling. “I imagine it is much preferred to be a tall gentleman over a tall lady.”
He helped her cross the street by keeping her close to his side. “I wouldn’t know as I have only ever been a man, but I shall take your word for it.”
“It would seem you can be clever on occasion.”
“I save it for valuable moments such as this.”
Rolling her eyes, she smiled at him. “How generous of you, Your Grace.”
They paused when someone called out her name. A carriage was slowing down as a hand waved wildly out the window. Once close enough, the curtains widened to reveal the cheery face of a lady whom he didn’t recognize; judging by Verity’s smirk, she did.
“How good to see you this morning! And you, Your Grace! Verity, a new gossip rag is out. Have you seen it?”
The shouting stilled some folks passing along. Dominic held back a wince while glancing about them. Shouting about goods and traffic was common enough. Shouting about gossip was another matter altogether.
“No, Jane, I have not.” Verity couldn’t quite stifle her laugh. She gestured to the traffic the young lady was now holding up. “Another time, my friend! I shall call on you tomorrow, shall I?”
The young lady nodded. “Please do! I was right about it all. I was right!”
And off her carriage rolled, the other wagons following.
Verity was still chuckling when she looked up to find Dominic watching her curiously. Her cheeks flushed. “I beg your pardon. That wasn’t exactly proper, was it? Jane is very excitable.”
“It would appear so. She is a good friend of yours?”
“Yes, indeed. This was her coming-out year and she was very anxious, but I believe she has blossomed into a lovely young lady. She’ll find her match soon, I think. I can only hope that whomever he is, her suitor is gentlemanly enough to accept her excitement.”
He thought it made sense as well to find a suitable match. Whilst shouting in the street wasn’t proper, perhaps there would be another gentleman who might not mind.
Then he turned to look at Verity. “You are very composed.”
“I am, yes. What of it?” She asked with a grin.
“What excites you?”
Surprise lit in her eyes. He liked that look, he realized. It was a sudden blast to the chest. He liked to surprise her. The way her eyes opened wider as though she needed to take him all in, to gather a deep breath and a fresh moment.
“What an intriguing question. I hardly know. I must think on this a moment,” she decided. They passed through the lanes of houses, leading to a row of shops. She paused before a small bookshop. “I have something to pick up here, I realized. Do you mind waiting a moment?”
“Yes, of course, so long as you are thinking on that answer,” he added, glad to see the smile crossing her lips.
Verity teased him, “Await here with baited breath and I shall have my answer in a moment.”
“I shall do my best.”
“You’re already doing very well,” she reassured him before stepping inside.
From the front window, Dominic could see inside.
He watched as she strode to the front desk .
The shopkeeper, an older man, recognized her at once.
He waved and moved away. As Dominic wondered if he should have gone inside, he fiddled with his cane and watched.
It only took a moment for the man to return.
The shopkeeper and Verity exchanged items. She slipped something into her pocket. Then she was turning around, making her way back to Dominic.
Her cheeks were flushed upon her return. “I have my answer,” she announced as she accepted his arm.
“Very good, I wasn’t going to be able to hold my breath for much longer,” he told her lightly.
She chuckled. “Then it is good I returned so quickly. I like a good story.” That surprised him as the answer, and she caught it before he could hide his own reaction. “What? I’m allowed to read. I was raised a lady and it’s a very necessary skillset for a duchess.”
“I shouldn’t doubt it. I know how you treasure your letters between your siblings,” he added.
“Oh, yes, of course. I write them constantly. It’s only been a few days, but I think they like hearing about my new life with you. Why then were you surprised?”
This was not the time for lies. While he thought her truthful, it was still intriguing to find her sharing this. The pieces of her secret were coming together too clearly. His suspicion was more than that at this time. All he needed was concrete proof of her writing activities.
But I won’t force it. Not now.
Redirecting the topic, Dominic admitted, “I thought you would talk about your love for management and orderliness.”
“Oh! Isn’t that boring?”
“Not if you love it.”
A sheepish giggle escaped Verity, and she covered her mouth with her free hand. The flush grew warmer as she quietly admitted, “I do love it. I really do. Perhaps that should have been my answer.”
“I shall allow you two answers on this front if that will help,” he offered with a slight smile. “Would that be more or less orderly?”
“Now you’re teasing me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of such a thing.”
Verity laughed. And when she laughed, her arm tightened around his as he guided them through a narrow area of the lane. He felt her knees brush against his legs. They nearly stumbled feet over feet across the spot of rubble, chuckling together, before righting their way back on the main path.
Their walk might not have fit Dominic’s routine, but he found it all the better for that reason. Never had the sunlight felt so warm or the touch of a woman’s hand on his so comfortable.
Perhaps this match for them had always been the right one.