Chapter 28
“I’m so glad you came to visit me,” Verity told Elowen once more on the steps of her house. “It was so lovely to talk with you. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed everyone. Feel free to visit me again, won’t you?”
“Certainly. I would love that, Verity. Oh, there’s Cassian. He’s just in time,” her sister said with a warm smile.
The smile faded as he brushed past them with a grumble.
Verity couldn’t even make out what he had said. Though he had done nothing to hurt her shoulder, she opened her mouth in disbelief over his blatant disregard for both her and their sister. Even when her brother was distracted, he had no need to be rude.
“Wait, Cass!”
“Don’t call me that,” he called over his shoulder. He hated the nickname, a gift from their mother that their father endlessly griped on.
Indignation spread through her. “Come back here, Cassian!”
“I have a busy schedule. Elowen, are you coming with me or not?”
“But I…” Elowen stumbled back a step, nearly toppling off the first step. She fumbled with her gloves as she glanced back at him over her shoulder. Before him came the carriage from where it had waited down the lane, and Elowen looked back at her with wide eyes. “Oh bother. I suppose I should go.”
“You needn’t,” Verity started but her sweet sister was already hurrying off to go see to their brother.
Cassian shook his head when Elowen reached out to her. Verity thought about storming down the steps to give him a good talking to even while he controlled himself enough to graciously assist the younger lady into the carriage before climbing in as well.
What the devil is going on with him? He was just talking with Dominic… Are they friends or not? I cannot imagine what is going on with them.
If she couldn’t talk to one of them, Verity supposed, she might as well attempt to talk to the other.
Turning around, she spotted Dominic at the end of the far hall as he stepped out of his study. Before he could turn down the next corner, she hastened inside. Behind her a footman closed the door.
“Wycliffe!” She called in a measured tone.
While trying to moderate her voice, appear calm, and remain ladylike, Verity walked quickly but gracefully. She put a smile on her face as she made her way to the duke. Her heart pounded. How estranged she felt to him of late. They had never really known one another, and yet…
She tried to be glad he had the decency to stop and wait for her instead of pretending he hadn’t heard.
“Hello, Dominic. I wanted to see if everything is well with you?”
His gaze shifted over her face before he nodded. “Of course.”
It was such a lack of answer she could have laughed. Or throttled him. Her hands tightened over one another as she nodded and inquired again, “And your visit with my brother, how was that?”
“Satisfactory.”
Her brow wrinkled. “For both of you?”
“I believe so, yes. Is all well with you?”
She gave a slight shake of her head as she was not interested in changing the subject.
Nor would she let him do this. “Very well. My visit with Elowen was much needed to see to her welfare. She’s struggling this Season, though she doesn’t wish to say it.
As for Cassian, something certainly seems to be amiss. ”
Now Dominic wouldn’t meet her gaze. As he fixed his cuffs, he shifted his gaze down the hall to where their butler had appeared. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Do you know anything about it? He left in quite a huff. It was like something was wrong. Like he didn’t want to talk to me,” Verity added reluctantly, realizing there was a hurt there.
Dismay crossed over her as she realized the problem both for herself and her brother.
He really has changed. I don’t understand it. Why is he so solemn, so serious? He used to be such a joy. He was almost as charming as Lucien. But these days… He’s not cruel like Father, but he’s not particularly kind or peaceable.
When she caught herself from her thoughts, she looked up to find that Dominic had been studying her.
He immediately looked away. Down he dropped his gaze, pulling out his pocket watch. “I have an appointment I need to prepare for with my solicitor.”
“Certainly, of course. I don’t wish to keep you. I only… Is it so impossible to tell me of what topics you discussed with my brother?” Verity came out to ask.
The pocket watch was put away. “I think that is a question your brother should answer, Verity.”
“He left without talking to me,” she reminded him.
He hardly hesitated. “And I am sorry that happened. Perhaps he is in a rush as well. But you’re family. I am confident he shall wish to speak with you soon.”
“Do you really think family likes to communicate with each other?” She asked dryly.
It didn’t mean anything in the moment. But when Dominic froze, Verity suddenly recalled how difficult his upbringing had been. There was little he had shared thus far, but she’d heard the pain between his words. Noticed the loss in the wrinkles of his brow and the dark look in his eyes.
With a grimace, she shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“It’s of no concern. I can only hope your brother will make amends with you soon. He shared no anger of you with me,” he added, paused again, and then frowned to himself. “Good day, Verity.”
She nodded, holding back a sigh. It was evident she would learn nothing from him. At least not now. Letting him go, she turned away as well before she caught his words.
“Won’t I see you for supper?” she asked.
“Unlikely,” was all Dominic could respond before turning the corner.
Just like that, Verity lost her husband.
He disappeared for the rest of the day. The next day, too. The duke was needed here and there but never in the same place as she might be found. By the third day, Verity had to accept the inevitable.
Her husband was avoiding her.
Whatever is going on here? Have I done something wrong? Has someone else done something wrong? This is madness. The harder I try to find answers, the more questions I gather.
Pressing on, Verity watched as gossip spun about London. As a new banking bill was brought forth and then crushed faster than she’d ever seen happen. The market dropped. She watched, and listened, and wondered if it had to do with her journal.
She didn’t know what to believe and now she was beginning to doubt she could believe anything she heard or even saw.
Determined to ensure she wasn’t losing her mind, Verity accepted an evening tray from a maid. She delivered it herself to her husband’s study.
It was a beautiful and masculine room filled with dark leather books, a grand fireplace, and a magnificent desk filled with papers. She set the tray down on a side table without the duke ever looking up to notice it wasn’t the maid.
“You may go,” he said when she didn’t move.
Verity attempted a smile. “No hello?”
Dominic jerked his head up. Those charming glasses of his nearly slid off his nose. He tore them off and stared at her with a frown. “How long have you been here?”
“Only a moment.” She gestured toward the tray.
“Where have the maids gone?”
“Wherever they should be, I would suppose,” she answered.
That didn’t help his perplexity. She didn’t mind one way or the other. “What is that to mean? Why are you delivering my tray, then?”
“Because I haven’t seen you in days,” she pointed out in a huff. “I wanted to make sure you hadn’t gone up in a puff of smoke. That you were still breathing. It’s not like I ever see you otherwise.”
He leaned back in his seat. “I’m simply busy. It’s the Season for you, but it’s Parliament for me. There’s business to attend to with my estates as well.”
“You have solicitors and the like to help you there,” she pointed out. “I only wish…”
Dominic straightened. “What?”
She swallowed and shook her head, reminding herself of tonight’s purpose. It wouldn’t do not to have answers. She needed to hear this from him. “I only wish you would talk to me.”
“We are talking.”
“Not like we have before. Something changed. You’re even treating me stranger,” she added, leaning forward to see him push his chair further away. “See? What is it?”
All her husband did was frown. “Verity…”
“I want to know. I deserve to know,” she insisted. “You can’t be kind to me and then ignore me. You cannot pretend I don’t exist. While I can accept that our marriage may be different, you… you don’t treat me like anything! So what happened? What changed?”
He huffed. “Nothing did.”
“I won’t accept that for an answer. I’m not leaving until I get a better one,” she added boldly.
“Fine. I’ll leave.”
He rose, moving around the desk. But Verity could walk quickly as well.
They both had long legs and she had the advantage.
She reached the door before him, the one she had already closed, and stood before it.
Even as Dominic reached for the handle, his hand touched her waist. An electric sensation swept through her.
And then he moved back. “Blast it, Verity.”
“What changed?” She dared him with her eyes to answer. Chest heaving, she stared up at her husband wondering where the limit was for them. How far could they go? How close could they be? There was so much distance between them that she didn’t understand.
“I didn’t… I don’t even know of what you speak. We’ve not been married more than a month,” he reminded her.
“But you could touch me before. You smiled with me before,” she found herself rambling. “We even laughed. Don’t you remember? Those dances… We had something, the two of us. And now we are strangers once again.”
He shook his head. “We have always been strangers.”
“Then you do not know me?”
“I…” Dominic couldn’t answer that.
A victory. A small one, but a hopeful one. Triumph was close. Verity licked her lips. She noticed the way his gaze shifted, catching the movement. He was delayed meeting her eyes again.
“Your actions don’t match your words, Dominic,” she murmured in a low tone. “You feel something for me. Don’t you? So what happened?”
“I… You…” He tried to look away but every time he did, his gaze still returned to meet hers.
She listened to the pounding of her heart as she watched Dominic turn away to start pacing the room.
A short breath escaped her. She knew it.
She knew something was happening. For all her brother refused to talk to her and her husband refused to acknowledge her, and the rest of the Ton was pretending to know things, she finally knew she was right about something.
“It’s better this way.”
A moment was needed to match his words to their conversation. But it still made little sense. “I beg your pardon?”
“It was an arrangement. You knew this. Our marriage was simply meant to be an arrangement,” Dominic repeated himself. He paused, stilling, to stare at her. Those dark eyes sucked her right in. “How are you everything you’re not supposed to be?”
Her arms dropped to her side. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re everything and more. You’re distracting and loud and clever.” Dominic strode over to her, barely blinking. His scent overwhelmed her once he stood toe to toe with her. “You’re much too clever for your own good. Did you know that?”
“I have been told that once or twice,” she admitted, surprised at how breathless she sounded. Inhaling air, she gulped. “What else?”
“What else is there?” He ran a hand through his hair in agitation. “The whole blasted world, I suppose. It all makes sense out there. But in here, you drive me mad, Verity. You would have me flay myself open just to satisfy your curiosity.”
Her lips opened and closed.
As Verity stared back at him, she realized what he meant. That she had him now. That he was weakening and almost ready to tell her his secrets. Whatever they might be, she was breaking through to him. A thrill surged through her even as she realized the depth of his gaze.
There was a bitterness within Dominic that shined dully before her. It felt like he was hoping she wouldn’t ask. That she wouldn’t do anything.
Could she?
I don’t want to hurt him. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want to understand what is going on. I want to know why my brother changed. Why my husband won’t talk to me. Why my latest piece has everyone in such a tizzy. What does everyone know that I don’t? Why don’t I get to have my own answers?
“Everything is as it should be,” Dominic murmured so softly she had to strain to hear his words. “Would you wish to change it, no matter the consequences?”
Verity swallowed with trepidation as she considered the question. The consequences. The distance between herself and her husband. They were close to touching and yet so far from each other. What would happen if she brought them together? What would she do if she walked out now, with nothing?
Braving her fears, she gave a slow nod, knowing this was bound to change everything. Not just for her. But for them. “Yes. I do.”