She looked up questioningly at the footman. She had been expecting a kitten from the village but she was surprised it came early because she had been informed just yesterday that the new kittens were too young to be separated from their mother. This one looked about three months old.
“His Grace found it this morning and asked for it to be brought to you,” the footman explained.
Anna’s heart stuttered. “Did he?” She held the kitten to her chest but it protested with another loud cry. “I think it is hungry. Can I have some milk?”
“At once, Your Grace.”
Mason walked in just then with her tea. Her green eyes brightened when she saw the kitten, and she quickly set the tray down and came to look at it. “Oh, it is lovely.”
“The Duke got it for me,” Anna said proudly, and Mason grinned. “We should feed it.”
“Oh, yes!”
Some milk was brought, and the kitten happily lapped it up, drenching its entire snout. A damp handkerchief was brought to Anna to clean it, and for the next hour, she and Mason fussed over it. When it was asleep in its basket, they watched it, smiling and adoring the little creature.
Anna was positive she was in love now, and she had to think of a good name for her new companion.
She heard Colin return, and she jumped to her feet and went out into the hall, a flutter in her stomach. A strange sort of excitement always rose in her when she saw him. She found him speaking with his steward, however, which made her huff a frustrated breath and return to the drawing room. Several minutes later, she heard him leave the manor. She leaned back in her seat and watched the cat curl up peacefully in the basket. Anna picked up her book and began to read to pass the time she seemed to have a surfeit of.
Anna walked into the drawing room that evening and found Colin in a chair by the fire, reading the newspaper. Beside him on a lacquered table was a tumbler that held some liquor. He looked entirely at peace, and a smile curved her lips. She folded her hands in front of her and watched him for a moment, while he was oblivious to her presence.
He was turning a page when he looked up and their eyes met. He set the paper down and rose, walking toward her, his expression as inscrutable as ever. She always wondered what he was thinking, especially when he was gazing at her with heat in the blue depths of his eyes.
Colin took her hand and raised it to his lips, and she said, “The cat is adorable. Thank you.”
He inclined his head. “Have you given it a name?”
“Not yet. I am unsure what to call him. Perhaps I should study him for a while first.”
He raised one eyebrow. “It is quite the puzzle, is it not?”
“Oh, do not mock me.” She poked his shoulder. “I am sure you cannot think of a fitting name at this moment.”
“I can.”
Anna folded her arms across her chest. “Let me hear it.”
His brows pinched slightly, and she was starting to smirk in triumph when Chalker appeared in the doorway. “Dinner is served, Your Graces.”
Colin grinned, having been saved by that announcement. “I suppose we shall have to do this after dinner.” He crooked his arm and held it out to her.
“Why not during?” She took his arm and allowed him to lead her to the dining room. They did this every evening since they married. The formality was less tonight, however.
“I am surprised you are asking why,” he said with a stern note in his voice.
Their dinners must be eaten in absolute silence, and she detested it. She had not seen much of him today, and even though she knew that he was a very busy man, she often found herself wishing to spend every moment of the day with him.
They walked into the dining room, and as usual, their places were set at opposite ends of the long table. The only time she sat close to him was on the morning of their wedding. Colin walked her to her seat, and when she was settled, he went to his. Anna glanced around the large dining room, feeling as though everything around her was pricking her. There were two footmen there with them, but the chasm between her and Colin made it seem as if she was alone there.
Unable to tolerate it any longer, she pushed her chair back and stood. Colin was reaching for the goblet beside him but stopped and stared at her, his expression inscrutable. She picked up her wine and walked over to him. His lips parted when she pulled out the chair on his right and sat. She caught the footmen exchanging a surreptitious smile.
“Anna, what are you doing?” he asked. His surprise and puzzlement appeared to increase when a footman brought her plate over and placed it in front of her.
“Dining with my husband as a civilized Duchess ought to,” she replied with a sweet smile. His grip on the stem of his goblet tightened but he did not say anything. Picking up her spoon, she began to eat her white soup. “I never knew kittens sleep a lot. I swear this one has not stayed awake for a full hour since he arrived.”
Colin’s hand stopped mid-air as he raised a spoonful of soup to his mouth. His keen blue gaze settled on her, both piercing and hot. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks, but she refused to be deterred.
She ate several spoonfuls before she spoke again. “Our challenge is still on. Have you thought of a name?”
