He waved a hand and Thomas took the cue, leaving without a word. Gideon picked up the pile and began leafing through them, noting that they were mostly congratulatory letters with some invitations to parties and soirees. He was about to throw them back on his desk when one caught his eye – a letter addressed to Lady Amelia Egerton.
Gideon frowned. The letter must have been forwarded to the castle from her uncle’s residence. He put the other letters aside and contemplated the unbroken seal. He was tempted to rip the seal and read it right there, hopeful that it would shed some light on whatever secrets his new wife may be hiding.
But he could just take it to her instead, he realized. It would be a good excuse to see her. Gideon quickly got to his feet with a renewed sense of purpose, heading out the door before he realized that his intentions were not entirely what he thought they were.
CHAPTER 9
“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I can manage just fine.”
The pretty maid frowned as if she could not understand a word Amelia was saying. “Pardon me, Your Grace?”
Amelia still wasn’t used to the title. She gave the maid a small smile. “I understand that you wish to help me undress, but I am quite capable of doing so myself.”
“But… Your Grace, it is my sole duty to help you. I am your lady’s maid.”
“Then perhaps if I need your assistance with something else, I shall call for you.” Amelia noticed the genuine concern written across the maid’s face and quickly added, “It is not you. I… am simply not used to having a personal maid, that is all.”
The maid gracefully curtsied, a blond lock of hair peeking from her bonnet. “Then it is my honor to be your first.”
Amelia laughed awkwardly. Her new bedchamber was so vast that, just by standing on the other side of the room, it felt like there was a world of distance between the two of them. “Might I know your name?” she asked.
“It is Jenny, Your Grace,” the maid replied.
“Well, Jenny, your thoughtfulness is noted. But I am truly fine with undressing on my own. I shall summon you if I require anything else.”
Jenny nodded, though her brows still held a touch of concern. “Understood, Your Grace. I shall come running when you call.”
Amelia laughed a little at the eagerness in Jenny’s voice and nodded as the maid turned to leave. Once the door clicked shut, Amelia released a long breath, the weight of the day slipping from her shoulders. She skimmed her gaze about the expansive bedchamber, overwhelmed by the sheer opulence of this room alone. She couldn’t believe she was truly here, in Castle Stanhope, as the new Duchess of Stanhope. And while the reality had been slowly settling in over the past few days, it was only now that the enormity of it truly dawned on her.
With another sigh, she began the arduous task of unlacing her elaborate gown. Within minutes, she had it pooled around her feet, before draping it carefully over the bed. Drawn to a writing desk nestled in one corner, Amelia settled into its chair. Shefished out a fresh sheet of paper, excited that she was at least able to write letters from the comfort of her chambers. At her uncle’s home, she oftentimes had to hide from Barbara and Nadine in the library and send her letters in secret.
Amelia intended to pen a letter to Dorothy, since her sister was yet to respond to the last letter Amelia had sent. She wanted to tell her everything that had happened over the past week, and where she could address her letters now. She had contemplated telling her sister that she’d uncovered the identity of theMasked Roguetoo,but ultimately decided it would be best to keep it hidden until after the annulment, lest her sister worry needlessly for her. But just as she was about to dip her quill into ink, there was a soft knock at the door.
“Jenny, I’ve managed to undress on my own,” Amelia called loudly, believing it was her maid. “I do not need any help, I assure you.”
“That’s a shame,” a deep voice resounded.
Amelia gasped, leaping to her feet. Unbeknownst to her, the door had silently opened to reveal none other than Gideon. She pressed her back against the desk, swallowing harshly at the way he raked his heated gaze down the length of her.
Suddenly, she became painfully conscious of the fact that she was in nothing but her chemise, which left little to the imagination. A blush crept across her cheeks, yet she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around herself, praying he wouldn’t notice just how sheer the fabric was in the firelight.
“What are you doing!” she exclaimed, voice breathy and indignant. “You shouldn’t be in here.”
Gideon’s grin was as pure as sin. “It ismycastle,” he drawled. “I can be wherever I please.”
He wandered over to her in slow steps, each one matching the thunderous beat of her heart. Amelia was tempted to back away from him again but she refused to keep running. Instead, she tilted her chin defiantly, challenging him with her gaze.
“Is there a reason you have interrupted me, Your Grace?” she asked, grateful that her voice was steady.
The corner of Gideon's mouth quirked upwards, the glint in his eyes revealing a mischief she'd grown all too familiar with. “Oh? Am I ‘Your Grace’again? I quite liked the sound of my given name on your lips, dear.”
She took a breath, maintaining her composure. “And you should stop calling me ‘dear’,” she countered. “You and I both know you feel nothing like that for me.”
“You wound me. Surely you are not saying my affections for you are mere theatrics?”
“That is precisely what I am saying. Though why you insist on continuing your act, I do not know. Nor do I care. I have gotten what I wanted, after all.”
“And that is to be a Duchess.”
