She touched her lips. He had kissed her, and if he had done so once, perhaps he would do so again. All she had to do was ask.
Before, she had not been certain she wanted this, but now she knew beyond doubt. Let the duke bed her as befitted his wife, so she might know how it felt. Her mother had not explained the mechanics to her; indeed, she’d had no one to prepare her for marriage.
But Sebastian would know. She already knew it.
She hurried downstairs to the breakfast room, but it was early enough that the table had not yet been laid. The servants hurried to lay it for her, but she merely excused herself. In her eagerness, she had not considered the time. Would it be rude to barge into his bedchamber?
Quite probably.
As she lingered in one of the morning rooms, alternating between reading a book and staring out of the window at the milky fog, she caught sight of a tall figure striding down the hallway. Curious, she rose and followed him. He made his way to the front door, and by the tallness and breadth of his stature, she knew the figure immediately to be Sebastian.
What was he doing so early in the morning? He didn’t so much as hesitate before leaving the house and striding away.
Aurelia dithered for a mere second before hurrying after him.
The moment the door swung shut behind her, she regretted her decision.
Mist blew in from all directions, cold fingers spearing her with ice. Water beaded on her hair and clothes, and she ought to have brought a cloak or something to protect her from the chill. It might be spring, but this was a leftover remnant of winter, clutching at the land.
Still, she hurried on after the duke, his figure barely visible through the shroudy blanket. He took a shortcut through the formal gardens, then through the parkland, and even though she was not yet familiar with the land, she soon discerned the direction he was walking in.
The sea.
The path he took seemed small but well-trodden, as though many feet had passed this way. Or perhaps a single pair had passed this way many times. Did he often visit the sea? Did he stand on the cliffs and stare out to sea? Or did he frolic on the beach?
Perhaps that was it—he frolicked.
Aurelia suppressed a laugh. No, of coursethatwas never it! The duke would never frolic, however much entertainment it might have offered her.
But there was no denying he was up tosomething, and as his wife, it was her duty to discover what it was. They were now partners in this marriage, and besides, he had secrets he wouldn’t tell her.
Branches snagged on her skirts, and she dragged them free. Daffodils bloomed through the mist, and she offered each one a smile as she continued on her way. If she wasn’t careful, she might get lost.
She shivered as another chilly wind swept by her and tousled her tresses. If only she had thought to bring a cloak.
Too late for that now, Aurelia.
So occupied in watching her feet to make no mistake, she almost didn’t see the dark shape before her until she bumped into it.
When she looked up, it was to see Sebastian’s face glowering down at her.
“And what—” he asked with icy precision, “—do youthinkyou are doing here?”
Aurelia tilted her head up at his features, now partially visible in the flowing mist. There was a hard gleam in his eye, and she suddenly became acutely aware that if the rumors about his wife were true, they were utterly alone, concealed by the mist… He could do whatever he wished to her.
If only she had thought about that earlier…
All she had thought about was kissing—and following him to learn his secrets.
“Where were you going?” she asked as haughtily as she was able.
“Is that any of your concern?”
“I am your wife. Everything is my concern.”
His jaw clenched. “You forget yourself, little mouse.”
They’d had this conversation before, and then he had refused to give up his secrets just as certainly as he was doing now. Aurelia frowned, trying to piece it all together. The fog made it rather difficult to see precisely where he was going, but it didn’t strike her as being the village. That was a little further to the east than they had been walking—and besides, a road led straight there. Here, they were going to the middle of nowhere, or so it felt.
