“What are you trying to say, Aurelia?” Sebastian massaged his forehead. “What do you wantmeto say? All I wanted was a wife content with my simple life, who would bear me sons and make my life a little more bearable. Is that unreasonable? Have I offended your dignity because I chose you, thinking you would adhere to these principles?”
She watched him for a long moment, then her shoulders sagged. “No,” she murmured, almost unwillingly.
“Thenwhat?”
“I’mashamed,” she said in a mumble. “That the world thinks you deserve someone better than me.”
“What about me?” he demanded. “I’m a murderer in the eyes of theton. If anyone ought to be embarrassed, surely it should be me?”
“You, at least, are a duke.”
“Much good it does me. Being a duke doesn’t stop the rumors from spreading. If anything, it makes them worse.” He shook his head and reached out, drawing Aurelia into his lap. His entire body felt tense with the vibrating tension that ran through him, but he sought to quell it. All this arguing would do them no good. “Enough with this. It was an experiment, and it went wrong. That’s all there is to it. When we return home, we can put this business behind us. I will not be ashamed of you, so don’t be ashamed of me.”
He wiped his thumb across her cheeks, catching stray tears. His heart squeezed—he hadn’t intended to upset her that deeply. “I’m sorry today was difficult. Thetoncan be cruel.”
“I thought it would make me feel more like a duchess. More like I belonged somewhere,” she whispered, finally winding her arms around his nape. “Instead, it made me feel less so.”
“I’m sorry for that.”
Finally, her body relaxed atop his. Later, he would make love to her slowly, and one of these days his seed would catch, and she would get with child, and hopefully she would feel more as though she had a purpose in his life.
A child would make things easier.
Until the point he had to decide whether to keep her with him or send her away.
He was erring toward keeping her. So long as she agreed to be content with the life he could offer her at his secluded country estate, rather than Town.
“The villagers see you as a duchess,” he mumbled against her coffee-dark hair. “And I see you as my wife. And, little shepherdess. I don’t regret marrying you.” He leaned forward, kissing her mouth, salty with her tears. “Now, let’s get rid of these tears, all right? Everything will look better in the morning.”
He rose and gathered her up, cradling her against his chest. Her head tucked beneath his chin, her body curved into his as he strode from the room.
“Send a tray upstairs,” he called over his shoulder. They would need sustenance for the night he intended for them.
Tomorrow, everythingwouldfeel better.
So long as they never ventured into London again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Sebastian ought to have known the repercussions from their appearance would not be limited to an unpleasant evening, and the knowledge that some gossips would be discussing their marriage. When they returned home a few days later, he opened the newspaper to find the scandal sheet had his name blazoned across the top.
His heart sank as he scanned the contents.
It has come to our attention that the Duke of Ravenhall has a new wife—but while this duchess may have the beauty, she does not have the breeding. One can only assume the marriage was made out of desperation, given the duke’s unsavory reputation. His first wife, the daughter of the Earl of Bramwyck, perished three years prior in a suspicious accident, of which the duke is rumored to be involved. According to our sources, the marriage was fractious, and the duke would rather his wife perish by his hand than live a lifetime with her.
Knowing all this, do we pity the current duchess—daughter of nobody—or do we praise her conniving ways that by taking advantage of scandal, she was able to aspire to the rank of duchess? Either way, we suspect this union will not be as convenient as first appears.
With a visceral growl, Sebastian hurled the scandal sheet away. Aurelia entered the breakfast room in time to see him throw the entire newspaper into the fire. Flames rose, too bright for the overcast morning, and he stared broodingly into them.
Aurelia came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling him in question.
Would the rumors never die? What on earth was he to do about it? The world suspected Aurelia of aspiring to her position by means of manipulating him, and suspected him of murdering his first wife and eyeing up his second to do the same.
This was untenable.
“Just some cruel rumors,” he said tightly.
“About… Kate?”
