“Is the acting getting too difficult for you?” he asked. “If so, I can cancel some of the social events that we are supposed to attend together as a couple.”
“No, no.” She shook her head immediately. “I do not wish to make any changes to your schedules. I suppose I was just… Well, I suppose I am only overthinking things.”
“It seems like you are.”
“I should go now.” She got up. “I shall see you later.”
Once again, Duncan found himself staring at her retreating figure.
It was as though she was there but not completely. She was his by law, but not his at all when it came to reality. Almost within reach.
And God did it increase his curiosity towards her.
CHAPTER 16
Sophia had thought about the kiss that they had shared more times than she liked to admit to herself, and every time, she had felt the same butterflies in her stomach.
But never would she dare let it show in front of the Duke. In fact, she had successfully managed to avoid him for the last few days. Thankfully for her, he had been busy with his work, and the two scarcely had any time to spend together.
“Your Grace, if you do not mind,” Clara said to her in the morning as she brushed Sophia’s hair for her, “I have made an observation.”
“Tell me,” Sophia replied, looking at her own reflection in the mirror, “since when have I asked you to hold back on telling me anything?”
“Well, I know that I do not have any first-hand experience with what life is like for a newlywed, but still, it cannot be normalfor a newlywed to be spending so much time on her own,” Clara noted. “I rarely see you with the Duke.”
Sophia shrugged, not wanting to explain herself so early in the morning.
“His Grace has been busy.”
And I hope he remains busy in the days to come.
“I just do not understand. Do you not miss him?” Clara asked as she put the final pins in Sophia’s hair.
Sophia wondered what the answer was to that question. She would be lying if she didn’t admit to feeling the urge to speak to him, especially late at night when she could not sleep. But Sophia always held back and reminded herself that she must put as much distance between herself and the Duke as possible. It was what was best for him.
“Define miss.”
“Well, Madam, do you not crave for his company?” Clara asked. “I often see the two of you go your separate ways after breakfast, and then I do not know if you ever see each other during the day.”
“Clara, not all marriages are the same. This is something that works for the Duke and me,” she explained. “We meet when we need to.”
Clara did not argue and instead just finished up the hairstyle that she was working on.
“Well, you are all done, Your Grace. Take a look.”
“Perfect,” Sophia said, “Thank you, Clara. I am so glad that you are here with me. It feels that I still have a small piece of home by my side.”
“Of course, Madam.”
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Clara opened it, and it was one of the maids of the house.
“Your Grace, the Dowager has requested that you come see her downstairs for an urgent matter.”
“Urgent?” Sophia began to feel nervous. “Well, I will be right downstairs.”
Navigating life in her new house had been challenging for Sophia. Even though she was already married to the Duke, she still wanted to make a good impression on the Dowager and keep it that way.
The Dowager was her mother-in-law, after all, and what she thought of Sophia held great weight.
