“Asabotage plot?” Jacob laughed loudly as the Duke recalled the story of meeting Barbara the previous night. “My, that would an entertaining thing to witness, but I believe that you are giving Lady Barbara more credit than she deserves.”
The Duke shook his head. The two of them had come to the stables for an early morning horse ride. Behind them, the stable keeper prepared their horses.
“Before yesterday, I only assumed that she was going to be disappointed, but you should have heard the resolve in her voice last night.” The Duke shook his head. “She sounded like she was out for blood. In fact, she even hinted the possibility of divorce.”
“Oh, dear Lord, the Lady must really have been in love with you for her to consider all this,” Jacob remarked.
“In love?” Duncan repeated. “Do not be so silly. We both know that it has nothing to do with love. Her affection for me is only due to my status.”
“And what about Duchess Sophia?” Jacob asked. “Do you believe that she only likes you for similar reasons?”
“Oh, I am not sure if she likes me at all,” Duncan admitted. “It is quite strange, but I cannot figure her out. Either she is a master at keeping her feelings for me a secret, or she feels nothing for me.”
“How come you are still in this position? You two are married now. Should you not know this already?” Jacob asked, surprised.
Duncan shrugged his shoulders.
“I told you, our marriage is not a very traditional one. We exist together more as friends.”
“Does that mean you have not taken her to bed yet?” Jacob asked.
“I have not,” Duncan admitted.
Jacob burst out laughing and patted his brother on the back.
“My dear brother, that is quite the unique marriage you have indeed. I hope that you are planning on changing that soon.”
Duncan shook his head. “I would need to be sure of what she feels before pursuing anything.”
“Is that an admission of your own feelings towards her?”
His brother’s questions were pointed, and Duncan no longer felt the urge to hide his feelings.
“You can take it as one.”
“I knew it all along!” Jacob pumped his fist in the air. “It was bound to happen with the way that the two of you interact with each other. It is heart-warming to see.”
“Are you privy to any information from her side?” Duncan asked.
The two had mounted their horses now and were taking a ride on the estate grounds.
“I am sure that you would be most interested in knowing,” Jacob teased, “but she has not admitted anything to me. I can only gauge by how the two of you interact. Have you confessed your feelings to her?”
The Duke shook his head.
“I have only recently become aware of them myself…”
Jacob laughed, “At least you do have the security of her being your wife. No one can steal her away from you.”
“Not for a lack of trying,” Duncan reminded him.
“Oh, you should not worry about Barbara. She is all talk and no action,” Jacob reassured him. “She cannot do anything to ruin your marriage.”
Duncan wanted to believe his brother, but a part of him was not convinced. He knew that he was going to have to keep his eyes peeled.
Sophia woke up to a surprise. One of the maid’s knocked on her door and delivered a small package to her room.
“This arrived for you this morning, Your Grace,” the maid told her.
