Sophia observed the stern countenance of the man in the painting, his eyes seeming to follow their every move.
“He is quite….” Sophia struggled to find the right word. “…imposing, shall we say?”
“That is exactly the impression I have of him, too,” Duncan laughed. “Now, what do you think of his wife?”
Sophia took in the portrait of the woman by his side. She had a smile on her face.
“She seems to be hiding a few secrets behind that smile,” Sophia observed.
“Oh, wow, you have a knack for this,” Duncan replied. “She was known particularly for her scandalous affairs. She kept the ton gossiping for years.”
“How fascinating,” Sophia replied. “And you said that this room was not interesting…”
“My mistake. I had no idea that you would be interested in the scandalous lives of people who have been dead for over a century now.”
“Oh, don’t you discount them like that.”
“Madam, you are glowing,” Clara said to Sophia as she prepared her room for the Duchess to sleep.
“Do you think so?” Sophia replied, a smile dancing on the corner of her lips. She stole a glance in the mirror, and it wasindeed true. Sophia’s skin was flawless and had a radiant glow surrounding it.
“Yes. Women indeed have a different glow when they are married and loved properly,” Clara noted. “I can see that you are quite happy in your marriage with the Duke.”
Sophia could not even deny it. These last few days with the Duke had been nothing short of a dream come true. She felt as though she was walking on clouds.
“Well, Clara, you must pray that we remain happy like this always,” Sophia replied, a hint of doubt creeping up in her voice.
The Duke had done an excellent job of making her believe that her curse was not real. In his company, she forgot all her worries. But now that she was in her room without him, her worries returned to her. Not as intensely as they used to in the past, but they persisted.
“Oh, I will pray that the two of you have a happy marriage that lasts for decades to come,” Clara replied.
“A happy marriage,” Sophia smiled to herself. “For now, I feel content with him. Being around each other… is exciting, for both of us. I hope that never goes away.”
“If you wish to preserve your connection, you must give the Duke something that will remind him of you forever,” Clara suggested, causing Sophia to look at her in confusion.
“Oh, what are you talking about, Clara? I do not understand the riddles which you speak in.”
Clara laughed out loud.
“Well, I meant that once the two of you have children that you share with each other, your bond will only strengthen.”
“Children of our own,” Sophia repeated, a wistful look settling on her features as she gazed into the distance, almost forgetting that Clara was in the room with her.
Sophia had always been convinced that she would never procreate due to her curse. As such, the thought of children was a wild impossibility. But now, the idea did not seem as impossible anymore. To her surprise, it even seemed like the next logical step in their relationship.
“I hope that you will give us the good news soon,” Clara continued. “I know that your Aunt Rose has always wanted that for you. Your parents did, too.”
“My parents? Surely, I was too young back then for them to have those sort of aspirations for me,” Sophia argued.
“You may have been young, but a mother imagines the entire life of a child as soon as it is born. It is natural instinct,” Clara pointed out.
Sophia was on the edge of her seat, curious for more. “Did my mother say anything to you?”
“She would mention it sometimes,” Clara recalled, folding her arms in front of her. “When she would see you and your sister playing in the garden, she would joke to your father that since you are the only two daughters, any suitors interested in asking for your hand would need to first convince them. Only those who would treat you with the most delicate hand would be selected.”
Sophia found herself getting choked up at the story.
“They really loved us,” she observed with a sigh.
