As she watched him leave her bedroom, Frances couldn’t shake the feeling that something more bothered him, something he wasn’t ready to share yet.
But tonight, she had pushed him enough. It would have to be a conversation for another day.
As she got ready for bed, Frances decided to give him the space he needed, trusting that he would open up when he was ready.
CHAPTER17
“You know, Christopher,” Frances suggested one morning when they had a quiet moment together.
The children were playing in the distance, and they had just finished having breakfast. However, Frances had not started on her duties for the day, and she had a rare moment alone with her husband.
The Duke turned to face her, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “What is the suspense?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Frances folder her arms over her chest. She had not quite decided how she was going to broach the subject, nor had she put that much thought into it.
“It was just something I thought about this morning…”
Christopher took a few steps closer to her. “Well, do you intend to tell me? Or shall I have to guess?”
She cracked a smile. “No, no. I do not wish to make you guess.”
“Are you sure?” Christopher teased.
She could see him looking at her closely now, and it made her blush. She bit her bottom lip gently.
“Yesterday, I was re-reading some letters from Lydia, just to remember what other things she used to tell me about the twins. You know, my memory is not perfect, and I just think that the letters are the closest thing we have to knowing what she and Peter would have wanted for the children…”
Christopher straightened his back, his expression suddenly attentive. “Go on, then. What did you discover?”
“Lydia would talk constantly about how much the children loved being outdoors. It was one of the best things about living in the countryside, she used to say.”
Christopher pondered her words for a moment. “Well, we do that already, do we not? You always make sure that the twins spend plenty of time in the garden.”
Frances took a deep breath. “Yes, but… I was just wondering…”
Her words got lodged in her throat again. Somehow, she just could not articulate what she wanted to say.
Christopher was beginning to grow concerned now. She could see it in the way he gently furrowed his brow.
“Frances, I believe your silence is making my mind wander even more…”
“I just think that…” Frances hesitated, and Christopher reached out and squeezed her hand softly. “I just think we do not do enough things together as a family!” she blurted out, her heart racing.
Christopher’s expression changed at once from curiosity to understanding. “Is that it? Why was it so difficult for you to say that?”
“I do not know. I suppose I feel a bit…” She fumbled for the right words. “Well, perhaps I feel a bit shy when it comes to referring to us as a family.”
A teasing smile tugged at Christopher’s lips. It was like he did not waste a moment when it came to teasing her gently.
“Oh, is that the case? I have the papers to prove it, you know. This little thing known as a marriage agreement…”
She glared at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Do you? Because I am beginning to think that you might have a little bit of memory loss. Remember, we are married. You were there for it.”
“Christopher.” She shook her head lightly. “I am not saying that I have somehow forgotten conveniently that we are married. Just that… well, you know what the circumstances and terms of our marriage were.”
Christopher shifted his weight slightly. “Yes, and then you made it very clear to me as well that you wanted an active role in the children’s life, and that you were not a governess, but my wife.”
