If Cathy was Simon’s child, what did that mean for their marriage?
Harriet sighed, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. She had never imagined that her life would take such a complicated turn.
And yet, here she was.
It was something that both frightened and exhilarated her.
CHAPTER 16
“Your Grace — you forgot your brooch,” one of the maids reminded Harriet.
As Harriet dressed for the day the next morning, she found herself feeling uncharacteristically nervous. She was forgetting things that she normally did not, and stumbling over her words as though this was her first day at the estate.
“Thank you,” Harriet said, carefully taking the brooch. “You may leave now. I shall make it to the dining table myself.”
“As you wish, Your Grace,” the maid bowed slightly before dashing out the room.
Now that Harriet was alone, she stole another look at herself in the mirror.
Was her hair perfectly in place? Did she look proper? What was that little smudge on the side of her cheeks?
The realization that she was anxious about seeing Simon again made her cheeks flush with irritation. She was not a woman easily flustered, and she prided herself on her independence and strength. But there was something about Simon, about the way he had looked at her, that unsettled her in a way she couldn't deny.
Get a hold of yourself, Harriet.She reminded herself sternly. So, yes, it had been endearing seeing the duke last night. And, yes, it had done much to improve his impression in front of her.
But none of that justified acting like a fool.
By the time she made her way downstairs for breakfast, Harriet had composed herself as much as she could. The dining room was already set, and the staff had laid out an elegant spread of fruits, pastries, and freshly brewed tea. Simon was already there, seated at the head of the table, reading the morning paper as if the previous night had been nothing more than a dream.
Harriet hesitated in the doorway for a moment, taking in the sight of him.
He looked perfectly composed, his dark hair neatly styled, his expression calm and unreadable. If he was aware of her presence, he made no indication of it; his attention was focused entirely on the paper in his hands.
Harriet took a deep breath, steeling herself before walking into the room.
You have no reason to be nervous,she reminded herself firmly. This was her home and her life, and she would not allow herself to be intimidated by her own husband.
“Good morning,” she greeted, her voice steady as she took her seat at the table.
Simon glanced up from the paper, his expression neutral. “Good morning, Harriet.”
There was a brief, awkward silence as Harriet reached for a piece of toast. She could feel Simon’s eyes on her, and the awareness of his gaze made her movements slightly more deliberate, her fingers just a bit more precise as she buttered the toast.
Finally, Simon folded the paper and set it aside, turning his full attention to her. “I trust you slept well?”
Harriet nodded, though she felt a pang of nervousness at the small talk. It was unlike Simon to engage in such pleasantries, and it made her wonder what he was leading up to.
“I did, thank you,” she replied, keeping her tone polite.
“At least you are eating something today,” his gaze dropped down to the toast on her plate, nodding approvingly.
“I see that you are still quite concerned with my eating habits,” she mused.
In her bid to mask her nervousness, she was coming across as caustic instead.
“About yourwell-being,”he corrected swiftly, causing her stomach to do a somersault though she hid it by looking down at her plate. “Besides, you should know what kind of a person I am by now. I do not like it when people are not being responsible about the things expected of them.”
“I agree, Simon,” Harriet quipped back, “It is quite disheartening, especially, when your husband all but disappears for up to a year…”
