Then, she finally felt his presence. She looked up, her eyes flashing with recognition. It seemed she had noticed him staring at her. Her eyes, soft with Melody, hardened.
“Are your sisters settled?” Richard asked, keeping his voice level, hoping that nothing would reveal the desire he felt at simply watching his wife.
“Oh, they are,” she responded. “They won’t tell anyone. We have gone through many things together. We protect each other.”
“You should have consulted with me before inviting them over,” he countered, even though his irritation felt somewhat faraway.
Richard’s irritation was a mere shield, fraying at its edges. However, his voice managed to remain sharp, and his eyes wandered as if afraid he would betray his feelings; that he was no longer angered by her acts of defiance. He was fully aware that he was fighting a losing battle with his attraction.
It was more than lust that he felt for her; he was vaguely aware now. His mission to search for Melody’s origins was no longer simply about clearing his name but also proving he was a man worth her trust.
“It’s easy for you to judge,” Victoria replied, tilting her chin up in defiance. “You are not the one who was forced into the charge of a child who is not your making. I had to learn so many things in a short period of time.”
Her words hit a nerve. He had not offered to care for Melody. It was not what was expected of men, but he could have at least offered or even provided his presence. Guilt now reigned supreme, dousing his desire like a bucket of ice water would.
“I have been asking around, finding ways to secure our reputation,” he said, hoping that he could express his efficiency.
He walked closer to his wife, as he continued, “We may now have a cover story. We can claim that Melody is my recently deceased cousin’s daughter. Her husband died not long before her. We could say she left an infant behind, and as her nearest relative, the child became my ward.”
Victoria’s mouth opened and closed. Before she could say anything, Melody started fussing. She squirmed in her arms, flailing her tiny fists at the duchess.
“Oh, hush, darling,” Victoria said softly, almost pleadingly. Her voice cracked. His chest clenched at the sound of her growing fatigue.
“Mrs. Davies!” she called out.
“Yes, Your Grace?” the housekeeper asked, immediately coming to see what her mistress needed.
“Melody is fussing,” the duchess said, almost sounding like a young girl.
“She needs to sleep now, Your Grace,” Mrs. Davies replied, reaching out to take the baby from Victoria’s arms. “She is tired and needs sleep. Babies like her will sleep for most of the day, as needed by their bodies. She will soon settle.”
“If she does not settle,” Victoria said, “P-please call me immediately.”
“I will, Your Grace,” the housekeeper said, securing the baby in her arms even as she gave a small curtsy before she left for the nursery.
Richard noted that Victoria might care for the baby more than she was willing to admit. She had begun getting attached to the life she was caring for even as they were trying to determine the baby’s parentage.
How will she feel if there is a need to return the child to her parents?
They were alone now, with no baby between them to command the line of conversation. Victoria looked Richard in the eye, allowing him to see the pure exhaustion on her face.
“The plan sounds like the best we have so far,” she said, agreeing to his cover story.
Her arms crossed over her chest, accentuating the soft swell of her breasts.
“You don’t look too happy about the story,” he noted, frowning.
“Well, if I have a hard time believing the story, how will we expect the ton to believe this concocted fiction?”
Frustration settled heavily over Richard. He had turned the matter over in his mind from every angle, testing each solutionfor weakness—only to find that none of them satisfied Victoria. Worse, she might be right.
“We will sit down and establish the facts,” he said, forcing calm into his voice. “Once we do, we will give the same answers to anyone who asks. We are the Duke and Duchess of Hawksford. Our reputation is thus far untarnished. Consistency is all that is required.”
“Consistency?” Victoria shot back, her disbelief sharp enough to sting. “We have lived apart for more than a year, Richard. We are known for our indifference to one another. And now, suddenly, we reside under the same roof because a child appears on our doorstep? Even the foolish will see the convenience in it, and people delight in believing the worst. And when we find the child’s mother?” she pressed. “When Melody is returned to her, what story do you intend to tell the ton then?”
“When that happens, I will deal with it,” Richard snapped, the last restraint on his temper giving way.
Enough. He had endured suspicion and judgment since the moment he arrived. All he had done was honor their agreement—kept the marriage orderly, distant, and safe. He had left London to preserve her independence. To protect her. And still, she looked at him as though he were capable of this.
