Victoria’s eyes widened. It might seem like her husband had planned everything perfectly.
“B-but the play,” she said futilely.
At this point, both of them knew that they could just watch another play, perhaps with family members who would help them avoid a repeat of their current predicament.
“It’s such a tragedy not to finish watching it, but you aren’t well,” the duke insisted.
Then, he stood, helping to pull her up. She was not ill, but she might as well be, by the way her thighs were still trembling. Meanwhile, she made a note of her husband’s performance. He painted a picture of a concerned husband as he guided her to the back of the box.
“Is the Duchess not well?” a concerned voice called out from the closest private box to their right.
“It seems my wife cannot abide the heat of the theater tonight, Lady Morland,” Richard replied.
“Oh. It is best then that she retires for the night,” the Dowager said, her eyes widening.
As they left the theater, Victoria was fully aware of the ton’s scrutiny, but she did not care what they thought. They could weave more rumors, but none would matter. All that she craved was Richard’s desire and passion without being watched.
When they reached the carriage, they quickly climbed in and closed the door with a heavy thud, urging the coachman to leave immediately.
“Now, wife,” the duke said, as he pulled her onto his lap. “Where were we?”
Victoria squirmed in delight. She pulled at his cravat as the last of her restraint snapped. “Weren’t you talking about the layersof fabric on this dress? I believe it’s time to unpeel them. One by one.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
“It’s good that Mother had not attempted to come for a visit once more,” Victoria remarked.
“I don’t know what to say to that,” Richard admitted. “I do want you to have a relationship with your mother, but if she is upsetting you every time she visits, it is certainly not worth it.”
“It isn’t,” the duchess replied, as she surveyed the drawing room.
The servants had just prepared the place for her siblings, their spouses, and their children. Sometimes, she missed being part of a chaotic, large family. There was something about having them all in one place. It was like nobody could hurt her.
Meanwhile, Richard was not used to hosting dinners and balls, even little tea parties for the family. She knew he was trying for her, and she appreciated it. Even though she hated it when her mother pushed her toward unwanted company, there were certainly people that she missed all the time.
When she heard a carriage arrive and footsteps approaching, there was no need for Hawthorne to make any announcement at all. He still tried, though.
“Their Graces, the Duke and Duchess of Oakmere, and their children,” he started.
Soon, though, the other couples and their children arrived, much to Victoria’s amusement. She was giggling when her husband reassured the butler, who didn’t like not being able to do his job, that it was perfectly all right to let everyone in just so.
“Hawthorne, do ease up on yourself. We can handle this, certainly,” the Duke of Hawksford said in his gentlest tone.
Victoria was already rushing to the door, eager for the smorgasbord of personalities that might rattle someone sensitive like Daphne or Elizabeth, but not her.
The arrival of the extended House of Grisham carried not only noise and laughter into the foyer, but also affection. Victoria craved all that her siblings represented. She liked that their presence had erased some of the funereal quiet she hated about Hawksford, especially when she didn’t have Richard and Melody in it. She didn’t feel right inviting people in when her husband was in the country.
After formal greetings had been exchanged, factions of the family clustered together and settled into roles people somewhat expected them in. Victoria liked that she knew what each would like to do in a gathering like this.
Daphne and Wilhelmina headed toward the settee, already deep in conversation. It seemed like they had a debate going on.
“Are you two arguing?” Victoria asked, smiling widely at her sisters.
Her twin was so mild-mannered that seeing her looking a little flustered like this was amusing. Wilhelmina, meanwhile, might have more fire in her, but not quite like her own or Marianne’s. What they were debating must have been very important.
“Yes!” Wilhelmina replied just as Daphne said, “No!”
“Whatever it is, it certainly raises the ire of our dear sister,” Wilhelmina replied, her eyes widening. “But Daphne, you must think about the architecture of a castle. Do you think it can hide three secret passages leading from the same room? Can a tapestry hide so much? Can chairs be placed to cover such passages? There would certainly be a draft, making the room cold.”
