This place felt haunted to her, as though something sinister had happened in the past and needed to come to light.
“There are no ghosts here,” Mr.Carver insisted.“You need not concern yourself, Your Grace.You might hear the wind howling outside your window and echoing through the chimneys, but that is all.”
“I see,” she said.
But if that were all, then why did Alex look troubled?
He sensed something, she was certain of it.
So did she.
Why were cold tingles racing up her spine?
CHAPTER 11
ALEX LOOKED FORWARDto an evening spent alone with Tulip.
It was their first night at Thornwycke Hall and there were so many questions still to be answered.However, one concern could clearly be checked off the list because their cook was a marvel.The lamb stew he was now polishing off was among the best he had ever tasted.
Tulip smiled as they sat beside each other at the small table in the cozy winter dining room.“Mrs.Crabbe is a crusty, old crab, but she cooks divinely, doesn’t she?”she mentioned between mouthfuls.
Alex gave an enthusiastic nod.“I’ll say.Beats the tavern fare I used to have or anything Mrs.Gayle ever prepared for me.”
Tulip set down her fork, for she had devoured the contents of her plate and now patted her stomach as though she could not manage another bite.“What is our plan for tomorrow?Where are we going first?”
He arched an eyebrow.“Would it not be more efficient if we split our tasks?”
She frowned, obviously not liking the suggestion.“As we did within minutes of our arrival?”
He placed his hand over hers again, realizing he had to stop thinking efficiently and start thinking like a married man with a capable wife who wanted to be with him.“That wasn’t fair of me to do that to you, was it?But you knew Mr.Carver and seemed to be familiar with several of the servants, so I thought it would be all right if I left you in Mrs.Granger’s care.She seemed friendly enough, and I knew she would confide in you if it was just the two of you chatting.”
Tulip nodded.“You’re probably right.I did learn more about her and the goings on in this house.She suggested I keep my belongings in the duchess quarters, so we unpacked them there and placed your belongings in the duke’s bedchamber.I’ll need to hire a lady’s maid and you will need a valet, so it would be awkward to have us preparing for the day together.How will either of us wash or dress while having both maid and valet in the room?”
He cut himself a chunk of the freshly made bread.“Yes, I see.”
“However, there is a door between our rooms that I instructed must always be kept unlocked.”
“So that we may visit each other during the night?”
“I don’t want visits,” she insisted.“I would like to permanently share a bed with you.Yours.Not mine.I get odd sensations whenever I look at that duchess bed.I don’t know why, but cold shivers run up my spine.”
He gave her hand a light squeeze.“That’s all right then.You’ll sleep with me.I want you beside me every night, anyway.You are my wife, Tulip.You belong with me.”
She cast him a sweet smile.“I feel the same.”
“Well, that was easily resolved,” he said with a sense of contentment, for this was what he had hoped for in their marriage and had not expected to achieve it so fast.
That she did not like the duchess bed gave him little concern.It was likely the feeling of separation from him that she did not like, and not some ghostly presence.
He would have been willing to give Tulip the time she needed to get accustomed to him and their married life.Fortunately, it had not taken her any time at all to get comfortable with him.
In truth, a wedding night was all it took.
Perhaps this is what came of her having good and honest men in her life, for she approached their marriage with the intention of trusting him until he gave her a reason not to trust.
He never would.
Marrying Tulip was the best thing he could have done for himself.
