“And he’s your responsibility!” he hissed. “If you do not get him under control in two weeks’ time?—”
“I’ve had quite enough of deadlines, thank you,” she snapped. She drew up to her full height and glared at him with a steely look in her eye. “He is a child, not a project! I will care for him to the best of my ability, and I do not need the pressure of acountdownwhile I’m trying to be his mother.”
“You’d better do more than try. I need you to be his mother. He needs discipline,” he said.
“He needs…” she laughed incredulously and shook her head. “I should have accepted the consequences of a scandal instead of marrying the likes of you.”
He flinched despite himself. He certainly had a talent for making his wives regret marrying him.
Do not think about that now. Focus on the matter at hand.
He took a deep breath to control himself. “Then what do you propose?” he asked evenly.
“Children need a stable, loving environment,” she said. “Family is a sacred thing for them. For all of us. You cannot simply present him with a new mother and expect him to accept it.”
“Are you going to present me with your solution, or are you simply going to lecture me?” He was not in the mood for a lecture, especially when the well-being of his son was at stake.
She gave him an exasperated look. “You are Percy’s father. You need to start getting involved in your son’s upbringing instead of staying locked in your study?—”
“I do not lock my study door,” he said. “In fact, I make a point to keep it unlocked in case he ever wants to come in.” His son had not entered his study in nearly a year, however. He had onlydone it a few times shortly after his mother’s death. Dominic felt a pang of sadness at the thought.
Of course, he does not want to come into my room. He is afraid of me and probably blames me for his mother’s death.
“Have you ever told him he is welcome to spend time in your study? Do you put effort into making it a comfortable place for a child?” She gestured to the dark, upright armchairs near the fireplace, the shelves of leather-bound tomes, and the severe-looking paintings on the wall.
“I would also be scared to stay in this room as a child. It is depressing for an adult to stay in here.”
“I hope you can forgive me for not having the same taste in decor that you do.” This conversation was ridiculous. Why could she not simply understand that she needed to take her responsibility as Percy’s new mother seriously? Why did she feel the need to lecturehim?
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I am not suggesting you change the decor of your study. But you must become involved in your son’s life and help create a stable family routine for him.”
“That is not how it works,” he said, stepping closer to her. He had to keep from looking down at her soft, supple lips. “As a duke, I have duties that involve managing the estate and matters of parliament. It is your responsibility as my wife to look after my son.”
He had barely known his own father, having been raised by his mother and a succession of nannies. It was not until he was a teenager that his father intervened to teach him more about the responsibilities involved in being a duke. He was never afraid of his father, but he was also never close to him. He had always been a little wary of him, even if he never outright feared him.
Compared to the late duke, Dominic was much more involved in Percy’s life—at least, he had been before Eugenia’s death. He had become much colder and more distant this past year…
Can I really be involved in his life as much as Selina says I should be?
He had never heard of a duke taking a larger part in rearing his own children, especially during the early years…
Selina watched him, as if trying to gauge his thoughts. “I am happy to look after Percy,” she said softly. “But if you continue to distance yourself from him and prioritize your duties as a duke over those as a father, then you will never hear him speak again.”
“You are forgetting yourself,” he said, taking another step closer. He was almost able to touch her now. He gave in to his desires, and his gaze went to her lips. It would be so easy to kiss her. He wet his lips as he looked down at her soft, supple mouth. “You need to learn your position in his house.” His voice was a little softer, huskier.
Let me kiss you. Let me claim you the way I want to.
Her gaze flickered to his mouth for a moment before she inhaled sharply as she looked up at him, color rising to her cheeks. He leaned down automatically, wanting to taste her again…
Their lips nearly touched before she stepped back quickly. “I know my priorities,” she said. “Do you know yours?”
He stopped, as if cold water had been poured over him. How could he forget himself? His priority was Percy, not seducing his wife. He turned away from here. “Goodnight,” he said. “I expect you to do better with Percy in the morning.”
Thirteen
The night after his discussion with Selina, Dominic went drinking with Austin at his favorite gentlemen’s club. Despite the jovial ambience, he felt an ache inside of him.That ache is loneliness and dread in anticipation of another unhappy marriage.
He had managed to avoid his new wife for the entire day, even though she constantly haunted his thoughts. When he had tried to visit his son during lunch time, Percy only glared up at him. He supposed anger was better than fear when it came to emotions from his son. But it was hardly an improvement.
