Her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
“Our dear, generous godmother ordered me to pay her back for finishing school.” Selina could not keep the sarcasm out of her voice. “I told her I would do so if she hired a personal maid instead of making you fulfill that role.”
“You did not have to do that,” Christine said.
“Yes, I did. It is absurd that she treats you as an unpaid servant.” Selina took a deep breath to keep her temper from flaring at the thought of it. “I planned to pay her with my pin money. But the duke insisted on taking care of it himself.”
“That was very thoughtful of him,” Christine said. She offered her sister a cautious smile. “I take it that means the two of you are on friendly terms?”
“I suppose,” she said quietly. “It is complicated. I thought I was making progress with both him and Percy today. Percy and I made lemon cake together, and Dominic watched.”
Christine chuckled. “I am sure you caused quite a stir. Imagine, a duchess baking!”
Selina smiled sheepishly. “I do not feel like a duchess, not yet. But yes, I caused a stir. I will have to make arrangements with the cook so I can bake without getting in her way.”
Servants came in with dinner for the two sisters. Christine remained composed as their plates were filled with roasted pheasant, seasonal vegetables, and dinner rolls. But as soon as they were gone, she dug in, groaning with pleasure.
Concern filled Selina at the sight of her sister. “Are you getting enough to eat at home?”
Christine’s cheeks flushed as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “No, I eat plenty. Just nothing as delicious as this.” She smiled at her sister before taking a much smaller bite of the food. “Anyway, it sounds like things are good with your husband. I am happy.”
“I hope they are. I hugged him, and I might have scared him off.” She had not thought about anything except how grateful she was when she hugged him, that he was willing to spend so much money to help her and Christine. But when he hugged her back, she couldn’t help but notice his strong, muscular arms and chest.
Even though she had noticed handsome men before, none of them had inspired fantasies within her like Dominic did. She wanted to run her hands down his chest, under his shirt, until she had memorized all of his muscles, before perhaps taking off his trousers to find out what was underneath.
Her face flushed, and she quickly took a sip of water, hoping her sister could not guess what she was thinking. “He is nothing like people say he is,” she said. “I know half the ton is scared of him. But he is actually quite kind when you get to know him.”
“That is difficult to imagine,” Christine said. “His Grace is a terrifying man.”
“Indeed.” Selina smiled. “I do not think he considers himself kind. But he would not have helped us if that was not the case.”
Christine smiled slyly. “He is quite handsome too, is he not?”
Selina’s cheeks warmed, and she ducked her head away.
Christine laughed. “I knew you found him handsome. He is too scary for my tastes, of course, but you have always been bolder than I.”
“I would have to be blind not to notice,” Selina muttered. But even though her sister knew her well, she hoped Christine could not read her more detailed thoughts about Dominic. It was so easy to imagine kissing her way down his body, just to see if she could make him lose control.
“It is more than his handsome face,” Selina said. She stood up and closed the doors to the drawing room to make sure she was not overheard. She felt strangely vulnerable sharing this, as if it were somehow bad. She sat down across from Christine again.
“He also makes me feel safe.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper. “He helped me as if it were nothing. He does not even expect anything in return. He just considers it his duty as a husband.” She knew plenty of lesser men would have seen such a thing as an inconvenience if they had helped her at all.
Christine smiled and reached out to grab her hand. “So you do not think…” she bit her lip, suddenly hesitant. “The rumors are not true, then?”
Selina shook her head. “Whatever horrible things the ton believe about him are almost certainly false. I am safe here. I know it.”When was the last time someone felt inclined to take care of me like this? To protect me?
She did not even have to ask herself that question, not really. She knew the answer. The last time someone spared some thought for her was before Charles’ fraud had been discovered.
“That is so wonderful!” Christine said. Selina saw tears in her sister’s eyes before she blinked them away. “I knew you would find a way to make married life suit you, but this is even better than I could have hoped for.”
Selina smiled, but she felt a pang of sadness. She knew she was safe and protected in Greystone Manor, which made her unbelievably lucky, but longing for her husband filled her, no matter how hard she tried to set it aside. They were married in name only. He did not want her that way.
However, she did not yet know how to navigate his unpredictable moods with him.
Sixteen
Christine had to hurry home after dinner so Lady Gillray would not know she was gone. Selina was sorry to see her go, but her mind was preoccupied long after dinner. She was worried about Percy, but also frustrated with Dominic’s mood changes.
