“Yes, Dominic is waiting for you in the carriage. You know how he is about time,” Selina said over her shoulder.
“Ah, yes, now I’ll have another Archdall to deal with.” He let out a loud sigh and walked out the door and out of sight.
Deena wasn’t sure why a wave of worry washed over her.
Where were they going, and will he be safe? And why did they send Selina the morning after our wedding?
“I want to explore!” Percy’s voice drew her back in.
Selina smiled, shifting Mary to her other hip. “Percy’s been talking about nothing else since we told him we were coming to London. Windemere Manor is an adventurous palace, apparently.”
Deena laughed. “It’s certainly big.”
They spent the morning wandering the house with the children. Percy raced ahead down the long corridors, exclaiming at every painting and suit of armor. Mary toddled after him, clutching Selina’s skirts, occasionally stopping to point at something shiny and demand “pretty!”
Deena walked beside Selina, arm linked through hers.
“You’re quiet,” Selina said after a while.
“Am I?”
“Yes, quieter than you usually are.” Selina glanced at her sideways. “Talk to me.”
Deena watched Percy disappear around a corner, then reappear with a triumphant shout. “I am just settling into my new life.”
“Is it scaring you?”
Deena exhaled. “Yes. I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like I’m still waiting for someone to tell me this is all a mistake. That I don’t belong here. Like something terrible is about to happen.”
Selina stopped walking. “You’re just going to scare yourself with those thoughts.”
Deena let out a loud sigh. “I know, but I can’t help myself.”
“You’re a duchess now, Dee. If you want to take your mind off some things, then maybe fulfill some duties?” Selina shrugged as she watched her children chase each other.
“Duty?” she asked softly. “Do you mean like…grant him an heir?”
Selina froze, looked at Deena, and burst into laughter. “Deena, that is not the only duty of a duchess or a wife. You do know that, right?”
Deena's cheeks felt fiery. “I know,” she said quickly.
Selina cocked her head and considered her. “I can’t tell you your duties, but Austin should know them. So, when you’re ready, ask him to assign some to you. It will help until you’re ready to…fulfill the rest of your duty as a wife.” Selina winked, and Deena blushed even more.
“That is the last thing on my mind, Selina!”
Selina laughed. “Sure, it is.”
She was right to doubt her. All Deena could think about was Austin’s hands on her, his lips against hers, and his eyes traveling the length of her body.
They continued down the corridor, following the sound of Percy’s laughter.
“He watches you,” Selina said quietly. “Not the way a man watches a duty. The way a man watches something he wants to keep.”
Deena’s throat tightened. “He’s very good at wanting things.”
“And very bad at keeping them,” Selina added. “Give him time. Give yourself time.”
Deena watched Percy chase Mary across a rug in the long gallery. Both children squealed with delight. The sound echoed off the high ceiling, filling the vast space with life.
