His mother sniffed. “That is ridiculous,” she said. “Your role as a duchess is to look after all of the things that your husband does not need to bother concerning himself with. The household. The staff. Decisions regarding hosting, society, and social events. Are you prepared to do that?”
“Since I married your son, I have endeavored to do all I can to help make his life easier,” Evelyn said, sincerity in her tone, and she was right – she had, in her own way. “I am still learning the ways, and I have focused on the areas where I am best able tohelp him, those that I feel I am most educated in. However, I am willing to keep learning. And I am very fortunate.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you are here to teach me,” Evelyn said, and Asher peeked around the doorway, seeing her lean forward toward his mother, nearly touching her — but not quite, likely understanding that to do so would cross a line. “I was not raised to be a duchess. We both know that. I’m sure you had someone else in mind for the role, but here we are. If you could help me understand what is required of me, I would appreciate it. And, if there are any responsibilities you would prefer to continue maintaining yourself, I would be more than happy for you to do so.”
Asher was as astonished as his mother likely was. His mother had been so cold to Evelyn, and now his wife was giving her grace she didn’t deserve, appealing to her vanity and her strengths, making her feel needed, which he knew his mother had been struggling with in the short time since he had married.
“I—I would like that very much,” his mother finally murmured.
Asher smiled to himself as he continued to his office.
It seemed this was one puzzle Evelyn had solved.
Was there anything she couldn’t do?
Lunchwith the duchess had nearly taken everything out of Evelyn.
But at the end of it, Asher’s mother had warmed to her suggestions. Evelyn felt the shift and celebrated the small victory as she walked away.
It would also help her if the dowager duchess retained some of the tasks she had relinquished. Asher’s mother seemed to thrive on running the household, whereas Evelyn would far rather spend her time otherwise.
She hadn’t missed the dowager duchess’s barbs, unsubtle as they had been, and Evelyn couldn’t help the thought that perhaps she was right. Perhaps she didn’t belong here, and Asher’s life would have been far easier without her.
But it was too late for that, unless she left entirely, but that would only leave her, Asher, and both of their families in ruins.
On her return to her bedroom, she found that she wasn’t quite ready to tackle her puzzles, that she was yearning for some interaction besides the push-pull of her conversation with the dowager duchess.
Which was why she was more than pleased to find Thalia in the library.
“Evelyn, I’m so sorry,” Thalia said, greeting her with concern.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, instantly on alert. Had something happened to Asher? Immediately, panic that she wasn’t prepared for set in.
“You had to have lunch alone with my mother,” Thalia said with a straight face, but Evelyn started laughing in return.
“I survived,” she said. “In fact, we might even have turned a corner.”
“I am sorry,” Thalia said, appearing more distressed than she needed to be. “You shouldn’t have had to face all this.”
“It’s not your fault,” Evelyn said with a shrug. “We’re all doing our best in the situation.”
“I have something I want to show you,” Thalia said, leading her over to the side wall. “Something that was my father’s.”
She lifted an object from a shelf and brought it over, placing it on the table between them.
Evelyn gasped at the beautifully crafted box. She ran her finger over the puzzle lock, which appeared to require deciphering a series of mechanical movements or ciphers to open.
“This is exquisite,” she breathed, and Thalia beamed.
“I always loved it. I thought you would appreciate it too, after seeing all that you were working on in your bedroom.”
“Thank you for sharing,” Evelyn said, beaming at her sister-in-law. In this moment, especially after her conversations with the dowager duchess, she felt seen, like there was someone in her life who truly understood her and recognized what would capture her interest. “How do you open it?”
Thalia showed her how the box worked before disclosing the interior, where she guessed her father had hidden items in the past, although what, she couldn’t be sure.
“I imagine this would be the perfect size for notes and documents he didn’t want anyone else to see,” Evelyn murmured, looking up when Thalia didn’t answer. “It’s the sort of thing one uses when truth must wait.”
