“I should get him back to our rooms,” Catherine sighed.
“I would offer to carry him for you but…” Alaric trailed off.
Alaric could see the irritation on Catherine’s face. “But he is not your son?”
Alaric gave her a wry smile. “You told me never to enter your rooms.”
“Oh.”
‘That will never happen.’
Catherine’s words from all those nights ago hung in the air between them. Alaric met her gaze, feeling his heart race as he watched her open and close her mouth. He clenched and unclenched his hands as the silence stretched out.
“I will find you a footman.” Alaric took a step away from Catherine.
Alaric’s eyes searched Catherine’s face as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, she nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
Alaric kept his face a mask as the air was ripped from his lungs, forcing his shoulders not to sag. He turned and left the room.
This is what she wants.
CHAPTER 13
“There is something odd about these numbers, but I cannot put my finger on it.” Catherine frowned as she peered at the household ledger books.
She was sitting in the Duchess’s study with Mrs. Danvers. She had tried at first to read the ledgers in the Duke’s study, but found her mind wandered far more easily. The smell of cedar and amber clung to the ledgers even now and it was with an effort that Catherine dismissed the smell.
It had been several days since she had left Oliver with Alaric and come back to find her husband gently looking after a sleeping child.
I did not know he could look at another person so warmly.Her chest tightened as she thought of how tempted she had been to accept his offer to carry Oliver to her rooms. Her mouth went dry.
I made those rules for a reason.
But at that moment, they seemed pointless. A shiver ran down her spine, and she forced herself back to the task at hand. Since she had come to the castle, Alaric had granted her access to the full accounts of the estate.
“His Grace took great pains to restore the estate when he inherited his title.” Mrs. Danvers pointed to older ledgers. “The late Duke of Coldmere had more extravagant tendencies than h is Grace.”
“Clearly.” Catherine pointed to several of the books. “I cannot work out what half of these payments are for, though I assume they were unimportant, given Alaric stopped them almost immediately. I just wish he had noted down what they were for.”
Catherine sighed and pushed herself back from the desk. “I suppose it does not matter. It was some years ago, after all.”
“Perhaps you could discuss it with His Grace?” Mrs. Danvers glanced at Catherine.
Catherine stood up and stretched, deliberately not meeting Mrs. Danvers’s eye. “Perhaps. Though I am not sure it is worth bothering him with.”
In truth, Catherine was trying to avoid Alaric as much as possible. Besides, although some of his memories had returned,there were still large gaps. He probably would have no more answers than she did.
“That will be all, Mrs. Danvers.” Catherine inclined her head to her housekeeper.
Mrs. Danvers curtsied and left the room. Catherine sighed, her eyes returning to the ledgers.
“There is something there, I know it.” She glared at the books as they lay there taunting her. “I suppose I could ask Alaric.”
She rested a hand on her stomach as it fluttered about wildly. The sound of laughter drifted in from her window.Oliver.He had grown more confident in the last few days, which, unfortunately, came with a stronger adventurous streak.
“I hope he has not slipped away from Annabelle again.” She shook her head and made her way toward the gardens. “I do not want him to get hurt. He needs supervision.”
A governess.Alaric’s voice echoed in her mind. She lightly touched her throat as she remembered how his eyes had studied her face. She knew he saw the circles beginning to form beneath her eyes, but instead of scolding her, he wanted to help.
