Elara raised a curious brow. “What conversation, Mama?”
Nora let out a nervous laugh as she scratched her neck and smiled.
“Well, um, what... You see, um, now that you are married. Well, as you know, there are requirements of a wife. And those requirements begin tonight, especially.”
Elara’s lips lifted into a small, sad smile, and she patted her mother’s hand.
“You explained to me what happens between a husband and a wife a couple of years ago, Mama,” Elara said. “Before Evander... was gone, when we were preparing for my original debut.”
Nora let out another nervous laugh, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.
“Good,” she sighed. “That is good. I had forgotten about that, and I did not want you to be ill-prepared for what is to come this evening.”
The memory of her and the Duke’s kiss flashed hotly through Elara’s mind. Instantly, her lips tingled, and her blood sizzled. The surprise of it had shocked and enraged her, and she was not at all remorseful about biting him. However… after the initial shock of the kiss, she had to admit it felt rather lovely.
Elara shook her head, hating how she had once again felt another shiver of pleasure from the experience, and gave her mother a determined look.
“I am not ill-prepared, Mama. I know what is expected of me,” Elara assured Nora. “However, it does not matter. I do not intend to allow the Duke of Ashworth to touch me, this evening or ever, for that matter.”
Nora’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“I do not understand you, daughter,” Nora confessed. “If you hate this man so, why did you lock yourself in Adrian’s study with him? Even you confessed that it was you who turned that key and sent him the invitation. Why go to such lengths if you cannot stand him?”
Elara pressed her lips together, knowing she had no choice but to go against Adrian’s wishes and tell her mother what she had been up to. They had tried to keep it quiet, but it was Elara’s own curiosity that had led to her current troubles.
“I was... I am sure that the Duke of Ashworth or his brother, Augustus, had something to do with Evander’s disappearance. I am not sure Evander is really dead. I am actually convinced of the opposite lately,” Elara confessed. She paused, waiting anxiously to see how her mother would react. To her surprise, though, Nora only looked on at her calmly, albeit with a slight look of pity in her blue eyes.
“I see,” Nora said quietly. “And your determination to believe this is based on proof, I take it?”
Elara winced.
“Rumors, mostly,” she begrudgingly confessed. “And a note I found in the Duke’s residence.”
Nora sighed.
“I do not wish to know what you were doing at his residence unchaperoned, so I request that you not speak further on that,” she retorted, rubbing her temples.
Elara gave her mother a chagrined smile and nodded.
“However, darling, I do want to speak with you about this impulsive nature of yours,” Nora went on, folding her hands together on her lap. She gave Elara a small smile. “You are so much like your father in that respect that it frightens me. He was that way, you know. The moment he had an idea, he rushed to prove it true, not thinking about the consequences. I loved that enthusiasm in him, and I love even more that I see it in you. However...”
“However?” Elara goaded after Nora fell silent.
“However,” Nora went on, “just because you are enthusiastic about a thought does not mean it is correct. Many times, much to our chagrin, an opinion we once thought true turns out to be false, leaving us not only with the woe of being wrong but also the responsibility of an apology. Proud people, like our family, often find both rather difficult.”
Elara looked at her mother quietly, not sure if she was offended by her mother’s words or impressed at how accurate they were.
“What are you saying, Mama?” Elara asked.
“I am saying to be careful and clever, my girl,” Nora replied. “Treat your marriage as if it were a game of chess. Study your husband’s moves closely, and pay attention to which piece he istrying to protect most. If you do that, you will win every single match, and winners do not have to apologize.”
Elara leaned forward, her curiosity piqued.
“Very well,” she agreed. “And how do I pay such attention? What if he does not allow me to be so close?”
“Well, he certainly will not if you refuse him on your wedding night,” Nora replied with a wry chuckle. “Which is why I believe your plan to withhold from him is in poor taste. Men are simple creatures, you know. They bask in bodily pleasure and become weak and moldable. Instead of denying him, offer yourself to him often and whenever he wishes. Soon, he will allow you to do whatever you wish and tell you whatever secrets you want to hear.”
Elara’s eyes widened at her mother’s bold words, her cheeks burning scarlet.
