Arabella hadn’t seen much of the world, but in her little experience, she had developed the skill to manage her expectations. In this matter, she had kept an open mind. But to hear that this was the reason she found herself married to the Duke didn’t make much sense to her.
“Your Grace, many things could be said about you, but your name has never been entangled in scandal before. You are known as ruthless, not as a rake.”
“I never said I would be the one causing the scandal.”
“I am not sure I follow.”
“Let’s just say that my family is quite inclined to seeing me entangled in disreputable behavior,” he said with a heavy tone, looking into his cup.
It took a while to reconcile what she had just heard and what the implications were. Surely he was not implying that his own family was trying to trap him into a scandal.
“I’m sure I did not understand well.”
“You did understand quite clearly, but you don’t want to believe it because you are not a bad person, Arabella,” he looked at her with grief in his eyes. “I’m afraid that does not apply to all the people in my life. My family has tried to trap me before, and I think they will have ample opportunity to do so on those two occasions.”
Arabella was stunned, her haircut set aside in disbelief. How could one family use such devious methods? She then just grasped that the reason everybody was calling him a ruthless Duke was because of the way he had treated his own family. But now it was revealed that he had very good reasons to do so. Perhaps he was even too gentle with them.
“That must have been quite hard for you, Your Grace,” she said softly.
Arabella didn’t know what experience Gerald had with other people, but the look of disbelief that he gave her the moment she showed some empathy told her everything she needed to know. He was looking at her as if someone saw him for the first time in his life.
“It is just an inconvenience,” he gathered his emotions back into the wall of his composure.
“I’d like to think that having your family go out of their way to trap you for what I assume has to be either revenge or financial issues is not just an inconvenience.”
What she really wanted to say to him was that it was totally understandable to feel reserved and unsafe under those circumstances and that she was there to share that burden.
“Inconvenience or not,” Arabella continued without letting him answer, “we made an agreement, and I always plan to honor my agreements.”
Gerald let out a small huff that would be mistaken as laughter in his cruel, cold world.
“That is quite refreshing on your part. I should like to thank you,” Gerald said.
“You’re most welcome,” Arabella tried to lighten the dark mood. “So you’re telling me all I need to do during the engagement party and the wedding breakfast is to basically stay by your side like some form of a sentinel so that whoever your family has enlisted doesn’t throw themselves on you. Am I reading the situation correctly?”
The Duke chuckled and shook his head before looking at her as if she were some kind of wonder.
“You must excuse me, Your Grace,” he said, lighter than before. “But now I am picturing you, in full armor that you can barely lift, following me around to get some refreshment.”
“That would be the least of our problems. Imagine if we have to dance and I am still holding a sword.”
“I would say my dancing abilities would be tested,” he smiled.
“Stepping on your toes would be quite devastating, I would presume.”
She saw with pride the heavy clouds that had burdened him lift and perhaps a little sunshine let in.
“We need to avert the armor disaster, and I think I have the solution,” he said enigmatically and got up.
He left the room for a while, and then he came back with a big box with a distinct golden sign. Madame Claire’s Lily.
“Gerald?”
“I wouldn’t allow my Duchess to attend any of these events with just any gown.”
“But how did you…?”
“The bill came for your three gowns. The ones you have ordered.”
