Gerald smirked and shook his head.
“I mean that there were more subtle ways to convey that, but you throwing that soup and defending me so fiercely did the trick.”
“Trick?” Arabella’s peace was short-lived. “What kind of trick would that be?”
“It now seems that the whole ton knows that the Duchess of Albury is a very devoted wife.”
Arabella smiled, a fragile bloom on her lips. A whole new feeling came over her, an icy, cold realization. It made her body feel as if it were trying to recalibrate everything.
Gerald adjusted his cufflinks and walked around the marble bench with ease before turning to her.
“I was quite surprised to see such a fiery response, but I suppose it was necessary.”
Then he looked at her, searching her face.
“I must congratulate you on your performance, Your Grace.”
“My… my performance?” Arabella was now shaking.
“An impeccable demonstration of a deeply devoted wife. I didn’t know that taking you to the opera would have such an effect on your performance, but I suppose some dramatics could not be helped.”
If she was struggling to breathe before, now she had the wind completely taken from her lungs. Gerald thought that this was all the performance she was playing as a role.
“You were convincing,” he kept twisting the knife. “The loyal wife, deeply in love. I mean, if we really wanted my reputation as a cruel Duke to be expelled, that was quite an effective way to do so.”
“Of… of course, Your Grace,” she muttered lowly.
Her tone made him look at her, searching her face, and she made sure there was nothing to be found, not her pain, not her real feelings.
“I am rather pleased that you are satisfied with the outcome,” she said, trying to remove emotion from her voice. “I suppose we have concluded our initial agreement.”
He seemed taken aback by this realization, then looked down and nodded.
“Three events,” he recounted the agreement.
“Three events,” she repeated. “This was the last one.”
“Yes, as per the agreement, this was the last one.”
Silence settled between them. Arabella mustered all of her willpower to keep her eyes steady, to not allow even a moment of weakness. If she did, she would crack; if she cracked, she would cry; if she cried, he would know.
Gerald looked at her for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more. But he didn’t. He just studied her face. Arabella felt nervous under the scrutiny. She had better finish this now.
“If I understand correctly,” she said, her voice surprisingly even, “you are satisfied with the outcome.”
He straightened slightly, measured, and composed.
“Everything has proceeded as intended,” he said at last.
“Yes indeed.” It was painful to admit. “Then, according to our agreement, from now on we should… we should go on our separate ways.”
Gerald didn’t answer immediately. He forced silence upon them, heavy, loaded. There was a flicker of hope. Perhaps he, too, was reluctant to be separated from her.
“Yes, that was what we agreed on,” Gerald said. “Of course, you will still bear my name, and you are still the Duchess of Albury, which means you will get the monthly allowance allocated for you.”
Money. He was talking to her about money and titles. After all that they had been through, they were back to where they started. Perhaps even worse, because of all they had been through.
“You are most generous, Your Grace.”
