“We would not miss it!” the Duke laughed. “And my wife was desperate to get out of the house.”
Helena was caught in two minds.
On the one hand, that rebellious side of her wanted to spurn the Duke’s false affections and push him away. She did not like playing the dutiful and loving wife, lying to people, pretending that they were in love and that they thought the world of one another. And a small part of her rather liked the idea of upsetting him by not playing along.
On the other hand, she would have been lying to herself if she didn’t admit how good it felt. There was just something enchanting about it.
It felt to her like being a maiden in one of her stories, back in the days when she wrote such fantasies. To be doted on and admired. To be lauded and worshipped. To be looked at by the Duke in a way that suggested she was all who mattered to him, and should the world end today, then he was glad for one more second to spend with her.
But I know it is false. Worse, I want it to be false! Yet for reasons I cannot fathom, where the Duke is concerned, I can’t help but feel pulled in by it. I just wish I knew why.
“Come then,” he whispered in her ear. “Let us mingle.”
She had no choice but to follow, just as she had no choice but to smile, just as she had no choice but to allow him to hold her. She did have a choice in how much she enjoyed his touch, but she had little control over it.
And so went the most awkward and confusing evening of her life so far.
In hindsight, it was exactly what was promised: she and the Duke, spending the evening together, pretending to be a happily married couple in the throes of romantic bliss. The Duke had told her how he would treat her; he had shown that side of himself already, and it was on full display.
“I was insistent that we make it this evening,” he explained to some of his friends. As he spoke, he kept his hand on her waist. “Just because I wanted to show off my wife to the world—remind everyone how lucky I am.”
“It’s a strange thing when the rest of our lives feels like such a short time,” he joked later that evening with their host. “I might need two lifetimes, and even that won’t be enough. Such is how much I adore this woman.”
He turned and smiled lovingly at Helena, and she smiled back.
“Oh yes, a week of wedded bliss so far. No complaints. Isn’t that right, my sweet?” he asked as a small group watched on.
“That is right, my love,” she responded on cue. “Wedded bliss like nothing else.”
Helena was finding it hard to see through the lies. She knew that they were as such; she did not delude herself into thinking there was any truth behind them. But he was so honest and real, so kind and caring, so darn perfect that it became hard to look past the exaggeration.
And the fact that a part of her wanted it to be true…
That was where the danger lay, and the confusion reigned supreme.
This marriage was not a love match. Helena wanted to feel nothing for her husband. But as the charade carried on, with the Duke holding her close and looking upon her, radiating love and adoration and all those good things, she felt her stomach turn, her heart flutter, and her desire grow for a man she knew deep down felt nothing for her.
She focused on how he had treated her this past week. She focused on the arguments they had. How angry he made her. Her own demands!
She did what she could to separate fact from fiction, refusing to give in to his charm. Yet, all the while, she felt that pull within her. And she hated that she did.
Something needed to change. And soon.
Helena was determined to see it done because, despite everything, she was starting to feel that she would not and could not fall for her husband. That would be a tragedy like no other.
“Shall we have a drink?” the Duke asked as they walked into the manor together.
Helena stopped short, staring blankly at her husband, not certain she had heard him correctly. “What did you say?”
“A drink?” He closed the door behind them and exhaled, allowing his shoulders to slump as if a great weight had just fallen off them. “After this evening, I need one. I felt like a dog being asked to jump through hoops,” he laughed. “But at least the dog is given a treat at the end.”
She was still staring at him, still not fully understanding what was going on. “A drink, you and I? Right now?”
“Yes,” he said carefully, as if she were the one overreacting. “Is that a problem?”
It had been a long afternoon and evening, and Helena was simply glad to be home and free from the charade. What she wanted was to crawl into bed, close her eyes, and put the past few hours behind her. She was still confused by the whole ordeal, still unsure what to think and what to do.
But some time apart from her husband was sure to solve her issues. And as she had learned this past week, time apart from her husband was not going to be a problem. Or so she had thought.
