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“She did not show up for breakfast or lunch, and did not think to send some form of apology after either of those mealtimes. I am not a child; I can recognize when I have been discarded – and that is precisely what has transpired. She has found no issue in leaving me to my devices, while also refusing to even inform me of her own activities. That is highly disrespectful,” he spat, anger welling up within him.

The butler cleared his throat, glancing about uncertainly.

“I believe she will be here soon, Your Grace. Her Grace’s mealtimes have been quite irregular since she had the twins, and more often than not, she can be found tending to them for hours. It is quite likely she did not know or expect you to be waiting for her. Shall I go and inform her?” he offered gently.

That only further infuriated Hudson.

Why should they have to tell her to tend to her husband as well? While their relationship was predominantly on paper, there should have been an idea of cordiality that did not need to be voiced. She was being ridiculous.

“No,” Hudson said as he rose out of the seat. “I will find her myself.”

“Ah – Your Grace, I don’t think that would be necessary…”

Hudson ignored the butler as he left the dining hall, walking down the corridor in the direction of the children’s nursery.

Enough was enough. He had done his best to start things off on the right foot. However, she seemed intent to provoke him by being rude and disrespectful. He had been far too patient, and it was time to confront her and put her in her place.

Their time apart had made her forget that she answers to him and not the other way around. Perhaps it was time he reminded her of that fact. He would let her know exactly what he was made for, give her a lasting reminder of his power, until she was unable to forget under any circumstances.

It was irritating, how easily she could work her way under his skin, how easily she pushed him into a corner. He wanted to make her squirm. Her defiance made him want to break her resolve until she was a meek little thing who desired his attention and approval. He wanted to spank her until she was moaning his name –

Hudson suddenly stopped in his tracks, fighting off a shiver crawling up his spine.

What on earth was that? Where had that thought surfaced from?

He shook his head, dismissing the notion as he continued to walk, finally arriving at the nursery moments later. The door was closed, and he opened it just as Anna appeared to be reaching for the door handle.

Her eyes widened, startled, as though she had not expected to see him, and for some reason, it only added fuel to the fire already burning in his veins.

“Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting for you?” he snapped. “Do you even care that I have not seen you all day?”

Her eyes widened even more, and she shook her head, quickly glancing over her shoulder as she said in a hushed voice.

“Stop it, right now. Do not utter another word.”

Hudson glared down at her, unimpressed by her audacity and poor attitude towards him. After treating him as insignificant, she now attempted to order him around?

“You will not disrespect me in my own house, wife,” he told her coldly. “I have been far too lenient with you. Any more and you’ll be emboldened to –”

A cry pierced the air suddenly, and he stiffened, while Anna turned pale, her cheeks filling with an angry flush a moment later.

“Look what you have done,” she scolded him, her voice now at its normal volume. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get them to fall asleep? After all that, in a single minute, you have undone all my efforts, disregarding all the trouble I had gone through.”

Hudson realized then that Oliver had been right when he said that perhaps the duchess had been tending to the children, and for a moment, there was a sinking feeling within him as the cries grew louder.

“I am sorry,” he apologized, somewhat begrudgingly. “It was rather thoughtless of me to make such a ruckus here – but it was your fault from the start.”

Anna’s gaze darkened, and she stepped towards him in a way that looked far more menacing than it should have.

“It took me hours to get them to settle. You have a lot of nerve, coming in here and implying that this is somehow my fault – as though you were not the one who made the foolish mistake of screaming in a room where your children were sleeping. This is your fault and you will need to fix it.”

She stormed towards the cots without another word and returned a moment later with one of the children, holding the crying child out to him. Hesitantly, Hudson retrieved the baby into his own embrace, recognizing him as his son.

“You will handle Timothy while I nurse Lucy,” she instructed as she returned to the cots after making sure he was holding the child correctly in his embrace.

Hudson frowned at the names she uttered, distracted from admiring the little creature in his arms.

“Timothy and Lucy? Were those the only names you could come up with?”