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She braced herself, half expecting him to tease her, to comment on her earlier sharpness or the visible relief now written across her face, to make some remark about how thoroughly she had interrogated a woman seeking nothing more than honest employment. Instead, he simply looked at her, something soft and unguarded in his expression, the teasing entirely absent.

“Well done, Anna. You did precisely what you ought to have done,” he praised quietly. “You were thorough, careful and precise. Exactly as a mother should be. You knew exactly what you desired for our children and refused to settle for anything less than what you believed they deserved... and I must confess – I do not think I could have managed the interviews half as well on my own, regardless of whatever confidence I might have felt walking in.”

Something warm unfurled in Anna's chest at the words, at the sincerity behind them, and before she quite knew what she intended, she found her gaze dropping to his mouth, suddenly overcome with an incessant need to sit by his side and request a kiss.

The need had manifested rather suddenly, and she had not known what to do with it, caught as he returned her gaze with a stare that felt just as heated. He seemed to feel whatever was plaguing her mind too, leaning in just a tad closer, his eyes darkening as his hand tightened briefly around hers –

A brisk knock at the door interrupted them both, and they broke apart at once, Anna smoothing her skirts with hands that trembled faintly as a footman entered with some minor matter requiring Hudson's attention, some question about the estate accounts.

He rose to follow the man out, but then he paused at the doorway, glancing back at her, something unspoken lingering in the look he gave her.

“There is a ball in two days,” he informed her after a moment, his voice carefully even, determined not to let it waver. “We are expected to attend, given everything we discussed about making appearances in public together.”

Anna nodded once, schooling her expression to appear composed, though a faint warmth remained in her cheeks. “I shall ensure I am ready for it in time.”

“All right,” he stated, giving her a curt nod before he took his leave, his footsteps receding down the corridor.

Anna sat alone in the quiet drawing room, pressing her fingers briefly to her lips, wondering – not for the first time that week, and she suspected not for the last – precisely what she was meant to do about the growing, inconvenient warmth she felt whenever he was near.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Anna grimaced as she shuffled through her dresses, her expression dimming further as she regarded her options with mild distaste.

She had been searching for something suitable to wear to the ball she was to attend with her husband, and after about half an hour, she was prepared to call off the search on account of its fruitlessness. It was not as though she did not have dresses to wear, but rather she was irritated by the idea of squeezing herself into a corset and then wrapping herself in frills and silks.

“Perhaps you should try some of them on, Your Grace,” Linda suggested, after watching her tug at some dresses with mild disinterest.

“All right,” Anna shrugged moments later, and allowed her maid to take a few of them out of the wardrobe.

After about twenty minutes, Anna sat down on a couch, trying not to think of ways she could keep herself from going to the ball altogether. The dresses were lovely, but on her, they appeared rather strange and felt uncomfortable.

It was mind-boggling how she had loved to indulge in such fancies once upon a time. There had been an era during which she had been so excited at the prospect of dressing up and attending balls. However, she had not done so after her wedding. Then the twins had arrived, and she had yet to lose the weight she had gained while she was with child, which was why the waistline of some of the dresses felt more snug than usual.

“Your Grace, I do not mean to rush you, but… you must begin to prepare soon in earnest. It is nearly time for you to leave for the ball.” Linda said softly.

Anna threw her hands in the air with a groan, glancing down at the gown she was wearing.

“This one, then. I shall attend the ball in this. It makes me look less like a bloated creature,” she murmured, turning away from the mirror and walking towards the vanity.

While Linda took care of her hair, Anna forced herself to remain calm, worrying about leaving the children home. They were her whole world, and she could not fathom the idea of letting them be without her, just like she had barely managed to swallow the idea of hiring a wet nurse.

Should I feign an illness? She wondered to herself, tilting her head to the side as Linda lightly applied some rogue to her cheeks.

Despite her reservations, she also could not bring herself to cancel their plans. Hudson had been strangely supportive since his arrival, and while she was not fond of him, she had no intention of dismissing his assistance. At least, not for the sake of the civil air she had chosen to maintain for the sake of their children.

“I have finished, Your Grace,” Linda spoke up quietly, backing away from the vanity slightly. “Might I say… You always look regal and beautiful, but there is a particular shine to you tonight. I am certain the duke will not be able to look away from you all evening!”

Anna stared at her reflection, unable to reconcile her own face with any sense of familiarity. She looked… different. In a way she had never known before. She did not know how the duke would feel about seeing her like this, but she knew she was in no mood to think about it in that moment.

Mustering up a slight smile that was for her own benefit rather than Linda’s, she nodded.

“Thank you for your help, Linda. Please inform the duke that I will be down in a moment. I would like to say goodbye to the twins before we go.”

Her lady’s maid curtsied lowly, before taking her leave. Anna let out a deep breath, managing to glance at the mirror briefly before she looked away quickly, hurrying out to see her children. There was a nervous spark beneath her skin, and she feared it would soon consume her whole.

Anna reached the nursery, and as she gently opened the door, she found the wet nurse cradling Lucy to her chest, lightly patting her back.

“Oh, good evening, Your Grace,” Angelica bowed her head low.