Page 48 of A Duchess Untouched

So, Mary was in London after all. And not only that, but she was also working for someone Matthew was somewhat acquainted with.

The Earl of Essex. The Duke remembered receiving a few invitations three days earlier. He had set them aside without looking through them since he had no interest in attending social events, but now seemed the perfect time to do so.

“I believe we have finally reached the end of the road, my old friend.” Matthew petted Maximus on the head and quickly got to his feet.

He hurried across the room to the sideboard and rummaged through its contents. There it was: Matthew found a perfumed, embossed invitation from the Earl and Countess of Essex. He broke the seal and unfolded the thick, embossed paper.

The Earl and Countess of Essex request the honor of the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Wentley…

A harsh, triumphant breath escaped his lips. The ball was scheduled for this very weekend.

He carefully folded the invitation and slipped it into his waistcoat pocket. His thoughts immediately turned to the next necessity: if he were to attend Essex House without arousing suspicion, he would need his Duchess at his side.

With Maximus close behind, Matthew turned toward the tall oak doors of his study, his shoulders tightening with sudden restlessness as he became aware of the silence surrounding him. He let himself take a deep breath.

For the first time in days, the heavy weight pressing on Matthew’s chest eased a little. This was the opening he had been waiting for—an opportunity placed directly in his hands. He could not afford to waste it. At the ball, with the house filled with music, servants, and hundreds of guests, he would finally have his chance to slip away to the lower quarters, find Mary Wills, and fulfill his oath to Robert once and for all.

But first, he had to find his wife.

Where is she, anyway?

Chapter 23

“What is that doleful expression on your face, Selina?” Lady Marlow commented. “I hope you are not planning to look that way at Lord and Lady Essex’s ball tomorrow.”

Selina sighed and turned away from the mirror. Somehow, she could no longer summon any enthusiasm for what felt like yet another attempt to win Matthew’s attention. Her grandmother believed tomorrow’s ball would give her another chance to capture her husband’s full attention—and affection.

Selina should have been happy. Under any other circumstances, she would have been over the moon with joy. Attending a ball with her husband was something she had always dreamed of, but now all she felt was frustration. Matthew had not acknowledged what had happened between them in the kitchens, and the only time he had sought her out after two days of indifference was to invite her to accompany him to the ball.

Lady Marlow had treated the whole situation as one demanding drastic measures. She arrived at Wentley House before sunrise, insisting on preparing her granddaughter for the ball scheduled for the next day.

When Selina did not respond to her grandmama’s question, the Baroness began to go through Selina’s wardrobe, grumbling at the sight of her dresses. Her sharp eyes finally found something she wanted.

“You will wear this one,” she declared, smoothing a gown of midnight-blue silk. The tailoring was flawless, and the gown featured a sweeping neckline edged with silver lace. “No more pastels for you. You are not supposed to be a shy debutante at this point, and your husband knows this.”

Then, Lady Marlow went to inspect her velvet-lined jewelry boxes, lined up on her vanity table. She sorted through them and selected teardrop sapphire earrings and a matching necklace.

“They will look wonderful on you,” her grandmama continued. Then she noticed the look of dismay and resignation on Selina’s face. “Selina! Will you give this matter the appropriate amount of attention?”

“I am merely tired, Grandmama,” Selina protested. She was aware of the dark shadows under her eyes and the lethargy that followed Matthew’s behavior, which left her confused again.

“Tired? Poppycock,” Lady Marlow said dismissively. She eyed Selina and continued, “You look like someone who is starving, and I know who has been withholding the feast from you.”

“Grandmama!” Selina knew that her grandmother always meant well, but she could be very direct with her words.

Well, she was probably right. After they had prepared the wicker baskets, he had been avoiding her until that invitation came about. He had seemed a little too eager. For a man who had tried to avoid social events as much as possible since his brother died, there was a twinkle in his eyes that Selina found suspicious.

What is so special about this Essex ball?

Lady Marlow stood behind Selina. They faced the mirror, one young and the other old. Both embodied beauty and grace, but Selina wished she had her grandmother’s self-assurance.

“Selina, I believe you have wasted enough time fooling around. Tomorrow night, you will make Essex House your grand stage. Treat it as your final opportunity to ensure your husband does what he is supposed to do and consummates the marriage,” her grandmother said. “You will not let him escape you this time, no matter what.”

“Grandmama! I cannot possibly force him to…” Selina faltered, choking on her words. Her cheeks burned as she continued, “Things have changed between us recently. He no longer looks at me with indifference. There has been progress, Grandmama. The problem is that even though we got so… so close, he pulled himself back. He always does that. It is as if something is keeping him from giving in. He is holding himself back.”

Lady Marlow’s eyes narrowed at her granddaughter’s words, but Selina knew better than to reveal what Matthew had confided to her.

“Holding himself back?” Lady Marlow murmured. “If a man who desires his wife must restrain himself, then either he has a dark secret he is not ready to reveal, or another woman still occupies his thoughts, tethering him to the past.”