Enchanting the Duke - Lana Williams Page 0,39

but as a duchess.

Chapter Ten

Douglas stared at the flames in the hearth, a glass of brandy in hand, realizing he had never before been quite this miserable. He thought he’d sent Eleanor away in time to save himself. But it was quickly becoming clear that his effort had come too late.

Now, rather than simply being alone, he was lonely. And he detested it.

He had yet to determine if it was a temporary sensation. Would he soon become accustomed to being alone again or would the days stretch out endlessly for the rest of his life as they did now? The question had him taking another sip.

He’d forgotten how long the winter evenings could be when darkness came earlier. But that wasn’t the issue.

In reality, what he felt wasn’t merely loneliness. It was being without Eleanor. The thought should have been ridiculous.

They’d only been married a few months.

They’d only spent a few days together at the house party, though it had been in close proximity.

How could he possibly have grown so dependent on her presence in his life in that short amount of time?

How these feelings had come to be didn’t matter. The true question was what to do about them.

Once again, he questioned his grandfather’s lessons, something he’d done more in the past fortnight than in his entire life. Were things ever as black and white as his grandfather had insisted? Douglas no longer believed so.

If Eleanor had only been pretending to care for him, why would she have bothered to continue once they’d married? While he’d initially been appalled at the idea of her setting her cap for him and succeeding, he wondered if he should be flattered instead.

Her suggestion that they were better together and could accomplish more united held validity. It wasn’t as if he expected those in his employ to focus solely on their jobs. They had families and other interests that also took their time and attention.

Watching Burbridge and his wife had certainly given Douglas a unique perspective on what his own life could look like. Burbridge’s estate was well run. Then again, Burbridge wasn’t trying to overcome decades of managing with little-to-no funds like Douglas was.

Now that he looked back on it, he wondered why his grandfather hadn’t made greater strides in recovering the duchy. If the man had spent more time on those efforts rather than berating his son or lecturing Douglas, what might’ve happened?

He sighed and took another sip, his thoughts returning to Eleanor as they always seemed to. If he allowed his feelings for her to grow, would she make him a better duke or distract him from his duties? The question was difficult to objectively answer, especially when he knew which one he preferred to believe.

Eleanor had already made a fine duchess. He had to admit that her genuine concern for the people who lived and worked on the estate couldn’t be denied. She had a kind word for everyone and listened to all, including Mrs. Richard’s worry over her garden and old Mr. Thompson’s trouble with his gout. She’d been reading The Farmer’s Every Day Book for heaven’s sake. How many duchesses bothered to do so? Perhaps he’d allowed the comments of others to overshadow what he knew to be true.

The gifts she’d prepared for the servants were ready to be distributed the day after Christmas despite her departure to London. He certainly hadn’t thought about what needed to be done for Boxing Day, but she had, which Morris had made a point of mentioning. Douglas knew the blame for the return of the butler’s grim mood rested on his shoulders.

With another sigh, Douglas set aside his drink then rose and moved to his desk to sort through the post that Morris had left there. A familiar feminine script on the top letter had him opening it first to find a Christmas card from his former nanny.

Dear Duke of Rothbury,

Happy Christmas. I hope this finds you well. I wanted to thank you again for your generous gift. It is much appreciated. Next time you come by, I hope you will have a moment to visit so I can determine for myself how married life is agreeing with you. I would enjoy meeting your duchess as well.

I sincerely hope you have opened your heart to this new stage in your life. While I always respected your grandfather, I can’t help but feel his views were colored by his own disappointments. Please don’t allow his unhappiness to overshadow your world. You