Enchanting the Duke - Lana Williams Page 0,7
will be involved,” Burbridge added. “Not that married couples need an excuse for kissing, but not all of the guests are married.”
Kiss Eleanor in broad daylight? To his surprise, the idea bloomed in his thoughts, presenting all sorts of possibilities though making him decidedly uncomfortable.
“What does mistletoe have to do with the orphanage?” The charity was the reason they were here, he reminded himself. Not for silly things like mistletoe.
“You’ll hear more about the charity on the morrow when the other guests arrive. For now, shall we move to the billiard room?”
Douglas sighed, deciding it was going to be a very long day if so little was going to be accomplished.
~*~
“He’s beautiful,” Eleanor whispered as she drew a gentle finger along the baby’s cheek that Lillian held. “So precious.”
“I never realized how much of a miracle babies were until I had one of my own.” Lillian gazed adoringly at the swaddled form in her arms. “Even when he’s crying, I can’t help but think how wondrous he is.”
Eleanor chuckled. “That is surprising.”
Louis Richard Waters was a healthy boy with doting parents. When Lillian had shared that she was nursing the baby herself, Eleanor nodded in approval. That was what she intended to do as well, if possible. Wet nurses were well and good, and bottle feeding was popular, but she’d rather care for her own baby as much as possible, despite the belief of some women, including the queen, that upper-class women were too genteel to breastfeed. Eleanor welcomed the bond she hoped it would provide and was grateful to find an ally and a role model in Lillian.
They sat in Lillian’s sitting room before dinner. Eleanor knew she should venture to their bedchamber to change, but the worry of running into Douglas kept her from doing so. How would she survive sharing not only a chamber but a bed with him for five whole days?
Did she ignore him? Pretend it was a normal occurrence? Find a way to take advantage of this time? Surely once the other guests arrived and there were more activities, they’d both be too tired to worry. She nearly scoffed at the thought. As if she could dismiss Douglas’s presence in any situation. Heat curled through her when he so much as glanced at her.
Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to have a similar issue. In fact, she wasn’t certain he even liked her.
If she wanted her marriage to be more than simply a business arrangement, she needed to make some changes. Developing more qualities that would make her a better duchess was something she wanted for herself and might make Douglas respect her more. While she knew how to manage a household, was well educated, and knew how to do much of what a lady should know, she could do better.
What might happen if she turned her attention to more serious matters, particularly ones that were important to her husband? She’d found a book in his library that she thought could be helpful and had started reading it. There was more to life than what she’d experienced thus far. She didn’t understand all he did. But the tenants and their lives mattered to her, and the more she knew, the better fit they’d be. The charity for orphans and neglected children was wonderful and she looked forward to lending a hand with it, but she mainly wanted to help those who lived on Rothbury land. They were her priority.
Over the coming days, she would watch Lillian to better understand what her involvement was in various matters. Staying busy had the added benefit of quelling her loneliness. Satisfied with her plan, she spent the next hour admiring the baby, even taking a turn holding the sweet infant, before at last going to change for dinner.
Babette was waiting for her and assisted Eleanor to quickly change. Then Eleanor sat at the dressing table while the maid rolled her hair into a soft chignon, leaving a strand or two loose.
Eleanor’s nerves calmed as the time for dinner drew near, and Douglas didn’t make an appearance. The extra time to adjust to the notion of staying in the same chamber with him was welcome.
The maid had just finished her hair when the door opened behind her.
“Almost ready?” Douglas asked.
She met his eyes in the reflection of the cheval glass, suddenly breathless. He was already dressed for dinner, and the formal black attire made him even more handsome. He must’ve dressed while she’d been with Lillian. “Yes.”
Babette gave her hair one