Page 30 of My Beastly Duke

“Do you really read those things?” Marina beat Aaron to the question as she sipped her tea.

“Of course, he does. I would not have expected any less from him,” Aaron grumbled under his breath and shook his head in disgust.

Taking the sheet from the tray, Adam ignored them all as he opened to the very first page. “You need to start reading them yourself, brother. It might shock you to learn that there is more going on in the world than what happens behind your closed doors.”

Aaron noted the look of concern in his wife’s eyes as she looked at him carefully, watching his every move whenever Adam spoke. He began to wonder if she was laboring under some silly notion of unity by inviting his brother over to stay.

“Would you look at that! It seems as if some monster has been terrorizing one of the nearby villages. A young woman barely got away with her life the other day. It says here that he tried to attack her in the forest when she went to pick berries. What is this world coming to…” Adam shook his head and winked at Aaron before turning the page.

The blood in his veins suddenly froze as Aaron gripped the fork beside his plate. His face flushed hot with shame.

Monster?

He had saved that young girl from a fate worse than death, yet the sheet said that he had tried to attack her. Did his appearance count for more than his actions?

“That is ghastly, I wonder if anyone has caught this beast by now? Did it say what kind of monster it was? Was it a bear or a man?” A very visible shiver ran down her body as Marina clutched at her arms.

“Excuse me, I feel as if I have suddenly lost my appetite.” Aaron stood and pushed the chair back with his knees, causing the legs to scrape over the floor.

“Your Grace?” Marina stood as Adam’s eyes followed him out the door.

Picking up his pace, Aaron headed for his study. Had his brother done it on purpose? They were, after all, both in the village at the same time as the attack. He could have gotten wind of the gossip and ordered the scandal sheet for dramatic effect. Marina’s invitation had more than likely come just in time for Adam to conveniently deliver the blow.

“Your Grace, would you please wait!” Marina caught up to him just as he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“What is it?” He snapped as he turned around to face her.

Marina stopped breathlessly in front of him as she frowned. “I just wanted to know what had upset you so. Was it something that your brother had said, or the scandal sheet? I personally never read them. They carry far too much gossip and not enough truth.”

His eyes searched her face as he wondered what she thought of him when she looked at his scar. Did she think of him as a monster like the girl he had saved in the forest?

“Your Grace, I only want to get to know you better.” She took a step forward, reaching for his cheek.

Backing away sharply, he pushed her hand to the side. “You know me well enough to have married me. There is nothing more that needs to be said between us. Now if you would excuse me, there is some business that I need to attend to.” He whirled around and took the steps two at a time, leaving Marina standing at the bottom of the stairs.

I just wish that they would all leave me alone.

Chapter 13

Looking around the garden, Marina felt frustration begin to set in as she wondered where her husband had gotten to. He had left so abruptly after breakfast, that she had spent the rest of her day trying to track him down.

Why had he reacted so strongly, even toward her? She still was not certain if it had been the scandal sheet or his brother’s sudden appearance that had placed him in such a bad mood. Either way, she was beginning to lose patience with him.

Spotting his valet entering through the backdoor that led to the kitchen, Marina quickly flagged him down and approached with haste. “I am so glad I have found you; do you know where His Grace has gotten to?”

The tall, distinguished man with grey hair and a matching moustache, bowed respectfully with one arm over his chest. “Good evening, Your Grace. His Grace is in his chambers, preparing for his evening bath.”

How did he slip past me again?

She almost began to tap her foot impatiently when she realized that he had been under her nose the entire time. “Thank you, would you mind waiting a while before bringing up the hot water? There are a few things that His Grace and I need to discuss in private.”

“Most certainly, Your Grace, I shall instruct the footmen to wait until they are called.” The valet bowed respectfully again and backed away.

Having bought herself some time, Marina lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried into the house, climbing the stairs as quickly as her legs would allow her. She did not want to give the duke a chance to escape again if he caught wind of her coming.

Crossing the gallery, Marina neared the door to his chambers when she was almost out of breath. Her heart suddenly raced when she realized that she had never been inside his chambers. Not knowing what to expect, she swallowed hard and rapped on the door.

“Come in,” Aaron’s muffled voice carried through the door.