Accidentally Compromising the Duke by Stacy Reid Page B

brittle to pay her any mind. Lady Rosa had been having a tea party with their neighbor the Earl of Sheffield’s three daughters and their governess. The duke had taken his seat on the blanket and Adel had joined. Edmond had sat in a chilling aloof silence, content to watch his girls play and…well, he watched her . It was awkward and Adel had vacillated between tears and laughter. Rosa and Sarah were so tentative with her, touching her every so often, and then staring as if she were an exotic creature. That was how Adel had felt…like she had been on display. The dratted man had hardly said a word.
    The girls were now preparing for supper, and Adel desperately wanted a bath and at least an hour of rest before she must face it again. The duke had actually called for another horse and ridden away without saying anything really. She tried not to let his distance crush her. They had only been married a day after all.
    “With the short notice, Your Grace, this was the best we could do under the circumstances,” Mrs. Fields said apologetically as they stopped.
    Adel frowned when the housekeeper opened the door to an elegant and well-appointed room. The best she could do? The chamber was well-suited to a lady. The walls were decorated with wallpaper upon which trellises of leaves climbed over a straw-colored background. The furniture and draperies were in a pale green patterned with the same straw color. The room was far larger than the bedroom she had formerly dwelled in at home and it had its own dressing room decorated in the same paper. “This is wonderful, thank you.”
    Pleasure lit the woman eyes. “I will ask the duke what I am to do about the duchess’s chambers when he gets in.”
    Adel froze. “These are not the duchess’s rooms?”
    “No, Your Grace.”
    Her heartbeat quickened. “Why am I not in the duchess’s quarters?”
    Mrs. Fields appeared flustered. “I received no orders to clean the chambers, Your Grace. The missive the duke sent only said to prepare a chamber.”
    “I am certain he meant the duchess’ apartment, Mrs. Fields,” Adel said kindly. “I would have you direct the maids to deposit my luggage there and call for a bath.”
    The housekeeper’s wariness grew even more pronounced. “The rooms are not ready for you, Your Ladyship.”
    Mrs. Fields refused to meet Adel’s eyes and sudden curiosity burned through her.
    “Take me to the rooms.”
    With a firm nod and flattened lips, Mrs. Fields continued along the corridor. They turned left and walked a few paces down before they stopped at a door. A bunch of keys jangled, and Mrs. Fields twisted one in the ornate brass door and it swung opened.
    She stepped back and allowed Adel to enter. She walked in and faltered. Everything in the chamber was covered in white sheets. Cobwebs draped from the ceilings and the dust was so much, the windows that covered half of the left wall seemed covered in cinder. Adel was unable to credit what she was seeing. “Good Heavens, when last was the duchess’s chambers aired and cleaned?”
    “Almost three years ago, Your Grace.”
    She turned incredulous eyes to Mrs. Fields. “Are you saying no one has entered the rooms since the death of the last duchess?”
    “Yes, Your Grace.”
    Adel was at loss for words. “Are the duke’s rooms connected to here?”
    “Yes, Your Grace.”
    She frowned. Were they not to have normal marital relations? She was not sure how higher lords and ladies coexisted, but her mother and father’s chambers had been connected, and it was even the same now with Papa and Lady Margaret. “I see.”
    “Get out.”
    The chilling command cracked through the room like a whip, causing Adel to jerk. She spun around and faced the door where Edmond hovered in the doorway behind Mrs. Fields. Not hovered, more like he stood frozen, the harsh lines of his face more pronounced, his eyes glittering with cold fury. Adel buried the trepidation stirring inside and gave the housekeeper an