Awakening Love Reborn to Be His Duchess (Elowen Hale) novel Chapter 72

Chapter 72 Ulterior Motive

That wouldn’t do at all.

Mira looked worried. “Then what should we do, Your Grace?”

+5 Pears

Elowen lowered her head again to the ledger. “If they want to sit in the parlor, let them sit. If they want tea and pastries, serve them the best we have.”

Mira sighed.

People always said a new bride had to endure her mother–in–law’s temper.

Cassian was fine; he had no mother. But he did have this unreasonable aunt…

Elowen reviewed the accounts for a while longer. Then she looked up. “Mira, have the kitchen prepare breakfast.”

“Are you hungry, Your Grace?” Mira asked.

Elowen smiled slightly, “Not me. It’s for the Duke. He must be hungry.”

Mira was puzzled. “Isn’t His Grace still asleep?”

Elowen nodded. “He is now. But he’ll be waking soon.”

Long ago, her sister–in–law had taught her: if a mother–in–law proved utterly unreasonable and impossible to deal with, one should start with the husband.

A new wife was an outsider; there were things she couldn’t say, actions she couldn’t take. But a husband was different.

Her sister–in–law’s words echoed: “That’s why the man you marry is so crucial. If he has a backbone and cares for you, your life will be much easier. If he neglects you or is a coward, leaving you to bear all the hardship alone, life becomes unbearable.”

In her past life, Elowen had been too young. She heard the words but didn’t truly understand them.

It wasn’t until after she married into the Crown Prince’s Wing and endured years of torment that she grasped their profound meaning.

Fortunately, now she was the Duchess of Duskmoor.

When the kitchen sent up breakfast, Elowen rose and walked to the bedchamber.

Since Cassian was still asleep, the windows were shuttered, leaving the room dim.

She

approached the bed quietly, took a deep breath, and reached to draw back the curtain.

Her fingers had barely touched the fabric when a hand shot out, gripping her wrist with surprising strength. She was yanked forward, the world tilting.

Chapter 72 Ulterior Motive

Before she could process it, she was flat on her back on the bed, a hand at her throat.

Elowen looked up into Cassian’s expressionless, handsome face. She could feel the fingers around her neck slowly tightening.

“My lord, it’s me!” she gasped, her voice trembling with fear.

Cassian leaned closer, his gaze initially distant and cold, then focusing on her face.

Elowen paled, a fine sheen of sweat appearing on her nose.

Cassian let out a silent breath, the coldness in his eyes melting into something softer.

He relaxed his grip, his voice rough. “I didn’t know it was you.”

Years of war, of constant attempts on his life, had honed his instincts.

Anyone approaching him in his sleep triggered an automatic, defensive response.

His years of martial training had saved his life more than once.

He released her throat but didn’t immediately pull his hand away. Her skin was so soft.

“Did I hurt you?” he asked, his voice low, almost intimate.

The tone made Elowen’s cheeks warm again. She shook her head slowly. “You didn’t use much force. It doesn’t hurt.”

He made a soft sound of acknowledgment, his thumb brushing lightly over the skin of her neck. “Why did you come in?”

Her voice was soft. “I was hungry, so I had the kitchen make breakfast. I wanted to ask if you’d like to join me. It looks quite good. Too much for one person, and I hate to waste.”

Cassian raised an eyebrow. “Compared to your cooking?”

Elowen’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Probably not as good. If you’d prefer my cooking, I can make something now.”

Cassian shook his head. “No need. The kitchen’s fare is fine.”

Looking at him, she could see he was still drowsy. She’d woken him.

of guilt struck her. She became more attentive, fetching his clothes and helping him from the bed to his wheelchair.

A pang

Cassian watched her, a thoughtful glint in his eye.

Elowen stood back. “Wh–what is it?”

A faint, almost teasing smile touched his lips. “I didn’t think much of it at first. But now that you’re being so solicitous, I’m beginning to wonder if you have an ulterior motive.”

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