Free Why Do Dukes Fall in Love?: A Dukes Behaving Badly Novel by Megan Frampton

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     her. That was surprising to me, I don’t have much experience with children. None, actually.” He looked thoughtful. “I’d always
     heard they were beastly creatures, always wanting things and attention. Your daughter is not like that.”
    Edwina uttered a snort. “She can be, if there is something she wants. She found it expedient to be on her best behavior this
     evening. She likes living here very much, she doesn’t want to leave, and so she understands in order to stay, she has to make
     sure I retain my position. Which means she will do what she has to.” She tilted her head and looked at him. “Very similar
     to you, it seems.”
    He looked discomfited at being compared to a six-year-old girl, and Edwina wanted to laugh, only that would be entirely inappropriate.
     Not that he minded inappropriate things, of course, but if she had to guess she would imagine he would get a little tetchy
     about her amusement.
    “What was your husband like?”
    Oh. Of course he would ask. And ask so abruptly, without a hint of sympathy. That made it easier to respond, actually.
    “He was—he was not particularly intelligent. He was stubborn, and loud. He adored Gertrude, even though he didn’t understand
     her.”
    “Or you.” He said it as though it were a fact, not a question.
    She smiled in acknowledgment. He was so logical, so reasoned, and yet he could also see past the facts to discern the woman
     within. To see her. That was unexpected. That he could be so insightful while also being so seemingly emotionless. But he
     wasn’t; it was just that his emotion was an expression of his honesty. “True. He did not understand me, either. I suppose
     I didn’t understand him as well.” She shrugged, as though it didn’t matter. It did; she couldn’t lie to herself. Or to him.
     “We married when I was only seventeen. He was twice my age, and set in his ways. We never really settled well together.”
    “And then he died, leaving you with nothing.” Again, not an iota of sympathy or commiseration. Why did that make her feel
     better about talking to him about it?
    “No, barely a penny.” She spread her hands wide. “Which is how I come to be in your employ, Your Grace.”
    “Hadlow,” he corrected in a near growl. She truly did wish she could laugh then; she’d only said the honorific to nettle him.
     And it had worked.
    She looked at the clock in the corner of the room. She’d noticed she tended to lose track of time when she was with him—she
     was too busy assessing him, and the work he wanted done, to worry about seconds and minutes. It had been nearly half an hour
     since they’d come into this room. She placed the brandy glass down on the table beside her. “I should retire for the evening.
     I want to check on Gertrude, and my employer is quite adamant that I appear at my desk on time and ready to work.” She smiled
     as she spoke, to let him know she was joking. Even though she was also partially serious—he was a hard worker, which meant
     that he expected his employees to work hard as well.
    He didn’t stand when she got up, and as usual, that both startled and piqued her. She didn’t want him to consider her as a
     woman, he couldn’t or he wouldn’t have hired her, but she did wish she could discern any kind of appreciation for who she
     was and what she was doing. And that she was a woman doing a job that only men usually did.
    But she couldn’t have it both ways, could she? And she would far prefer that he think of her as a steady, hardworking employee
     than as a female.
    “Good evening, Hadlow,” she said as she walked out of the room. Sighing as she realized it would be another ten hours before
     she was in his company again.
    “Good evening, Cheltam,” he replied.

Chapter 6
    “Good morning, Mrs. Cheltam.” The girl looked anxious, but Edwina didn’t blame her—she was inside a duke’s home after having
     been in a small school out in the country. It had to be a