The Duke's Forgotten Wife

Chapter Two

On the road to Warrick Abbey

Amanda was still in shock over the events of the night before and how fast she

and the duke wed. It wasn't until the ceremony that she learned his full name, correction, her husband's full name. Devlyn Edward William Maddox, Duke of Warrick. She still couldn't bring herself to call him anything but Your Grace. He was a man with a cold heart and daunting manner. As she sat across from him she wondered what he'd look like if he ever smiled.

She was already regretting the marriage, but knew that if she had not married him she would be hard pressed to find a good man who would once word spread as to what happened in her bedchamber early this morning. The other option she'd thought of was to leave England and she didn't want to do that since she would miss her aunt terribly.

She was married to a man she didn't know any better now than she had early this morning when they all met in the earl's study.

Oh how she wished her aunt were here now.

Dilly, along with John, was following them in her coach along with her trunks, she almost wished she were riding with them instead of her new husband.

She would at least know now what to expect from him tonight, her wedding night. She blushed once more thinking of what happened last night between them.

She would have to send a letter to her aunt informing her of her marriage and request the rest of her belongings sent to the Duke's estate, Warrick Abbey. He had at least informed her of that much.

When they stop at an inn for a bite of food and change of horses for the coaches he informed her they would reach the abbey just before dark. Since they'd climbed back into the coach he'd not said another word to her.

Yes, she thought, as she sat looking out the window of the coach, her marriage would be exactly as her parent's had been. No love. No talking with one another. She was not one prone to tears but she had fought back tears most of the day, for some reason she never wanted him to see her cry.

She never ever wanted to seem weak in front of him.

She wondered if he would stay long enough to see her with child before they lived their separate lives.

At least that was something she had to look forward to, she'd wanted children, lots of children. She'd hated being any only child, wishing for brothers and sisters. He, the duke, would only want his heir and spare. Maybe they would have several girls before they produced the boys he need, well one could only hope.

Amanda thought back once again to early this morning in the earl's study. In the lights of the room, she saw her future husband clearly for the first time and would never forget how handsome a man she thought he was.

He was tall, around three or four inches over six feet with long blonde hair to his shoulders and the palest green eyes she'd ever seen. His face was somewhat square to match his square jaw, high cheek bones, patrician nose and masculine mouth. With large shoulders, a broad chest that tapered into a narrow waist and thin hips along with strong muscular thighs and long legs. He was a man with a firm set to chin with an inherited arrogance to his station in life.

He made her feel as if she were inferior and beneath him. It was as if she did not measure up to the women he knew and was attracted to. Maybe red hair was not to his liking, she mulled. She was still trying her best to understand how he came to her room by mistake and which woman among the many female guests he expected to meet there.