The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

”Woh! Woh!” Charles stepped back, still laughing. The other friends of his apologized realizing Louis didn’t like the way they approached him.

Within a minute, they had disappeared, and Louis turned to look at Elodie.

”Forgive me. I didn’t expect them to say things like that,” Louis apologized, keeping his tone humble.

”May I offer to escort you back to your residence, Miss?” he asked, his voice softening.

”No. I shall return by myself,” Elodie answered. She offered a swift, polite nod before turning on her heel, walking away into the crowd with hurried steps until she was completely out of his sight.

She felt deeply unsettled by the way those officials had so easily sought to associate her with Louis. She utterly despised involving herself with the nobility; they were the very reason people of her standing were made to suffer.

Reaching the edge of the market square, she secured a seat inside a public stagecoach, sharing the cramped carriage with several other commoners while still clutching the sour candy stick in her hand. Before the driver could whip the horses forward, the carriage door swung open once more and another figure climbed inside.

It was none other than Louis. He kept his hat pulled low over his brow, but the distinct refinement of his clothes caused the other passengers to look at him in shock.

Nevertheless, no one dared to question a nobleman’s sudden presence in a public coach. With the carriage now filled to capacity, the driver called out to the horses, and the heavy wheels began to roll forward.

The journey proceeded in an uncomfortable silence, and one by one, the other passengers began stepping down at their respective destinations.

”Now, we are the only ones left in the carriage,” Louis stated softly, breaking the rumble of the wheels against the road.

”Yes. Might I ask why Lord Wellington has followed me?” Elodie asked, her tone guarded.

”Because I felt a profound sense of guilt. I feared you were deeply distressed by their thoughtless remarks,” Louis replied, his eyes sincere beneath the brim of his hat. ”I am truly sorry that you were subjected to their careless words because of me.”

Hearing the genuine remorse in his voice, Elodie’s anger began to dissipate. She brought the candy stick back to her lips and took a small bite, chewing slowly.

The sour taste bursting on her tongue offered a comfort, grounding her racing thoughts.

”It is fine,” Elodie said, finally lifting her eyes to meet his gaze directly. ”I suppose any woman spotted in your company would lead your companions to assume she is your lady.”

”They were not my companions,” Louis answered firmly. ”I possess only a select few friends. Those men are merely officials who work within the palace administration center.”

”I see.” Elodie nodded slowly, turning her attention back to the sour confection until it was entirely finished, leaving only the thin bamboo stick in her hand.

A silence settled between them once more, but as the carriage rolled along, Elodie found herself unable to contain her curiosity any longer.

”Lord Wellington, how is it that you frequently visit such places? These markets belong entirely to the working class.”

”I believe I answered that for you, Lady Elodie, the very first time you asked me,” he stated, an amused smile touching his lips.

”Yes, but I am not entirely satisfied with that response. Nobles are not bred to frequent such common places. It is simply not in their blood, unless, of course, they rose from such circumstances themselves. But I believe you share no such history,” Elodie countered, keeping her gaze fixed firmly upon him.

”You are mistaken then. I do share such a history,” Louis replied. ”My mother belonged to a family of very modest means before she married into the nobility. Therefore, I possess a genuine connection to places such as these. Through my work beside the Duke, I strive to assist the common people, yet the reach cannot always touch everyone. I did not approach you with any ill intentions, Miss Elodie. All of this merely reminds me of my maternal family.”

Elodie froze, her gaze fixed on him as the weight of his confession settled.

”I must ask that you keep this to yourself, Miss Elodie,” he remarked, a small smile gracing his features. ”Let it remain our secret. The people prefers to view Louis as a man without a single blemish upon his lineage.”

Elodie nodded silently. A sudden realization hit her; she had spent so long harboring bitterness toward the aristocracy that she had convinced herself they were entirely corrupt. Yet Louis had just proven that decency could exist even among the highborn.

The coach finally groaned to a halt. Lifting the small window curtain slightly, Elodie peered out at the quiet street near her destination.

”I shall take my leave now,” she said. She offered him a low, respectful bow before stepping down from the carriage.

When she reached into her reticule to settle the fare, the driver informed her that the gentleman had already paid for the entire journey. Elodie paused, then turned back to peek through the open carriage door.

”Thank you for tonight, my lord,” she said softly.

With that, she turned and walked away into the shadows of the street.

Louis watched her departure with a faint smile before the coachman signaled the horses, turning the carriage around to head straight toward his own residence.

Half an hour later, the carriage ground to a halt before the gates of his residence. Stepping down onto the gravel path, Louis walked into his house, greeted only by an oppressive silence that echoed through the dark corridors. In the stillness of the grand foyer, a loneliness settled over him.

”My Lord, the renovation work still remains incomplete. By tomorrow evening, the craftsmen shall finish their duties,” the house butler informed him, appearing quietly from the shadows with a respectful bow. ”Shall I have dinner brought up to your room?”

”No need, I dined while I was out,” Louis replied unbuttoning his coat and walking upstairs. ”Good night.”