All The Little Things

Chapter 1

"I look forward to a future for our families."
The Baron had said.

Her ladyship Maybelle Fallon Hamilton, the Duchess of Sussex, frowned in thought as the words rang in her memory, consciously maintaining a polite smile on her face while the Baron exited the dining hall with her husband beside him.

Then it occurred to her!

This was supposed to be the fifth time the Baron was dining with them since she hadn't been around for two months on account of her being with her younger sister who had just been delivered of a boy in their country estate, that much had been said at the table.

Her eyes followed her husband as he led the Baron to the entrance, trailing slowly behind them.

The Baron has been his childhood friend, she was aware, though separated for a while on account of the Baron's French heritage and the Duke's political pursuits, there must have been a lot to discuss about within this period of the Baron's presence on English soil, she shouldn't let her thoughts stray so far she chided herself, but there was something more, a kind of understanding privy to them that had only succeeded in making the dinner a more private matter, and despite the fact that she was still ridden with the tiredness of the journey, she was grateful to have stayed till the end of the meal.

They two men shared another laughter, before the Baron walked up to her, his weight on his fashionable walking stick as he approached and bade her farewell with a kiss to her cheeks, minutes later, the footman shut the door.

Her husband turned to look at her for a minute, and drawing her into a hug, placed a kiss atop her head.  "May, welcome home my love. You are exhausted. How was your journey?"

She permitted a little smile, "London is dreary at this time of the year and the roads were a little short of an eyesore."

"I can imagine, and how does Kent fare?"

"The Earl is besides himself in ecstasy at the birth of his heir. Hermione and her son is very strong."

He chuckled at that, leaning in to drop another kiss on her head. "You had quite a journey. You should get some rest."

"And you have been doing quite well?" She asked the moment he began walking past her.

His shoulders stilled for a moment, but he continued walking in the direction of his study. "Well enough. We will talk in the morning, goodnight My Lady."

It took her less than a minute to shake herself out of the stupor he'd placed upon her. Gathering her skirts she walked into the study after him. His back was turned to her, but she knew he was aware the second she stepped in.

"Malcolm."

The Duke paused to throw back the contents of his glass and  rounded the desk to seat, looking to begin going through the pile of papers that awaited him. "I think dinner went well."

She permitted him something to seat then she spoke up. "Don't ignore me Malcolm."

"What are you talking about?" Malcolm, the fourteenth Duke of Sussex sat into his table in an attempt to fix his attention on the work ahead of him. He hated to sound unreasonable, truly he did, but there were times his brains could only resort to that effect as it's foremost response, and in his experience, it had thrown enough persons off guard and more often than not, he would have his way, but as he saw the hurtful look on his wife's face slowly mirroring into an obstinate one to match his tone, something he was aware aroused his own wilful spirit, he knew he couldn't avoid the conversation ahead.

"The Baron seems to have been spending an awful amount of time with here..."

"What does this have to do with anything, he's my childhood friend. A fact you are well aware of." This time around, he was pulling at some strings he knew she sort to have some control over when she looked away to exhaled heavily and turned to him.