The Duke's Reluctant Bride

Chapter 51: Between Warmth and Shadows

In the quiet of the night, Clara's chamber was lit by the soft yellow glow of a lone wall lamp. Moonlight slipped through the window and painted the room in pale silver, blending with the warm light.

The three of them finally lay on her spacious bed, its sheets a brownish white. Lucien kept his shirt neatly buttoned and his black trousers still on. Adeline wore a simple nightgown in white and blue that fit her frame with quiet elegance. Clara, curled up in her green pajamas, hugged Ivy to her chest like a stuffed toy.

Lucien lay on the left side, Clara on the right, and Adeline in the middle as Clara had insisted. The arrangement felt more awkward than any of them wanted to admit. Lucien held himself rigid, keeping a careful space between his arm and Adeline's. Adeline rested on her back at first, hands folded over her stomach, unsure where to place them. Clara had already burrowed close to Adeline's right side, content and comfortable, as if this strange setup made perfect sense only to her.

Back when they were in the living room, Clara's request had left them both frozen, as if she had dropped something completely unexpected. They had slept side by side before during the early days of their marriage, more like polite companions than newlyweds. This wasn't their first time sharing a bed.

It didn't take long for Lucien to piece it together. That suspicious little wink Quentin had given Clara in the hallway suddenly made perfect sense. Of course he had been part of this plan from the start. He muttered Quentin's name under his breath, a rare flicker of irritation slipping through his calm exterior: enough to make Quentin sneeze mid-conversation with the butler somewhere across the manor.

Now, lying in bed with Adeline between them, silence filled the space with a quiet, awkward tension neither of them knew how to ease. Clara turned her head toward Adeline, still clutching Ivy against her chest. Her breathing stayed calm and unbothered.

"Aunt Adeline, do you and Uncle feel uncomfortable here?" she asked, regret creeping softly into her voice.

Hearing her question, both of them turned their heads at once. Lucien shifted, propping himself up on his left elbow so he could lean over Adeline and see Clara on her other side.

"No, we are not, Clara," they answered at the same time.

They blinked at each other, startled by the perfect sync.

"I see. I'm glad to hear that..." Clara murmured, her golden eyes drifting between them. "But you two don't seem comfortable with each other."

Lucien and Adeline jolted at her blunt honesty, eyes wide. Clara had no idea about the quiet truth between them, that their marriage still felt new and guarded. They cared, but neither of them wanted Clara to worry, so they kept that part hidden from her.

The two adults shared a small breath before turning on their sides to face her. Adeline reached out first and took Clara's hand with a soft squeeze. Lucien followed a moment later, his touch steady.

"No, Clara," Adeline said, her voice warm. "We were just a little flustered. That's all. You don't need to worry."

Lucien nodded. "Your aunt and I may seem distant at times, but we are fine. Truly. It doesn't mean there is no care between us."

Clara studied them for a moment longer, her eyes slowly softening. She opened her mouth to speak, her voice wavering, barely above a breath. "I... I see. I'm... I'm going to miss you two."

Both of them let out a quiet sigh. Adeline's hand rose to smooth Clara's soft black hair, then rested gently against her cheek.

"We are going to miss you too," she whispered.