As the Duchess entered the grand foyer, she saw her husband, Duke Orson, standing there with a stern expression on his face.
Her son - Richard - was behind him, his face bruised because of the Duke. She felt a knot form in her stomach as she realized that something was wrong.
Duke Orson must have known that she was cheating with Edward. Her hands trembling as her face paled.
She didn't know what kind of reaction he would make, but it wouldn't be good. She was ready with two or three brushes as usual, but still she couldn't come close to the Duke and stood far away from him.
"Welcome home, husband," she stammered, curtsying before him. The storm outside intensified, its loud rumble shaking the grand foyer.
The Duke said nothing, his gaze fixed on her. The tension in the room was thick, suffocating. The Duchess could feel his eyes piercing through her, and her nerves only grew worse with each passing second.
