Morning came faster than I expected.
When I opened my eyes, Lucien was no longer in bed.
Wow, he's an early bird, I thought.
I closed my eyes again, stretching lazily, determined to enjoy a few extra minutes on the softest mattress I had ever slept on.
"I can see you're awake."
His voice came from the doorway.
I froze.
I didn't respond. Instead, I pretended to be asleep, breathing slowly, hoping he would leave.
"A wife is supposed to be awake by six a.m.," he continued calmly, "before her husband. She prepares breakfast for him."
His footsteps moved closer to the bed.
In my head, I laughed.
A servant, I corrected silently. That's what servants are for.
I smiled to myself before opening my eyes. "I thought that rule applied to maids," I said lightly. "I'm not just any wife. I'm Lucien Blackwood's woman, your only legal wife."
I waited for a reaction.
A smile.
A scoff.
Anything.
Nothing.
