The Duke's Obsession With His Wife — Chapter 24

FIRST NIGHT JITTERS (2)

HE'S WAY TOO CLOSE...

NOT ONLY CAN HE HEAR ME BREATHING...

...I'M SURE HE CAN EVEN HEAR HOW HARD MY HEART IS POUNDING.

I-IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU, MY LORD.

"GOOD" TO SEE ME?

AHAHA...

HOW COULD YOU BARGE INTO MY BATHROOM LIKE THAT?

YOU MAY BE MY WIFE, BUT THAT WAS AN UNACCEPTABLE VIOLATION OF MY BOUNDARIES.

I WASN'T PLANNING ON DOING ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE, I SWEAR!

IT'S JUST... YOU WERE TAKING SO LONG...

AND I HAD SOMETHING I REALLY WANTED TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.

COULDN'T YOU HAVE JUST WAITED TILL I WAS DONE?

WELL? WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DISCUSS?

WELL...

THIS WHOLE NEWLYWED THING IS MAKING ME FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, TO BE HONEST.

SO, SINCE YOUR ROOM IS JUST NEXT DOOR...

...I THOUGHT WE COULD SLEEP SEPARATELY.

I MEAN, WE'RE BOTH EXHAUSTED, RIGHT? LET'S JUST FOCUS ON GETTING A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP.

I'M SUPER SORRY ABOUT THIS...

DID YOU HONESTLY THINK GIVING ME THOSE PUPPY EYES...

WOULD CONVINCE ME TO LET THIS SLIDE?

CLEARLY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE WAITED TILL I WAS DONE WASHING UP.

I KNOW, BUT...

DON'T WORRY, I ONLY SAW YOU FROM THE BACK.

AND BESIDES, I WAS TOO SHOCKED TO EVEN KNOW WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT.

WAS THAT SUPPOSED TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER?

HEY, COME ON. LET'S JUST ENJOY SOME OF THESE NICE SNACKS...

...BEFORE WE GO OFF TO SLEEP IN OUR SEPARATE BEDS. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

SORRY, BUT...

...I DON'T FEEL LIKE LETTING YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO, LADY ANRI.

D-DON'T COME ANY CLOSER—

W-WAIT, I'M NOT READY FOR THIS!!!

?

D-DUKE BRISTON...?

STAY STILL.

YOU CALLED FOR ME, MY...

LORD...?

TAKE AWAY THIS FOOD AND TELL THE STAFF TO CLEAR OUT FROM THIS FLOOR.

I'M IN A BIT OF A RUSH, AS YOU CAN SEE.

Y-YES, MY LORD!

NOOO! MY PRECIOUS PASTRIES!!

M-MAYBE YOU COULD LEAVE THE PUDDINGS, OR PERHAPS THE WINE?!

WHY WOULD WE NEED ANY WINE, MY LADY?

I'M ALREADY PLENTY DRUNK...

ON YOU.

WHAT THE HELL IS HE SAYING? HAS HE GONE INSANE?!

WELL, I'VE GOT NO OTHER CHOICE...!

GOTTA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EDWIN'S ONE WEAKNESS!!!

HUH?!

WHAT ARE YOU? SOME KIND OF PERVERT?

WHO, ME?! WHAT ABOUT YOU?!

SPRINGING ON TOP OF ME LIKE THAT...!

I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAD THEM TAKE AWAY ALL MY SNACKS!

I WAS REALLY HUNGRY, YOU KNOW.

I WAS JUST TRYING TO PUT ON A LITTLE ACT FOR "MY WIFE"...

SO THAT WE COULD SLEEP SEPARATELY AFTERWARDS,

WE CAN'T HAVE ANYONE KNOWING THAT WE DIDN'T SPEND OUR FIRST NIGHT TOGETHER.

"MY WIFE"...

WELL, YOU ALMOST GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK.

YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO MESS WITH A GIRL'S HEART, DON'T YOU?

NO WONDER YOU'VE GOT THAT REPUTATION.

I COULD SAY THE SAME ABOUT YOU.

YOU WERE DRIVING ME CRAZY ALL DAY, AND EVEN NOW, YOU'RE...

WELL, LET'S NOT SPEND OUR FIRST NIGHT FIGHTING.

LET'S JUST ACKNOWLEDGE WE BOTH MADE MISTAKES.

FINE...

I'M HUNGRY AND TIRED, SO I'M JUST GONNA GET SOME SLEEP.

GOOD NIGHT, MY LORD.

SWEET DREAMS, MY LADY.

MISS CHESTER?

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU'VE SEEN A GHOST.

DON'T GET ME STARTED.

I WONDER IF WHAT I JUST SAW WAS THE "TRUE" LORD EDWIN... ...

WHAT'S WRONG?

NOTHING...

MAYBE THIS IS FOR THE BEST.

WAS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE?

WOULDN'T YOU NORMALLY GO FOR...

THE ARMPITS OR THE SIDES, WHEN TRYING TO TICKLE SOMEONE?

IT'S ALMOST LIKE SHE ALREADY KNEW EXACTLY WHERE I WAS MOST TICKLISH...

I'M JUST BEING SILLY.

NOT EVEN MY OWN MOTHER KNOWS THIS ABOUT ME, SO HOW COULD SHE?

I'M SURE SHE HAS NO IDEA...

...JUST WHAT THIS MARRIAGE MEANS TO ME...

...AND HOW I'M AFRAID TO FALL ASLEEP...

...JUST IN CASE ALL THIS ENDS UP BEING NOTHING BUT A DREAM.