Chapter 06…
Kevinâs father had told him that he would be âskipped over,â but Kevin believed it would be difficult for his older brotherâs daughter to inherit the earldom without him acting as an intermediary.
It was true that one could inherit a title from the age of eighteen, but it would be hard for a young lady fresh out of the academy to face society on her own.
First, she would have to go around introducing herself as the next Countess, getting people to remember her face. Then she would need to marry.
Once she had children, she wouldnât be able to appear in society for some time.
If she were merely the next in line, that would be fineâbut if the Countess herself were absent, someone would have to represent her.
Moreover, with time, their parents would become too old to actively participate in social life.
It would leave a bad impression if, after having Kevin stand in as a representative for years, they still chose to âskipâ him.
People would inevitably begin to ask why Kevin himself was not becoming the earl.
His brotherâs daughterânamed Mariannaâmight find it easier to assume the title only after she had borne two children of her own.
By then, their mother would be in her late sixtiesâperhaps already gone.
Thinking about all this, Kevin concluded that his fatherâs plan to âskipâ him was unrealistic.
The person he needed to persuade was his mother, for she was the Countess.
Well, there was no need to rush that conversation.
Thatâs what he thought at the time.
Four months had passed since Mariannaâs birth.
Kevin had hardly spoken with his wife, Catherine, and the distance between them had not narrowed at all.
Almost a year had gone by since his brotherâs death.
Since they were now husband and wife, bound to spend the rest of their long lives together, Kevin decided to speak to her.
âCatherine, donât you think itâs about time you moved into my room?â
She was still using the same room she had shared with his late brother.
Kevin, choosing not to occupy his brotherâs old room next door, had taken another one for himself.
The house was designed so that each of them had a private room connected by a shared marital bedroom, so he thought it natural that Catherine should now move into his adjoining room.
âDonât be ridiculous. What a disgusting thing to say.â
Kevin thought he must have misheard her, but her expression left no doubtâit was one of disgust.
âSurely you didnât think that just because Iâm your wife, you have the right to touch me?â
âWeâre married now, arenât we? Isnât that natural? Not right away, but Iâd like us to have another child eventually.â
What was so strange about wanting to share a bed with oneâs wife?
They were newlyweds, after all.
He had refrained from taking any mistress and had waited patiently until her body had recovered from childbirthâ
and yet, this was the reaction he received.
