Chapter 14

AFTER Niklaus left Becca to her devices, she went through the adjacent door that was inside his room. If she knew that the chamber was the master chamber, no doubt that she slept in Niklaus' bed last night.
Becca shivered when she was thinking about this morning as she was dipping inside the bathtub as the maid was helping to scrub her clean. The maid was working diligently as she scrubbed every inch of her skin before she was rinsed with a pail of lukewarm water and dried with a towel.
"Thank you. I will be attending to my duchess now," Niklaus' velvety voice was coming inside her eardrum before Becca closed her eyes.
Why does my husband have to be a duke? Becca mused before she turned to glare at her husband. The duke merely smiled at her as his blue orbs were gazing at her body up and down.
"Shouldn't you be doing your tenants' payment right now or something?" Becca asked him as she was moving to the dresser to get ready. But of course, Niklaus was beside her in seconds.
"That can wait. I merely want to help my duchess get ready for her day," Niklaus stated before he picked up the chemise that Becca had to wear on her naked skin. She glared at her husband but the duke did not notice as she was turned and Niklaus was putting the chemise on top of her head.
"I can do this by myself," she mumbled before Niklaus' hands were grazing her nipples. They hardened instantly as Becca was breathing heavily. The towel was being removed before Niklaus took the stockings and pushed Becca to sit on the chair.
Niklaus kneeled in front of her before he slipped the stockings up her legs as his roughened hands grazed her silky smooth calves. Becca was looking at his blue orbs before Niklaus was smiling at her.
He was not as affected as she was!
The stockings came close to her knees before the duke secured the stockings with the garters. He wrapped it around Becca's thighs and tied them up. Becca was looking at his delicate, long fingers as he was securing the stockings.
"Now, for the shoes," he whispered before he slipped the shoes on and Becca had to steady herself by putting her hands on his shoulders. It was broad and strong, something that Becca was not before Niklaus pulled her up and turned her around.
"Onto the corset," he said before Becca was glancing over her shoulder.
"Do you know how to put one on, my lord?" She asked her husband as Niklaus chuckled.
"Of course, who do you take me for?'' He said before Becca was thinking about how would he know to put it on unless—
Becca shook her head, thinking about his mistresses in the past where Becca did not exist in his life yet.
Do not get jealous, Becca. You hate the guy.
"This might be a little tight. Tell me when you stop," Niklaus whispered to her ear as she nodded. Then, the lacing began as Niklaus was pulling the lace of the corset before Becca told him to stop and that was the right length for her body to accept the corset. She just hoped that it was not too tight.
After the corset, Niklaus was helped to get the 5 petticoats onto her body as Becca was breathing hard. One layer after another and she was exhausted.
How come her mother does this every day, she has no idea. The petticoats were on as well as the bodice and the pockets. Then, it was time for the gown.
"I think this piece will be done by your ladies' maid, my dear," Niklaus said as her ladies' maid who was helping her to bathe earlier curtsied to Becca and Niklaus.
"Milady,'' she said as Niklaus was kissing Becca's left cheek. She was stunned before Niklaus winked at her.
"I will be waiting downstairs then," Niklaus stated before he was out of the room. Becca was touching at the place that he kissed earlier. It was tingling and Becca felt like her heart was beating right now.
Oh Lord, I think I am falling under his charms, after all, Becca mused before she was getting ready for their outing.

BECCA was looking at the carriage that stopped in front of the Belikov estate before the footman opened the door. Niklaus was offering his hand to help Becca into the carriage as she was gathering her skirts and went inside the carriage. Niklaus followed after her.
"To the theatre," Niklaus tapped his cane to the rooftop before the driver was whipping the horse and the carriage was moving. Becca was smoothing her gown before she looked outside the carriage. It was glistening with gaslights right now.
"We will be making our first appearance in public, my dear. Try to smile a bit," Niklaus told her before Becca was scowling.
"I am smiling," she replied before Niklaus chuckled.
"Are you sure? Because I have seen better smiles than those," Niklaus said as he was caressing the head of his cane with his thumb. Becca was rolling her eyes before she was looking at the cane. It was silver at the top before the decoration was in focus.
It was a dragon's head.
"Why does your cane have the dragon's head? I thought you were a Belikov. Isn't Belikov's symbol—"
"The Dragon is Belikov, my dear. I think you have mistaken in your studies then if you're saying that Belikov is a Phoenix," Niklaus was looking at her. Becca gulped when his blue orbs were sharpened in the dark. Then, Becca sighed.
"Pardon me then, my lord. I think I am mistaken then," Becca said as she looked outside the window. They had come to the theatre before the carriage stopped. The footman opened the door as Niklaus was getting off before her.
Her husband was straightening his black coat that was accentuating his pale porcelain complexion before he was offering his gloves hand to Becca. She took it as she was getting out of the carriage. She was looking around the theatre as she did not know a single soul in this town.
Except for Lady Emily Moore, of course.
"Come, we have our private seating," Niklaus told her before Becca rolled her eyes. Of course, the Duke of Belikov would have his seating, she mused before she looked at the building as they were ascending toward the entrance.

BECCA was squirming in her seat as her skirts were rustled against the floor as she was trying to focus on the opera that she was listening to right now. Niklaus was no help either. He was too absorbed in the opera as Becca was trying to get his attention.
"Niklaus, Niklaus," she called after her husband but failed. She was looking around before she cleared her throat and called her husband again.
This time, it was with an endearment.
"Dearest, can you help me for a second?" Becca forced her sweet voice before Niklaus turned to look at her. She was shocked to see that Niklaus was smirking at her.
"Yes, my dear. What would that be?" He asked her as Becca was cursing her husband in different languages that she knew in her head right now. But she was in public and so she had to behave like the duchess she was.
If only she was trained to be one.
"Can you scratch my back here? It seems that I am itchy there," Becca said as she was pointing at her backside when Niklaus' hot hand was on her corset. She shivered before Niklaus was scratching her back as she moaned.
"Yes, yes, that's it," she moaned before Niklaus chuckled behind her ear.
"Be careful, my dear. We're in public. We don't want people to think otherwise, won't we?" He stated as Becca was turning to look at him. Niklaus was smiling before she was sitting up straight and watching the show.

AFTER the show, Niklaus ushered Becca to meet with the opera singer who was exclusive enough to meet anyone. But Niklaus was invited to meet her. Becca wondered the real influence of the Duke of Belikov that the opera singer was asking for her husband.
"Ah, Nick dearest, you've come!" the opera singer was coming to greet her husband and before anything happened, the opera singer was kissing Niklaus.
In front of Becca!
Niklaus was stunned to see that the opera singer had the nerve to kiss him when he was clearly with his wife. Becca felt something inside her as she was trying to control the anger that was burning inside her.
I don't love him. I barely know him, she mused to ease the pain that was beating inside her chest. Only it did not go away.
"Skylar. Please, I would like you to meet my wife, Lady Rebecca Davis, the 8th Duchess of Belikov," Niklaus introduced them before the opera singer, Skylar was looking at Becca. She blinked before she was regarding Becca up and down. Now, Becca felt conscious of her gown.
She was adorning the conservative deep purple gown with a high neckline and flare-out skirts. It was Niklaus' choice so she had no say in this gown. Becca must admit, it did make her feel safe in it unless it was in front of this opera singer.
Skylar was adorning the low-neckline orange gown that matched her figure with golden locks and grey eyes. Suddenly, Becca was no match for her.
"Of course, it's nice to finally meet you, Duchess. My name is Skylar Kramton, Niklaus' last mistress," she stated as Becca was blinking her eyes at the woman.
Mis...tress?
"Skylar, you know that was the old news. I am married now. We can forget that we had a past," Niklaus stated as Becca was still looking at the woman.
Niklaus had slept with this woman? How many other mistresses did Niklaus have before he was married to her? Something ached in Becca before she was smiling at the woman.
"Ah, it's nice to meet you as well. I never heard that Niklaus had a mistress before but of course, it was none of my business anyway. I am merely his wife after all," Becca stated with emphasis on mistress and wife as the opera singer was looking blankly at her.
Take that, wench, Becca mused before she was smiling at the opera singer, knowing that she had won the battle.