The Duke’s voice snapped her back to the present, the disbelief clear in his tone. And there was something else that Emily could not quite place.Hurt? But that makes no sense.
“You truly think I would judge you for that? That I would think you pathetic and weak because you felt some trepidation at mounting a horse after you almost died?” The Duke shook his head in frustration.
Emily turned to him as he continued, his eyes hard even as his voice was gentle. “Of course I would not think that. I have known men have a much less harrowing fall and never get back on a horse again. The fact that you would even try shows me that you are far from weak.”
“It shows me that you are stubborn, and perhaps a little foolish. But not weak.” The Duke’s words floated between them, and Emily saw his lips quirk upwards in a teasing smile.
“You really are incapable of just giving me a compliment are you not?” Emily rolled her eyes, but her own lips curved into a smile.
“I have no doubt that you can do anything you set your mind to. If you wish to ride again, then nothing, not even the devil himself, could stop you.” Luke clenched his fist. “Few people would dare to try to overcome their fears, and yet you are here. You have been doing so for days.”
He is talking about our lessons.“I do not think I can ride, not today.” Emily swallowed. “But I might try again tomorrow.”
“I shall let the stablemaster know.” Luke opened his mouth and for a moment, Emily thought he would offer to accompany her. A wild feeling soared through her.
But instead he said, “you need not wait for me. I will see you tonight for our next lesson.”
“Thank you.” She said, unsure if he had even heard her as she watched his retreating back.
Trying to get a handle on her emotions, Emily shook her head.What on Earth is wrong with me?Why would she think that Luke would offer to accompany her? He had no reason to do so. There was no honour to be gained in it.
There is no honour in him teaching you how to read either.That did not mean he wanted to spend time with her. Besides, he had said himself that it was about fairness. She was letting her mind run away with her. They were becoming friends, and surely that was a good thing?
It is better than being constantly at one another’s throats. Isn’t it?
***A few hours later, Emily was in the music room with Luke. Lucy, ever the dutiful chaperone, was sitting in a corner, but Emily knew her maid was sleeping.
“Try again.” Luke pointed towards the page.
He was sitting at the pianoforte, and Emily was sitting on a chair close beside him. She had tried to convince him that she could simply sit on the floor, but he would have none of it, insisting that she needed to be of a height where he could easily see what she was reading.
“I am trying!” Emily grumbled.So much for not being at one another’s throats.
“No, you are arguing.” Luke jabbed his finger at the page, then played a few notes on the piano. “You can do this.”
Emily squinted back down at the novel. “on the approach of the carryage –”
“It is carriage.” Luke interrupted.
“Oh.” Emily looked back at the word, listening as Luke played a few notes and she mapped them to the sounds of the word.
“Try again.” Luke began to play softly once more.
“the carriage, which was a pen, a pe-hen-om.” Emily frowned at the sentence before her. “A penomenon?”
“A phenomenon. The ‘ph’ makes a ‘ff’ sound.” Luke glanced at the word on the page.
“That seems ridiculous. Why not just spell it with an ‘f’?” Emily frowned back at the word.
The corner’s of Luke’s mouth quirked into a smile. “You shall have to take it up with the Greeks.”
“I will. If I ever go there that is.” Emily said.
Luke looked at her curiously. “Is it something you would like to do? Travelling I mean. I have no doubt you would enjoy telling an entire country just what you thought of their linguistic practices.”
Emily laughed. “You do seem to think of me as rather opinionated.”
“That is because you are opinionated. And not scared of letting people know it either.” Luke gave her a frank look.
