“I did not have work to do today,” he explained before plopping down on one of the sofas beside her. “Do you mind me asking you what you are reading?”
Sophia replied, “Oh, um, I’m reading…”
“Is that a romance novel?” Duncan asked, his curiosity piqued immensely.
Sophia tried to hide the title with her hands, but it was clear that the Duke had already read it. She nodded in an embarrassed manner.
“Indeed, it is.”
“Can I see?” the Duke asked, holding out his hand so that she could put the novel there. “Funny, I did not have you pinneddown as the type that was interested in reading romance novels. In fact, you did not mention it to me either when I asked you earlier about what sort of novels you preferred to read.”
“I did not mention it to you because I did not want you to think less of me,” she admitted. “I do enjoy romance novels. In fact, they are some of my most read books.”
Duncan was stunned by her confession.
“So, you are indeed interested in romance?” he asked, blinking once.
“Yes,” she admitted in an embarrassed tone. “Who does not like a good romance?”
You. You are not supposed to like a good romance.
Duncan’s mind was racing now. All this time, Duncan had rationalized to himself that one of the reasons why his relationship with Sophia had not progressed was because she was just shy. Perhaps she did not like romance. It was not something that she felt comfortable with.
But now that he knew that she liked to spend her spare time reading about fictional romances, it stung him a little that she did not want something similar in her real life.
“Are you disappointed that I read novels like these, Your Grace?” Sophia asked.
Duncan shook his head.
“I would not use the word disappointed,” he admitted. “More like, I am confused.”
“Confused?” Sophia’s scrunched up her nose at him. “Why on earth would that confuse you? After all, it is not rare for a young woman to want to read romances.”
“Is your penchant for romance only limited to reading?” he questioned, a sense of urgency laced in his tone. “Or do you wish to experience it as well?”
Sophia was silent.
“Tell me, Madam.” Duncan leaned forward and captured her hand in his. He had reached his limit now and could not help himself any longer.
“I…” She diverted her gaze away from him, too shy to look him in the eyes. “I am not sure if I have an answer to that question.”
“I am sure that you do,” Duncan insisted. “When you read these books that you are so fond of, do you not wish that your life would be like that too? It is a different matter entirely when you are single, but now that you are married, you have the option of experiencing this.”
“Your Grace…” Sophia’s breath seemed hitched in her throat.
“It would be insincere of me if I were to keep you in the dark any longer. The truth of the matter is that I seem to have developed a fondness for you,” Duncan continued, feeling emboldened by the heat of the moment, “A fondness that I cannot get myself to shake off so easily. I find that I actually look forward to seeing you, and then I grow disappointed when I cannot.”
Sophia was listening to everything that he was saying intently. Was he finally getting through to her?
“It is not something that I have ever experienced before in my life. In my youth, I experienced infatuations, but they do not hold a candle to what I feel for you,” he explained. “Against all my rationales, I have come to surrender. This must be love that I feel; it cannot be anything else.”
Sophia was sure that she was dreaming. She had only imagined this in her sweetest dreams, but the Duke was sitting in front of her, confessing his feelings to her.
“I have fallen in love with you, Madam,” he continued, looking deep into her eyes now.
Sophia could not believe her ears. Since when did things like this happen to women like her? She was cursed, and declarations of love were not suited to someone who carried the weight of a curse.
“You are mistaken,” she replied, standing up now and slipping her hand out of her his reach. “I do not blame you for being mistaken of course. It can happen to the best of us.”
