“Strawberry.”
“Ah, mine is blackberry. You knew that, of course.”
“Yes, and your sister explained that you do not like too much of it. A thin layer, so that the bread has a flavor but nothing more.”
“Precisely! If there is too much then it is too sweet. I cannot stand it.”
“Then I swear never to forget that,” he promised. “What else might you enjoy, picnic food aside?”
“Well, music, as you know, though I do also truly enjoy literature. I did not think to bring the book I am reading right now, but thus far I have been far too busy to read it. I can look forward to seeing it again upon my return, though!”
“Which book is it?”
“It isWaverlyby Sir Walter Scott. I am thoroughly enjoying it, though I am barely even a quarter of the way through it.”
“I have read that before! It was the first thing that I read after the accident. It is truly an incredible story, you will love it.”
“Do you like to read?”
“I am a reclusive man that scarcely ever leaves his household. Other than playing the pianoforte and handling my county, what else is there for me to do?”
She laughed, and then sipped her lemonade.
“If I ask you something,” she said carefully. “Do you promise not to mock me?”
“I shall do my utmost not to, but it is entirely dependent on your question.”
“As a duke, are you taught different languages?”
“I certainly was, yes.”
“But is that because you are a duke, or because your parents ensured that you had many tutors?”
“It is vital that dukes speak many languages. We never know who we might have to meet, as the King and Queen know people in various countries, and so we must be able to communicate with them.”
“I never truly had a need to learn them, but I adore French and Latin.”
“I am fluent in both. I also enjoy Spanish, though I cannot claim to be perfect at it.”
“What are your favorite words?”
“I wish you would stop making me wonder about these things.”
“You need not answer,” she smirked.
“Oh, no, I certainly will,” he replied, thinking for a moment. “For French, I would say it isescorce. It means the bark of a tree. As for Latin, I would sayprodigiosus, meaning something unnatural and wonderful. And for Spanish, it isazacán.”
“What does that mean?”
“It is a word for someone who is particularly anxious about their responsibilities or business.”
She seemed to like that one the most.
“I may never meet the King and Queen’s prestigious guests from foreign lands,” she said with a gentle laugh. “But I do think it would be helpful to speak a second language with someone, so that we could use it around others, so that they would not know what we were discussing.”
“Then we can make your French even better and do that,” he suggested, to which she nodded.
“These are truly delicious,” she sighed, biting into a cream cake. “If you ever decide that a dukedom is not for you, you would make an excellent baker.”
