After searching for a moment, she settled on a book that she had never heard of before and began to read it. It was written well, but it took her a while to understand what was happening, and just as she began to lose herself in the story, she heard footsteps approaching. She had nestled in a corner and kept to herself, and that was a luxury when she saw who had arrived.
It was the duke, and he was looking around as if searching for something or someone, and she wondered if he had come looking for her. She could have called out to him, and she thought that perhaps she should have, but she was far too busy watching him.
He was a powerful man, tall and broad, but he moved with an uncommon grace in comparison with other men. Not only that, but he was incredibly handsome. He had his scars, but she no longer even noticed them when she looked at him. She was far too busy looking at the rest of him to see them. He also had beautiful eyes, and she was hoping that he would turn to look at her so that she could see them, but he did not.
It was only when she saw him about to leave the room that she realized she had missed his presence, and wanted to speak to him whether she had been what he was looking for or not.
“Your Grace?” She called out, and he snapped to attention in an instant, his face lighting up.
She felt quite strange inside when he did that, and she knew that she was flustered by his presence.
“There you are!” He said brightly. “I have returned from my work, and I wanted to see you. I was hoping that you would be here. I have a trunk with me, and it is filled with books that I was wondering if you might wish to look at?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Then we shall go right this instant. It is in the parlor room–would you like some tea, perhaps? It won’t be as extravagant as the picnic, but I’m sure Cook can put something simple together for us while we look.”
He was practically trying to make a start for the door the moment she rose to her feet, and she was enamored by how excited he was to show her the books. Chuckling gently, she followed him to the parlor to see Elizabeth and the Dowager Duchess sitting there, though they were not interested in thetrunk. Elizabeth seemed to be in better spirits, at least, and was chattering away to the Dowager.
“Now,” the duke explained as he knelt in front of the trunk. “These are some of my personal favorites. I had them placed in storage after what happened to me, and since then I could not bear to look at them, but now… It feels like the right time.”
He opened the trunk and immediately Jackie wished to reach out and take one. They were beautiful, each one in pristine condition, and it was the only reason why she could hold back; she did not wish to damage them.
“They seem quite entertained,” Elizabeth said in the background. “They truly are so similar, are they not?”
“Yes, quite,” the Dowager Duchess replied. “It is lovely to see, even if you and I might not understand it.”
Jackie was going to respond, but then she saw it. The very same book that she had left behind. Without thinking, she reached out to it, just as the duke did the very same thing, and her ungloved hand touched his once again. It was more intense to feel his skin against hers, and her entire body came alight. She looked to him to apologize, but he was already looking at her.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered.
She had no control over the shade of red her cheeks turned.
“Might we take a walk?” he suggested. “Until the tea arrives, of course.”
She nodded, and the two of them left the household.
“The book is yours,” he began gently. “For as long as you are here, and even longer if you wish.”
“I have my own at home,” she reminded him. “Although I thank you for it. How did you know it was there?”
“It is as I told you, it is one of my favorites.”
“But it was the first one that you read again. How did it end up with the others?”
“I… For a long time after the accident, I was afraid that it would happen a second time. I had all of the things I care most about hidden away so that no harm would come to them. Thankfully, nothing more ever did come to pass, but still I could not stand to look at them.”
“Well, now you can,” she smiled. “That is an incredible step, Your Grace.”
“Is it in your nature to be this supportive?”
“I like to think so. I want to be something good to people.”
“You most certainly are. I enjoy the time I spend with you, but more than that I find myself liking the person that I am when I am around you. Lady Jacqueline, I truly do really like you.”
He seemed nervous to have said it, but Jackie adored it. It had been precisely the confirmation that she had needed.
“You should know that I feel exactly the same about you,” she said gently, watching the smile crawl across his face. “You should also know something else.”
