Ella took a deep breath. “Of course I am,” she said. “You can start our lessons on our way.”
Chapter six
Ella
The idea of following Dietrich straight to the duke’s estate and asking to speak to him right away flitted across Ella’s mind as she gave Eugenia a hug, but if there was one thing she knew, it was that she wasn’t prepared to hear that she was a duchess.
She also wasn’t prepared to hear that she wasn’t.
No, it would be better to learn more about being a duchess before she braved the duke.
If it wasn’t true…at least she might have Dietrich’s friendship to distract her from Tabitha and her cruelty. Perhaps being friends with him wouldn’t be so bad.
“I can’t wait to hear what happens,” Eugenia said, a twinkle in her eyes. “Be sure to come and give me an update.”
“Of course I will,” Ella said as she followed Dietrich out of the library, heading out of town toward his mother’s home and hers.
They were quiet until they were nearly to his mother’s home, when Dietrich finally spoke up. “You seem remarkably calm about all of this. I was expecting you to be a little more concerned about it.”
Ella shrugged. “My father, if he even was my father, has been gone for many years now, and I have spent my time since then living with a stepmother who hates me, and stepsisters who make my life much harder than it needs to be. So the idea of having a family other than them is rather appealing.”
“I suppose that makes sense,” he said. “I’ll be honest, I prefer you being like this to you being in hysterics over the idea of your whole life being changed. I wasn’t sure which way it would go.”
“If it’s true, I’m sure I’ll need some time to think about it,” she said. “But at the moment, it all seems like a rather far-fetched dream, and I expect you to wake me up any moment now.”
Perhaps she should worry about it a little more, but there was no point in worrying until after she found out if it was true or not.
“You expect me to be there when you wake up?” he asked.
“Of course,” she replied. “You’re the one joining me in this nightmare.”
“Nightmare?” he asked.
“I’ve spent a whole afternoon with you. I’m pretty sure that counts,” she teased.
Dietrich snorted. “It’s a pity you and Beatrice aren’t friends, because you two would get along fabulously.”
“Oh?” she asked. “Why?”
“The two of you would spend the entire time being mean to me.”
Did he really think that she was just being mean? Her stomach turned.
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “It was not my intention to be mean. I hope you will forgive me.”
Dietrich stopped walking and turned to her, the light in his eyes dying. “I was jesting,” he said. “You are not bothering me.”
She searched his face. Was he telling the truth?
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Positive,” he said. “You need not concern yourself on my account. I have been teasing you, just as you have been teasing me.”
She nodded slowly. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt anyone, even if she thought they were simply jesting together.
She knew how words could hurt.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt you,” she began.
