“Thank you,” she said again, before making her way out of his study.
She looked down the hallway to where Dietrich had disappeared.
Part of her wished to follow after him and confront him for disappearing. But doing so wouldn’t change anything and would only lead to frustration and hurt on her part, if not both of theirs.
No, following Dietrich would be a bad idea.
So she turned and walked the other way, back to the family wing, where her sisters would be.
At least they wanted to spend time with her.
Being their sister was perhaps the best position she had ever held.
It certainly came with a lot fewer regulations than being a future duchess.
Chapter seventeen
Dietrich
It had been a week since he had come back to work, and Dietrich had successfully managed to avoid Ella.
He had seen her a couple of times, but each time, he had been far enough away from her to make his escape before she could talk to him. Which was a good thing, because if she talked to him, he didn’t think he would be able to walk away—not when all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her again.
It didn’t make sense. He hadn’t known her long enough to fall in love with her, and he wasn’t even sure why she had kissed him in the first place.
He’d gone over it time and time and time again, trying to puzzle it out, but the only thing he’d gotten for his troubles was a headache and cuts when he lost concentration and his knife slipped while he was carving…something in a bad attempt to distract himself.
He didn’t even want to think about how many times he had caught himself carving a pumpkin before he had thrown the block of wood into the fire.
But it was growing warm enough now that fires would no longer be needed, and he would have no easy way to dispose of his failed carvings, at least in his office. He could always sneak into the kitchen and throw them into the fire there—as if that wouldn’t be suspicious.
No, he had to stop thinking about her, and that meant he had to stop seeing her.
He tucked his pocketknife back into his pocket and sat down at his desk. He needed to pay the farmers for the grain they had delivered this week, which meant he needed to send an invoice to the steward with an accounting of how much they had received. But as he was looking through the list of supplies they had received that week, his office door opened, and Ella appeared.
His mouth dried up as he took in the sight of the girl he had been avoiding for two weeks. She was wearing the same riding outfit that Beatrice had lent her, bringing back all the memories of the moments they’d spent together on that fateful day.
Including the moment she’d kissed him.
He swallowed hard and stood as she looked at him with her hands on her hips and said, “I need another riding lesson.”
Dietrich shook his head. “Unfortunately, I am busy this afternoon, my lady. But one of my men can help you if you wish to go riding.”
“I don’t want one of your men. I want you,” she said. “Are you going to tell me no?”
The look on her face was practically daring him to tell her no.
“And what would you do if I did?” he asked, stepping closer. It was dangerous getting closer to her, but he was drawn to her like a magnet, and he couldn’t stay away.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say no, and I wouldn’t have to think of it.”
He couldn’t hide his grin. “You still don’t know everything you’re allowed to do, do you?” he asked.
She sighed melodramatically. “No,” she admitted. Her voice became plaintive. “I don’t know anything yet, and it’s all very frustrating.”
Dietrich laughed. “You sound like you could use a chance to clear your head.”
“Which is why I’m here,” she pointed out. “I want to get out of here for a bit. Can you bring me back to the picnic clearing? I want to know what they were talking about when my father said I used to go there with you.” Her voice grew quieter.
