But after a few minutes of fruitless attempts to interact with others — Penelope had other engagements, and Jane said that she would rather start another book than attend yet another social function — Nora turned her attention back to the Duke.
This was as good a time as any to try and further her goal to incite some sort of emotion from him, seeing as she did not seem interested in pursuing the attention of any other man.
“Is today not a truly wonderful day?” she asked with a bright smile.
The Duke glanced around, then nodded curtly.
“I suppose. Thankfully, the weather seems agreeable today.”
“Does it not? I really do love spring. Come with me,” she said, walking ahead to a different section of the garden, away from prying eyes.
To her mild surprise, he followed her, his face impassive. Still, she was determined to get some sort of reaction, this time one of happiness and joy, if possible.
She gestured to a patch of flowers growing, their vibrant colors practically shining beneath the warm sun, swaying gently as a light breeze blew by.
“The colors are always so lovely around this time of year. Everything shines, the air is cool and filled with the scent of beautiful flowers. I think some of my best childhood moments took place during spring. There was always so much to look forward to — visits to the farmers' market with my sister, spring festivals, and shows that utilized all the wondrous offerings this season brought along. If I could decide to have one season allyear round, it would be spring. There just… it always feels as though there are many possibilities and life appears a tad more hopeful. Wouldn’t you agree?”
She turned to face him, the soft folds of her dress twirling slightly. He stared at her with an expression that was different from his usual black face, but not nearly as expressive as she would have hoped for. And then he walked to her, bringing his hand up to her forehead, resting his palm against it gently.
His touch was warm and careful, and it ignited a fire within her, one she was helpless against.
“W-What are you doing?” she queried, barely able to stop herself from leaning into his touch.
“I am checking to see if you have a fever,” he murmured, brows drawn in concern. “But you feel fine. Are you all right, though? Because you were sounding and acting rather… well, insane.”
Nora pulled away, her cheeks aflame, and her eyes darted around as she tried to get her flustered heart under control.
“I just — nevermind. Forget about it.” She sighed, putting some more distance between them.
He hummed, following after her again as she led them to a table under a gazebo to sit. He pulled out a chair for her, and she tried her best not to look as though he was secretly plotting her downfall.
“I think it is good, though,” he said suddenly, after they had settled down and a server had poured glasses of lemonade.
“I beg your pardon?” Nora asked, her hand raising the glass to her lips.
“I think that it is good that you have so many good memories. Not many are so lucky.”
“Oh,” Nora said. “I suppose. I have my siblings to thank for that. They were always doing what they could to ensure I had no reason to feel lonely or sad when I was young. We do like to jest about me tagging along with Cecil, but the reality was that he never wanted me to stray far from him. He and Valerie clung to me like protective mother bears looking after their cubs, doing their best to shield me from our father’s neglect. And because I was so young when my mother passed, I barely remembered enough about her to miss her too much. Things would feel odd occasionally without mother, but I did not feel as though there was a void caused by her absence.”
“You are quite fortunate to have such loving siblings. I knew from Cecil’s pestering that he treasured you. Life does seem more… bearable, with the right sort of companion to live with. It is good that you were able to receive such support.”
His tone seemed more… flat than usual. And Nora realized that the topic might have been a tad insensitive, given that the Duke had lost his parents at a very young age and likely had to grow up on his own.
She had heard that his uncle had taken him in, and years later, he vanished from society for a while, sounding like a myth each time people mentioned his name in passing.
Her curiosity was piqued, and she leaned in to ask,
“I do hope it is not out of turn to ask — please feel free to ignore me if it is — but… where did you go? In the time that you had left London?”
He hummed thoughtfully for a bit before responding.
“Here and there. I traveled quite a bit, but I was in France the longest. There was always something to see there, so much to learn. I studied under a few scholars for a while, and in my free time, I mingled with a few friends who were more than pleased to introduce me to the pleasures of Paris.”
“Pleasures of Paris?”
He gave her a look and shook his head.
“My mistake, Miss Nora. Such matters are not appropriate to be discussed with a young lady.”
