“Duke–Ben. I won’t tell you anything else if you continue to pity me. It’s just my life. Everyone has one, and none are good all the time. Not yours, and not mine. It’s just the way things are. We deal, you know?”
He didn’t answer but she felt his eyes on her while she ate.
“I’ll teach you to read,” he said, breaking his silence.
She stopped eating and looked up.
“I’ll teach you everything I know if you wish,” he promised,breaking eye contact with her, looking a little bit awkward to her untrained eye.
She couldn’t help but smile. He’d already done much to help her. Would he really teach her to read? But wait, didn’t she have to serve him? “What do I have to do for you?”
“Hmm?” he asked, biting off a piece of bread.
“As your servant?”
He looked a little lost as to what her duties would entail. Fable watched him think about it and chew. She liked how he chewed. He had a strong, squared jawline and good teeth–another thing most homeless guys were lacking.
“You will wake me in the morning–”
She smiled.
–and bring me my breakfast.”
Her smile faltered, then faded.
“Very well then, Helen can continue to bring it to me.”
Helen? “Who’s Helen?”
“One of the servants.”
Fable wanted to ask him if this Helen was young or old. Was she pretty? What did she care? The duke was just a guy who helped her. She had to get back to the future, or wake up from the coma she’d fallen into in 2024. Why? Why did she have to? What was waiting for her there? Not even a bed. At least here, she had a bed and food. But here was the eighteenth century. She didn’t belong here. She certainly couldn’t let herself get attached to a guy who was good enough to possibly marry the king’s niece, and she couldn’t slow down because a sword-wielding maniac was after her.
“You’ll stay by my side and be there if I need anything. You’ll eat with me everyday,” he continued when she didn’t protest.
Fable considered that this didn’t sound so bad. Temporarily. She basically had to stick around him. Who’d complain about that? “Anything else?”
He thought about it for a moment then shook his head. “Perhaps later I’ll think of more.”
“What about your sister?”
“Once she understands there’s nothing between us, she’ll back off.”
Nothing between us.He was right, of course. When she mentioned to him that she wasn’t his girlfriend, it made her think of it as a crazy possibility. No. She was confusing gratitude with some other affection. She almost laughed at herself. She wasn’t a fool. She wouldn’t become one now. She’d take what he was offering then leave. Even if she didn’t find a way back, she’d leave the Duke of Colchester the way she’d found him.She wouldn’t take anything from him. He’d been too kind to her. Besides, she was trying to live a more honest life. It didn’t matter which century she was in. If she made it back to Ipswich alive, she’d try to figure out a way to use the pocket watch and get back to her century. If she couldn’t, she’d sell it and live on her own, depending only on herself, just as she’d been taught. She wouldn’t ruin her good mood by thinking about the man searching for her from the future.
“Okay then, when do you want to begin teaching me?” she asked him enthusiastically.
“I’ll have one of the rooms prepared for tomorrow.”
She wanted to smile, to be happy about finally learning how to read. She tried to teach herself many times, but hunger often ruled, safety after that. She’d just never gotten to it. Now, she finally found someone to teach her. But it was going to take weeks, maybe months.
“Today…” he leaned forward just a little. Just enough for her eyes to open wider, thinking he might kiss her. He didn’t, but excitement danced across his eyes and lifted one brow with beguiling playfulness. He made her forget running. “...I’ll teach you a game.”
She felt like smiling–no. She felt like giggling. It wasn’t anything he said, though playing a game did sound like fun, it was more that spark of fire in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in him before. Oh, she didn't mind him stoic and serious. He was like a statue calledThe Epitome of Man, but did he really possess a playful side? She wanted to find out.
Fable heard the outer door shut next and wondered where he was off to. She found herself feeling happy. Her face even hurt a little from smiling so much. What was it all about? Was the duke the reason? She hadn’t smiled this much in the last five years. She thought of how she’d even giggled at Lady Prudence’s slew of insults. She wondered if she was going nuts.What was funny about an evil villainess’ foul mouth? But the duke had smiled when she found his sister humorous. And oh, it awakened thousands of butterflies in her belly and chest. If gracing her with a rare smile wasn’t enough, he’d protected her from those hurtful words.
When you can behave like the gentry you represent, you may return.
