“You can’t trust just anyone with a duck, Deena. People make promises they don’t keep. They say they’ll look after something, then abandon it the moment it’s inconvenient.” Austin cut her off smoothly.
Deena’s gaze snapped to his. Austin wasn’t just speaking about the duckling. “Sometimes trusting the wrong person is worse than letting something go entirely,” she argued, and Austin tried not to smile.
Although he enjoyed their banter quite a lot, he needed her to know that this time he was serious.
“Trusting no one is the only safe choice,” he countered.
“Are we still talking about the duck?” Selina butted in. Her eyes narrowed at them.
Percy looked between them, confused again but still grinning with his prized bird in hand. “I really, really like Sir Quackers. He’s my best duck ever.”
Austin crouched to Percy’s level, softening his tone. “He’s a fine duck, little man. But ducks belong in ponds and rivers, not drawing rooms.”
Percy’s lip wobbled. “But I want him to stay.”
Deena moved behind Austin; he felt the heat of her body near him, and he shut his eyes, trying and failing to concentrate as she spoke to her nephew softly. “Maybe he’ll come back and visit. Ducks always remember their kindest friends.”
Percy sniffed. “Do they?”
“They do,” Austin added, surprising himself with the certainty. “The good ones always come back.”
Selina sighed, long and theatrical. “Even if we like something very much,” she said, addressing all three of them, “the solution is not to enclose it in a cage, or to trust it to someone else who might not understand it,orto make any other strange deal to keep it close.”
She looked pointedly at Deena, then at Austin, who stood up slowly.
“We should let it decide whether it wants to stay or not, without pressure. And we should trust that even if it has gone for a while, he will return to us when the time is right.” Selina nodded thoughtfully while addressing her son.
The silence that followed felt louder than any argument.
Percy looked at the duck, then at his mother. “So… we let him go?”
Selina nodded. “We let him go. And if he wants to be your friend, he’ll find his way back to you.”
Austin met Deena’s green eyes. The look they exchanged held everything they had not said by the pond: their deep distrust for each other and their deeper desire. Austin feared that she would betray him, and he was sure that she felt the same. But when it came down to it, he hesitated. All he could do was hope that he could trust her without knowing all her story, and vice versa.
But can we trust each other?
It was a silent question that neither could yet answer.
Selina straightened. “Austin, be a dear and help Percy release Sir Quackers back to the pond. Properly this time, and please make certain that my son does not return with more wildlife.”
Austin inclined his head. “As you wish, Your Grace.”
“And Deena,” Selina continued, “come with me. We’ll prepare you for the afternoon activities. The dowager already announced the next game. Dominic and I got you a gown to change into, as a welcome home gift, and I suspect you’ll need a moment to… collect yourself.”
Deena’s cheeks were reddened from the walk, and her hair was disheveled by the wind, but even then, she looked mesmerizing. Austin couldn’t imagine how a new frock would improve her.
“I’m perfectly collected.” Deena’s nose twitched slightly. It was a little habit Austin noticed she did whenever she lied.
Selina’s smile was knowing. “Of course you are.” She linked her arm through Deena’s.
“Ladies, the little gentleman, and I will see you all this afternoon. I heard there’s an extremely exciting game planned for us today. If you do not require any more of my services, we’ll take our leave.” Austin asked humbly, and Selina shook her head.
“Thank you, Your Grace, but you have done more than enough,” she said too sweetly. Selina raised her brow at her son, who still pouted unhappily.
Austin grinned at Deena. “Lady Deena, I look forward to seeing you later. And a word of advice?”
“Go on?” she urged drily.
