Charity’s stomach tightened because she knew a lie would be obvious.
“I do not fear that you will hurt me,” she said, keeping it simple. “But I am wary of you, because you are capable of doing a great deal. You do it without hesitation.”
Duncan watched her, and for a moment, he did not look angry, only thoughtful.
“And you still came,” he said. “With me, and agreed to everything. Despite thinking this?”
“I came because you were the only way to get them out,” Charity replied. “You have been decent to them even when they have not given you a reason to be.”
“Very well, then. I suppose that is your way of thinking. I think we’ve had enough of this conversation.”
He ended it abruptly, and she wondered if she had offended him.
Oh.She realized that it mattered to her what he felt. What a surprise.
CHAPTER 11
“Charity.”
Duncan had called her into a meeting with him a few days later. She had nervously shown up and was loitering near the door when he called out her name.
“You can come in, you know,” he said, looking amused. Their last conversation had ended rather abruptly and she wasn’t sure if he was still offended. “I am not going to harm you.”
“I never said that you will,” she said, stepping in quickly.
“Then why are you always looking for ways to avoid me?” he stood up, and walked towards her. With his tall frame, he towered over her easily, which made her blush.
Now is not the time.
“I suppose… well…”
“Do I make you nervous?” he asked, and it caught her off guard. He was in close enough proximity to her that she felt that any lie that would roll off her tongue would be caught instantly.
“I suppose you do,” she admitted.
“I don’t mind that much,” he said, and there was a ghost of a smirk on his lips.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Well, it is a step up from you being scared of me, which I don’t think you ought to be. But nervousness is different,” he shrugged, “flattering, almost.”
“Flattering?” she looked at him, flabbergasted. “I did not take you to be someone who flatters easily.”
“I’m not,” he said. “But then again, you don’t seem to be someone who gets nervous often either.”
She blushed at that and looked away. He gestured for her to sit down, and then took the seat opposite her.
“I called you in because I knew that you wouldn’t come to me yourself, even though that is something that you should start doing. But still,” he said, looking at her closely, “I wanted toknow how you’re doing, and if you’ve done more overthinking, and found yourself in another imagined debacle.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. Yes, she had a knack for overthinking matters, but the fact that he had picked up on it so easily made her feel a kind of way. Not bad, but not amazing either. Just a bit exposed, if anything.
“I suppose you have figured me out.”
“Not entirely,” he shrugged, “I still find you rather puzzling, but some things, yes. I know that you’re still worried about your sisters, even though I have told you that you need not to be anymore.”
Charity sighed and bit down on her lip.
“I’ve just… I know you say that this is your territory, but I’m worried that… my uncle will attempt to do something.”
