Chapter 396: After the Reading

Chapter 395: After the Reading

Lyria’s POV

I still did not turn to look at him.

Not even after that soft, unexpected "please" which had somehow made his request considerably more difficult to refuse.

I remained where I was, my gaze fixed upon the cat in my arms, my fingers moving absently through its fur. The creature seemed perfectly content, utterly indifferent to the peculiar tension which had settled over the chamber.

For some reason, the silence that followed felt considerably more embarrassing than the reading itself.

Duke Thorncrest sighed.

I heard the quiet rustle of his clothing as he rose from the chair.

For a moment, he said nothing.

I could feel his presence without looking at him, and that knowledge alone made me painfully conscious of my own posture. I sat rather stiffly, as though the proper arrangement of my hands and shoulders might somehow restore the dignity I had possessed before he opened that book.

At last, he spoke.

"I believe I understand why you are reluctant to look at me, Your Highness," he said quietly. "And, upon reflection, I ought perhaps to have anticipated that the reading might prove somewhat uncomfortable. I should not have—"

I turned to him quickly.

"T-that is n-not it."

He stopped.

"Pardon?"

"I-it is n-not that I was u-uncomfortable," I said.

I lowered my eyes once more, finding the cat considerably easier to regard than the duke.

"It is s-something else a-altogether. You need not s-speak as though you have o-offended me. Had I truly wished you to cease reading, I should have said so from the beginning. I c-could have done so. But I d-did not."

I drew a careful breath.

"It is n-not an issue with y-you. I merely w-would rather be a-alone for the present."

He regarded me in silence.

There was something almost solemn in the way he considered my words.

Then he inclined his head.

"Very well, Your Highness. I shall not presume to impose myself upon you further."

The simplicity of his answer surprised me.

There was no wounded pride.

No attempt to make me reconsider.

He had understood the request for what it was and, as a gentleman ought, had accepted it without argument.

I finally looked at him.

His expression remained composed, although a faint trace of sadness lingered in his eyes.

Then, as though another matter had occurred to him, he said,

"You have not forgotten what I proposed for midnight?"

I nodded.

"I w-will be p-prepared."

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"Then I am relieved. I should hate to arrive at the appointed hour only to discover that I had been waiting upon a princess who had forgotten our arrangement."

"I w-would not f-forget."

"I know."

There was an easy confidence in the answer.

He moved towards the door, adjusting one cuff quietly.

"There is, however, one matter upon which I must insist." He said. "You must not appear as yourself."

I frowned at that.

"A cloak will scarcely suffice," he continued. "Should anyone happen to recognise the Princess beneath it, we should have gone to considerable trouble for very little purpose. You must disguise yourself properly. And I shall do likewise."

I tilted my head.

"What we are about to do is contrary to the ules." He continued. "Rules, are curious things, Your Highness. They possess an admirable appearance of impartiality whilst often being written with very particular persons in mind."

I understood at once.

Jacinta had broken the rules even before they had even been announced to everyone, and yet I had little doubt that she would suffer no consequence for it.

The rules had never truly been intended for her.

They had been intended for me.

Duke Thorncrest seemed to understand my silence.

"In any event," he said, "we should not provide anyone with the opportunity to accuse us of treating the regulations with less respect than they deserve."

His mouth twitched.

"Or, at the very least, we ought to ensure that no one knows it was us who treated them so."

I almost smiled.

He was, apparently, incapable of allowing even a discussion of rules to remain entirely respectable.

"I must take my leave now," he continued. "I have already kept the other lady waiting rather longer than propriety would recommend."

"W-what do you mean by the o-oth—"

I paused.

Surely he did not mean Jacinta.

"D-do you mean—"

"Shh."

He raised one finger delicately to his lips.

"Her name ought not to be spoken within these walls, lest it infect the atmosphere with some dreadful presence."

My eyes widened as I stared at him in utter disbelief.

"Y-your Grace," I said at last. "W-why—"

"Why do I speak of her in such a manner?"

I nodded.

I had assumed everyone would be fond of Jacinta. She was the true princess, after all, and from what I had observed, several of the suitors seemed quite taken with her.

Oh.

Not all of the suitors appeared particularly besotted with Jacinta.

And Duke Thorncrest was certainly one of those who were not.

I decided that I would ponder that particular discovery at another time.

For the moment, there was something else I wished to know.

"W-why have you kept her w-waiting?"

He regarded me with an expression of grave consideration.

"We are both of ill health, it seems. Both you and I."

I stared at him.

He continued with such solemnity that I could not determine whether he was jesting.

"She must wait until I have done something which restores me to reasonable health. I required a few doses from you before I could endure the prospect of that engagement this morning."

His expression remained perfectly serious.

"Now that I have established that you are well, and that you have not withdrawn your agreement concerning tonight, I believe I possess sufficient strength to survive the date that awaits me."

I felt the corners of my mouth twitch.

Then, despite myself, I laughed softly.

His expression softened.

"I am pleased," he said, "to have secured at least one genuine smile before my departure."

I looked at him.

"T-thank you for keeping me company."

He smiled.

"My lovely princess, you need only send word whenever you require my company. I shall endeavour to present myself with suitable promptness."

I smiled faintly.

"Do have a pleasant day," he said,"though I should advise you not to make the day excessively pleasant. It would be rather unfair if you exhausted all its pleasures before I have the opportunity to make tonight considerably more memorable."

I gave another small laugh just as he bowed.

Then he turned towards the door.

His hand had almost reached the handle when he stopped.

He remained still and after a moment, he looked back at me.

I expected him to say something.

He opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

For reasons I could not fathom, he seemed to reconsider whatever thought had occurred to him.

His gaze rested upon me for another moment.

Then he shook his head faintly, as though deciding that whatever he had intended to say was better left unsaid.

"I shall see you later tonight," he said finally.

I nodded.

"Y-yes."

He opened the door and walked out, the guards closing it behind him.

The chamber became quiet once more.

I waited a few seconds.

Then a minute, listening carefully to know whether anyone was approaching—perhaps even the duke himself.

But there was no sound at all.

Only then did I place the cat gently upon the floor and cross to the reading table.

The slender volume remained precisely where Duke Thorncrest had left it.

I stopped before it, my cheeks red with mortification as three realisations came to me.

First, I would not mind Duke Thorncrest reading to me again.

Second, I was quite glad to have discovered that some of the suitors did not care for Jacinta. I knew I ought not to take pleasure in another person’s unpopularity, but I could not help it.

And third, I should make certain that any future books Debbie sent to me were hidden somewhere considerably more secure.

They were for educational purposes, after all.

Entirely for educational purposes.