The Duke's Bed Chapter 36: Lord Emeric

Chapter 36: Lord Eric

Lord Ashby found her in the library the next day, but this ti, he wasn’t alone. A young man stood beside him. He was tall, brown-haired, with the sa sharp eyes as his uncle.

"Alina," Lord Ashby said. "I want you to et my nephew, Lord Eric Ashby. He is visiting for the season."

Eric bowed.

"My uncle tells

you’re the most interesting person in this castle," he said. "Given that my uncle’s standards are very high... I’m intimidated."

She laughed.

"Your uncle is kind and possibly losing his mind."

"He is neither," Eric replied with a smile. "He is the sharpest man I know and that makes his opinion of you rather alarming."

"Interesting is not a complint. It’s what he might call a woman who might set sothing on fire."

Lord Ashby laughed in approval.

"I’m leaving you two alone before I beco the subject of your conversation," He patted his nephew’s arm, already turning away. "Eric, try not to overwhelm her with your questions."

When he left, Eric leaned slightly against the table.

"I won’t overwhelm you with questions," he said. "Just one, and then you can ask

one."

"Go on."

"What are you reading?"

"That’s your question?" She asked, surprised.

"Yes."

She looked down and held the book up.

The Eastern Trade Routes. Volu Three.

He winced.

"I tried volu one. I made it to three Chapters before I started using it to prop up a wobbly table."

She laughed again.

They talked for an hour about the books, about the eastern trade routes, about the history of the northern territories that Eric was trying to learn and Alina had learned from her house’s library.

She was so absorbed in her conversation with Eric that she did not notice Austin when he passed the library door, watching her laughing with another man.

Audrey got to know about their conversation in the library and invited them to tea in the afternoon.

Alina was not surprised. Audrey gathered people the way others gathered information.

The chairs were positioned in a way that Eric and Alina sat across from each other. Audrey watched them with her full attention.

Eric was easy to talk to. He rembered the small details Alina hadn’t realized she had shared in the library, asked questions because he was actually curious and laughed without restraint.

They argued about a book neither of them had read. Eric insisted it was brilliant while Alina said it was pretentious. They went back and forth, laughing. It was the most fun Alina had had since the chess ga.

When the tea ended, Audrey stopped Alina in the corridor, after Eric left.

"Lord Eric is lovely," she said.

"He is."

"You seem to be comfortable with him."

"He makes it easy, which is refreshing ."

"Unlike so people," Audrey said, not specifying whom.

"Eric is unmarried, young, cos from a good family, with a modest but growing estate. He is a far better match than Calder."

Alina went still. Eric was the first man she had been comfortable with and Audrey was already turning him into a cage.

"Don’t turn him into a match. I just t him today and he is more like a friend. Probably, my first friend who isn’t a rchant’s wife or a kitchen maid. Don’t put him on your list."

"But...I’m just thinking about you."

"Then don’t," Alina walked away before she could say sothing she would regret.

Later, Eric asked Alina for a walk in the grounds. She agreed.

They walked along the ridge that overlooked the valley. The castle fell behind them.

"My uncle says I’m unfocused," he said. "He is right. I’m interested in everything. I can’t pick one thing to be interested in, and by the ti I’ve figured out what I want to do, soone else has already done it."

"It ans you’re always curious about new things."

"That’s what I tell him but he tells

curiosity doesn’t run an estate."

She laughed.

"Your uncle has a lot of opinions."

"He has opinions about everything including you." Eric glanced at her. "He told

you were resilient. But I think that undersells it."

"What are you trying to say?"

They were at the crest of the ridge, the valley spread out below them, and the wind catching her hair, and her dress.

"You know," Eric said, "Most people in your situation would have given up. But you are like a flower that blooms in a snowstorm."

She smiled.

"That’s the most poetic thing anyone has said to

since Lord Ashby compared

to a revolutionary in a library."

Eric grinned.

"Where do you think I learned to talk to won? My uncle has been coaching

since I was twelve."

From the castle window above, two people were watching them.

Audrey stood in her drawing room, holding her tea, as she assessed them.

Austin stood in his study as he saw her walking and laughing with Eric. The docunt in his hand was crumpling but he didn’t care.

At night, she was in a good mood when she ca to his room.

"Tell

about your day."

He did not answer. He was at the desk with papers spread before him and a pen in his hand. But he was not writing, just sitting there.

"Today you walked Lord Eric Ashby outside the castle grounds?"

"We walked along the ridge. It’s beautiful up there."

"It’s also unguarded. You left the castle periter without escort."

"I wasn’t alone."

"With a man you’ve known for a day."

She got out of bed.

"And a man who is nice to . Sothing I don’t experience in this castle."

He pressed the pen harder into the desk.

"You should be careful about the company you keep."

"Is that concern or jealousy, Your Grace?"

"It’s advice."

"Your advice sounds like an order," She walked closer. "And your order sounds a lot like a man who has promised to send

to Calder but can’t stand watching

enjoy soone else’s company."

The pen broke suddenly, ink splattering across the papers, and the edge of his sleeve. He looked at the ss he had just created because she accused him of being jealous.

"I’ll have the desk cleaned," he said.

"Instead, get your feelings cleaned up? Because those are a ss."

He rose and stood in front of her.

"You want to know what I feel?" He whispered. "I feel you’re developing an attachnt that will compromise your safety and future."

She smiled.

"To Eric?"

"To anyone."

"Anyone? Or anyone who isn’t you?"

He looked at her, his mask cracking. Sothing real flickered on his face, sothing he had been holding back for days. But before it could surface, he turned and walked out.

So typical of him. Always walking away from the truth.