Page 64 of Her Infuriating Duke

“I am. Why don’t we go into the parlor? I can help you with your embroidery more if you like.”

“That would be lovely. Thank you.”

She nodded, and the pair did just that.

They spent most of the afternoon embroidering.

Amber laughed as Felicity made another mistake. “Almost,” she said, helping her to fix it.

“I’m never going to get this right, am I?” she sighed.

“You can. You just need to slow down.”

“If I go any slower, I’m never going to be sitting still.”

“Embroidery is a slow art.”

“It doesn’t look like it goes this slow when you do it.”

“That is because I’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s easier for me to go faster without sacrificing quality, but it takes a while to get there.”

“How long!?”

“That depends on how much work you put in. The more you do it, the better you will get.”

“I’ve been doing it for years, and I have yet to get any better.”

“Only because you haven’t been trying. It’s more than just going through the motions. You have to savor the craft.”

Felicity shook her head in disbelief. “How can you make something so mundane and soul crushing sound like a wonderful cake.”

“Because I genuinely enjoy it.”

“But I want to enjoy it too,” Felicity whined. “It’s just so slow and boring. I know it isn’t for you, but it is for me.”

“Believe it or not, I do understand.”

“You do?”

“I do. When I first started, I hated it. I was constantly frustrated and hated every second of it.”

“So what changed?”

“I developed enough skill to actually bring my visions to life. As soon as that happened, it was hard to bring myself to do much of anything else.”

“That’s incredible!” Felicity breathed. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt that way about anything before.”

“Don’t worry. I’m sure someday you will. Even if it isn’t embroidery. When I started learning it, it was because I had a vision to work towards. I can understand why it would be hard to throw yourself into it if you don’t have that.”

“It is,” Felicity sighed, setting her work aside and slumping back on the sofa.

“Is there anything else you have always wanted to try?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I just wish I had a hobby to talk about like other people do, but my only real hobby is talking to people which hardly counts.”

“I don’t know. I think it can count.”

“I don’t know that anyone would agree with you,” Felicity sighed.

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