Page 31 of Her Seven Nights with the Duke

The room was bare, only containing curtains, some chairs, and a lone pianoforte nestled in a corner.

Her eyes lit up as she stared at it, and he bit back his grin. “Do you play, Lady Nora?”

She walked further into the room before turning to stare at him where he remained by the entrance. “What sort of noble lady would I be if I did not?”

He chuckled at her response, sitting at the pianoforte. He tapped the seat beside him, beckoning her forward. “Will you play with me, Lady Nora?”

“Perhaps I shall,” she said, sitting beside him.

Samuel was curious about the reason for her dampened mood, although he wasn’t one to pry, content in giving people the same privacy he often required. It did not change the fact that he was curious about why she was annoyed, even though it might be a bit much to ask.

“So, do you want to discuss how bad our time together has been?” he asked her, noting how she withdrew into herself the moment he mentioned it.

“I will go first,” he added, not giving her the chance to argue or refuse his offer. “My mother has been hounding me to marry.”

She looked at him curiously. “Why don’t you?”

Samuel chuckled, regarding her with humor. “Do I seem like the type to marry?”

She cocked her head. “I cannot say for certain that you are the marrying kind, Your Grace. It isn’t exactly written on your face.”

Samuel laughed. She was beginning to sound like herself. “That much is true.”

Samuel closed his eyes as he played a song on the pianoforte. The melody filled the room, easing his worries. It was a song he had never heard before.

He glanced at her through narrowed eyes. This wasn’t how he had thought their day would go, and yet the peaceful look on her face was enough to make it all worth it.

Why do you care?

He discarded the thought before he had a chance to think about it. She was his mistress, of course he cared whether she was in a mood or not. After all, her ability to be lively affected his as well, otherwise there would be no point in spending the night if it would merely continue on a sour note.

“So, now that I have told you what ails me, perhaps you would like to share what ails you?” he asked.

She shook her head, letting out a small, humorless laugh. “It is nothing for you to worry about, Your Grace. Merely some family drama.”

She continued playing the pianoforte, her eyes closed as her hands ran over the keys.

“I would love to know still if you do not mind sharing,” he said.

Nora sighed and took her hands off the pianoforte, bringing the music to an abrupt end. “It appears that I will be leaving sooner than expected.”

Samuel’s eyes cut to her in surprise. They had talked about her leaving before, but he hadn’t realized that it would be so soon. In truth, he hadn’t thought about it since she told him, carried away by the fun he had when he was with her.

Now, it suddenly seemed more real.

“When are you set to leave?”

Her hands returned to the pianoforte as she shook her head at him, not giving him an answer. There was so much more he wanted to ask her, but he held back. He was not one to pry, especially when it wasn’t welcomed.wanted.

Her eyes were glazed over. She was clearly upset. Samuel hated that there didn’t seem to be anything he could do about it.

“Does that mean you need to pull forward your escape plans?” he asked her.

She shrugged. He massaged his temple. A strange feeling settled in his chest, one he didn’t know how to explain. Samuel ignored it. Now was not the time for him to dwell on his feelings.

“You need not worry too much about it. Everything will be all right,” he said.

Samuel wracked his brain for a solution, but there was none to be found. He did not know how to make things right, but he certainly hoped that would be the case for her sake.

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