Page 20 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke

Oh, but her naivety was a delight to behold. “Certainly not. There is plenty in nature that would kill a person.” Gabriel took a sip of his wine, enjoying her attention thoroughly.

Perhaps his sister had the right idea after all; not that he would ever let her hear of it. “I have been taught what is safe and what isn’t, Miss Sutton, and I would strongly advise anyone against eating whatever they happen to come across in nature.”

Thalia offered a bashful smile in return, suddenly very interested in her plate. For a moment, Gabriel sincerely regretted how demeaning his tone might’ve sounded, the exact wording he had chosen that very well may have come off as overly patronizing. Then, he stopped himself, realizing how strange it felt to genuinely worry about how anyone, a woman especially, took his words.

Even more so, it was strange to feel relieved when, instead of being upset, Thalia only seemed further interested in the topic. She scooped a forkful of mushrooms and herbs from her plate, holding it aloft for Gabriel to see. “Then, you found these in the forest?”

“Very likely, yes.”

The sudden excitement in Thalia’s being was infectious; her eyes lit up like glimmering emeralds, and the tone of her voice tickled Gabriel in all the best ways.

“Oh, it must be such a useful skill, to feed oneself from nature! Why, imagine if the people of Whitechapel all knew how to find food this way, or if I could teach classes to children in need of such skills? There would be no need for them to steal to survive, and perhaps they could use the skills to find work.” Thalia’s voice caught, and she quickly looked away.

“Why did you stop?” Gabriel asked.

Thalia’s gaze remained downcast, her splinted wrist pressed against her chest. “N-no… it’s nothing. Forgive me, your Grace—I hadn’t meant to go on as I did.”

A spark of rage began to billow in Gabriel’s chest, and he wanted nothing more than to take it out on that bastard, Giles Tilbury. Instead, he channeled it into an approachable warmth, rising from his chair and crossing to meet Thalia.

Her shoulders visibly stiffened, then somewhat relaxed as he knelt to try and meet her gaze. And, when that failed to pull her attention, Gabriel’s hand gently settled beneath her chin, tilting it just enough for their eyes to meet. “Do not ever feel the need to hide yourself from me, Miss Sutton.”

Her eyes briefly grew misty, and she blinked furiously.

“After all,” Gabriel added with a slight smirk. “I’ve already captured you once, little rabbit. One could say your ability to hide is subpar, at best.”

Thalia’s brow furrowed, and she managed a weak laugh. “Perhaps so, but at least I do not tell fibs, Your Grace. You have yet to properly catch me—you ran out of time, if memory serves.”

God above, but he was thoroughly enjoying the tongue on his prey.

Gingerly, Thalia pulled away and rose from her chair, and the way she stood over him sent pleasurable shivers down Gabriel’s spine. “I… think I’d like to retire to my room, if that’s all right.”

Before Gabriel could be too disappointed with the end of their conversation, she shyly offered her hand. “Could you… perhaps… escort me, Your Grace?” Hesitancy quickly filled her expression, and Gabriel moved to quell it as quickly as possible. He immediately grasped her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckle, looping his arm around her and pulling her to his side.

“I would be delighted to do so, Miss Sutton.”

CHAPTER10

The sun shone brightly through her curtains as Thalia woke the next morning, completely stretched out across her massive mattress. Her first night at Stonewell had been… less than peaceful, as she’d found herself keenly alert to every small sound within the walls.

Memories of the day before—of the duke within her room, how gently he’d escorted her to bed with little more than a nod goodnight—stirred warmly in her stomach, and it took quite a bit to shake the flush from her cheeks.

“He was simply being polite,” Thalia reminded herself. “Just polite.”

Yes. Very polite, the way his lips felt against hers when they’d–!

She rose quickly, pulling at the hem of her comforter with another short huff of breath. Today; Thalia needed to focus on what today would bring. She glanced about her guest room, not surprised at all to see Robin slumped against one of the plush reading chairs, arms folded over his chest as he silently dozed.

“Oh, Robin…” Thalia smiled gently, slipping quietly from bed as she dragged her blanket towards her brother, covering him with a tender kiss on his cheek.

Drawing a borrowed bedjacket from the closet, Thalia slipped quietly out of her door and strolled through the halls, a vague recollection of the route to the dining room. She spotted a maid dusting what looked to be one of Charlotte’s vases, and she approached for greeting and directions.

“Oh, Miss Sutton!” The maid curtsied smartly, feather duster still grasped in her hand. “Good morning to you; My Lady thought it best to let you sleep in as much as you’d like, and wished to inform you that she and the duke are attending a social ceremony in town for a newly-built park.”

Thalia glanced at a large, grandfather’s clock at the end of the hall, holding back a startled gasp at the time. Ten in the morning—she hardly remembered a time she’d slept in so late.

“The kitchen has prepared a small picnic for you and your brother,” the maid continued. “And you have been invited to bring said meal to enjoy the park alongside the duke and lady of our manor.” She offered another curtsy, adding after-the-fact, “Of course, Lady Charlotte made it known that you may stay here at Stonewell, should you not wish to entertain the public today.”

Thalia’s heart softened at such consideration. “Please let the kitchen know I’m grateful for their work, and would be happy to take the picnic into the park.”

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