Page 27 of Her Cursed Duke
She looked up into Aiden’s eyes and felt her breath leave her. Overcome by shyness, she ducked her head, using the opportunity to admire the flowers some more. “Did you… Is this for me?”
“Yes,” he replied softly. “I thought it would make a nice gift.”
“Why?” she asked, risking a glance upward.
He smiled at her and held out the beautiful bouquet. “I merely wanted to do something nice for you. Perhaps there are no other motivations for me… other than seeing your smile.”
A startled laugh burst out of her lips, and she immediately clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Aiden smirked and lightly shook the flowers in his grasp, just enough to bring her attention back to them.
“Do you not want them?” he queried, looking slightly disappointed.
“No, I—no, I do. Want them, that is,” Prudence answered hurriedly, accepting the bouquet.
It really was beautiful—quite large, too—consisting of a mix of light blue delphiniums, dahlias, lavenders, white peonies, and …
“Petunias,” she gasped, gently stroking the pink and purple petals.
The only person who had ever given her flowers had been her father. He always surprised them with a bouquet of their favorite flowers on their birthdays and, on special occasions, to accompany gifts he had brought them upon his return from business travels.
It was really sweet of Aiden to get her such a lovely bouquet just because he felt like doing so. She wondered absentmindedly if he would have done the same had he chosen another woman to be his partner in this false courtship—maybe even the woman he was really courting.
“I really like them, Your Grace. Thank you for such a lovely gift,” she forced herself to say, barely managing not to add that she was unsure of what she had done to earn such a gesture.
As though he heard her thoughts, Aiden smiled at her—an action that was rare when they had first met, but he seemed inclined to smile so freely now—and said, “You are deserving of this and more. In fact, I should have sent you flowers much sooner. This… this is new territory for me—courting. I shall endeavor to do better, moving forward.”
Prudence frowned at the tone his voice had taken after his first sentence. It almost sounded as though he was trying to woo her. Really woo her, aside from their ruse. The thought caused a strange burst of hope within her, but then she remembered that they were not alone, and the ruse needed to be upheld in front of others.
Swallowing quickly, she pitched her voice low and hoped that she sounded as earnest as she felt. “This is new for me, too—being courted. Let’s do our best to navigate this new territory together, hm?”
He smiled, and her stomach fluttered, the feeling lingering as she fought to focus on the words he was saying.
“That is an excellent plan, Lady Prudence. In fact, I was hoping I could convince you to go on a walk with me. The weather is nice today, and since it is almost evening, it is not too sunny outside. Just a little stroll around the estate, I do not wish to take you too far.”
For the first time since she walked into the drawing room, Prudence looked at her sister, who appeared very content sitting by her husband’s side. When her gaze met Agnes’s, she received non-verbal consent almost immediately.
She turned back to Aiden and said, “A stroll sounds splendid. Let me get a shawl, and we shall leave.”
“All right. I will be waiting,” he told her softly.
Prudence pursed her lips and nodded, quickly hurrying out of the room. Her cheeks felt as though they were on fire, and she could not seem to catch her breath, almost like her lungs were punctured. She had never felt anything like it before, and it was very unsettling.
When she stepped into her dressing room, she carefully set the bouquet down, picked out a shawl to match her dress, and then returned downstairs.
Aiden was waiting with Silas and Agnes by the front door, engaged in a conversation that had Silas playfully tugging his wife back to his side and away from Aiden.
Prudence cleared her throat to announce her presence, and when she had their attention, she said, “Apologies for keeping you waiting.”
Aiden shook his head and opened the door, stepping aside and gesturing for her to step out first. She stifled the urge to scoffat what felt like an excessive display of chivalry and walked out, deeply inhaling the crisp, fresh air.
“Shall we?” Aiden offered her his elbow.
She felt reluctant to take it but reminded herself that these were the sorts of things she had enlisted for by choosing to partake in this farce. So, she tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, a little surprised by how tense he felt beneath her touch.
They set off, simply strolling around the grounds, with Agnes and Silas a few feet behind them, chattering away.
“Lady Prudence?”
Prudence blinked, a little startled by how his smooth voice called for her, pulling her gaze from the scenery to his face. “Perhaps you should do what you suggested and call me by my name. It feels a little… odd hearing you address me so formally.”
