Page 42 of Her Cursed Duke
“I was on my way to see you, so I saw no reason to not hand it over to you while I was at it.”
Aiden stared at her for a moment, then sighed. “Well then, thank you, Godmother. Is there anything I can do for you? Or did you merely desire to gaze upon my handsome face and determine my well-being?” he questioned, searching around his desk for a piece of paper to write down his reply to Silas’s invitation.
“The cheeky mouth on you, honestly.” She tutted, sitting in the chair in front of his desk. “I want to discuss something with you.”
He peered at her in obvious distrust. “All right. Out with it, then. I’m sure we both have other things to do. It is unlike you to beat around the bush.”
His godmother sighed at the veiled compliment. “I want to host a small dinner party.”
“How wonderful for you. I wish you the very best in your future endeavors.”
“Aiden—”
“Absolutely not. I told you, expressly and clearly, that after that circus show you had so quaintly termed as a ‘summer party,’ Iwould not be attending any more events at your behest for the foreseeable future. At least not for another five months.”
Beatrice sighed in exasperation. “I distinctly remember us bantering and bringing down that sentence to three months.”
“How wonderful for you that you have such an excellent memory,” he replied sarcastically. “My answer still stands. No.”
“Things are different now, Aiden. There is a lady you have expressed interest in. Everyone already knows that she has struck your fancy. And I have already invited her and her family for said dinner. It will not look well upon either of you if you do not attend.”
Damn it.
Aiden hated to admit it—and he never would, not out loud—but his godmother had a point. It was one thing for the host to not attend his own party and another for the lady he was courting to attend without him. His absence might be misinterpreted, and even with everything they had set out to do, he was not so keen on destroying Prudence’s reputation.
But the crux of the issue remained.
“I wish you would stop doing this, making me attend these events when we both know that I am not wanted. You always insist on making me into a spectacle.”
His godmother’s face fell, and he almost regretted his choice of words. “Darling, that is never my intention. I am sorry that you view all my attempts to have you involved in thetonas horrific, but I am doing this to draw you of your solitude. You shouldn’t be shackled by unwarranted guilt just because mindless people who know nothing say you should be and give up on living entirely. You told me to not surrender my own livelihood in a bid to care for you, and I told you that I had no interest in living as I wanted if I could not do it with you. I refuse to see you live as a shell of a man, Aiden. You deserve much better than that.
“You have a chance to let it all go, dear. There is someone who seems to care about you deeply. Do not let this opportunity go to waste. And she will be there as well, so you can ignore the others and focus on just her. All right?”
When his godmother put it that way, it would not have been such a terrible experience if he had Prudence to banter with. They had planned to make more public appearances. This was a good opportunity, as any would have been, to convince even more people of the legitimacy of their courtship.
And his godmother… as irritating as she could be, her heart was in the right place. He was doing this for her, after all. So, the charade must go on.
“All right, I suppose there is no harm in attending. I have heard that our cook does a splendid job when it comes to catering for such events.”
Although she was obviously excited about his agreement, the look Beatrice shot him was one of incredulous confusion. “You say it as though you have never noticed before. I always ensure only the best food is served at my parties.”
Aiden thought of the first time he met Prudence, her gentle smile and soft voice, and couldn’t help but smirk. “Let us just say it has only just been brought to my attention.”
Chapter Sixteen
“To be honest, I did not think you would accept my invitation.”
Aiden loosened his grip on the reins of his horse, slowing them down to a stop, following Silas’s lead. “Is that so? Might I ask what led to such a conclusion?”
Silas spared him a glance as he dismounted and tethered his steed to a tree, waiting for him to do the same so they could continue the rest of the way on foot.
“It is nothing grand. Just that… you do not seem very keen on socializing.”
Aiden tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment. Silas was right, of course, but—
“Did the few hours I spent in Fitzroy House manage to give you information about my entire personality?”
Silas laughed, giving his horse a farewell pat before they set off further into the woods, keeping his gaze ahead and pace firm and steady. “Perhaps so. Perhaps it also had to do with the fact that I saw a little of myself in you.”
