Page 54 of Her Cursed Duke
“All right. We can go the first day, then. Just a few hours, though. Any more than that and I might feel inclined to cut my ears off and feed them to this little pest.” He nodded in Snowflake’s direction, not surprised when he found the dog staring at him, no doubt sensing that his good name was being soiled.
“Leave the precious bean out of your needless thirst for dramatics,” Prudence scolded playfully, patting the puppy’s head gently. “Thank you. For agreeing to come with me.”
“Think nothing of it. I’m honored that you wish to experience the bothersome crowds and noise with me,” Aiden replied cheekily, fighting against the odd sensation bubbling in his chest at the sight of the genuine smile on her face.
To her credit, his godmother was as dramatic as he had predicted and not more so when he had told her of his plans to visit the fair. They had been discussing their plans for the weekend, and she mentioned that a friend of hers—an earl—had arrived in town, and she intended to visit him.
“And what would you be up to, dearest?” she asked, cutting up her ham carefully.
“There is a fair in town. I intend to attend on the first day of the festivities.”
The sound of her silverware clattering against her plate echoed through the dining room. With a tired sigh, Aiden waited for the queries he knew would undoubtedly be thrown in his direction.
“You are attending the fair? But you abhor crowds. Why are you going? Are you being swindled? Tricked? Aiden, are you dying? Is this an attempt to do things you would not otherwise be caught doing… well… dead? As a last hurrah before you take your final breath?”
“It is astounding how you never fail to imagine the strangest scenarios for absolutely no reason. No, Godmother, it is none of that. Lady Prudence expressed her desire to attend and invited me as her escort. That is all.”
Beatrice’s expression softened, and she tutted at him. “Do not make light of something so incredible. Months ago, you would have rather chewed off your own limbs than decide to even consider attending such an event.”
“I’m still contemplating that very act,” he told her with mock enthusiasm.
“And yet here you are, already set on the decision to attend. I am so proud of you for venturing out and doing things beyond your comfort zone.” She smiled at him.
Her happiness brought him discomfort, as it had been doing for the last four weeks of his fake courtship with Prudence. Aiden had to remind himself consistently that he had done this, taking on this bothersome situation for his godmother’s benefit, because he knew he would not be able to grant her what she truly wanted.
It was out of his control completely, the likelihood of him finding love. And rather than the inevitable disappointment that would stem from her consistent nagging, this—his arrangement with Prudence—seemed like the better option.
Even still, as the day their arrangement was to end approached, he couldn’t help but dread his godmother’s reaction, knowing that while they might be within different ranges, she would still be disappointed, nonetheless.
“Do not make this into a bigger subject than it is. You act as though I’ve been a recluse my whole life,” he rebutted, lifting a forkful of meat to his mouth.
“It was not for lack of trying. If I had not taken specific measures…”
“Such as standing and declaring that over your dead body shall your godson live the life of a hermit—”
“… you might have really taken that path. And I was worried because try as you might to claim that your reasons are solely for your own peace of mind, I know better. I raised you, remember? So, try as you might to convince me of your intentions, I will always know better. But that is a topic for another day. I am very pleased to see that things are going well with Lady Prudence. It warms my heart to see you so invested in her interests, even when they are the opposite of your preferences. That is what love is about sometimes, Aiden—sacrifice and compromise.”
The wordlovecaused him to sit up straighter, unease sliding in his veins like grease. “There you go again, getting ahead of yourself. We are not in love.”
Beatrice rolled her eyes, forcing herself to be amicable so as not to make him feel cornered. “All right, all right, if you say so. Still, there is nothing wrong with considering that aspect. Just keep it in mind.”
Aiden grunted in response, thankful that his godmother did not bring up the issue again.
The rest of their dinner passed in silence, with Aiden not really tasting the rest of his meal, fighting against an agitated itch in the back of his mind that told him things were quickly spinning past the point of no return.
There was something about the bustling crowd that made Prudence feel even more energetic than when she had set out earlier that day.
All around them, people were laughing and talking, engaging in the numerous activities and attractions the fair provided. Stalls sold eye-catching ornaments and mouth-watering food, easily claiming the attention of all who passed by.
Although they came together, Agnes and Silas had split off from Prudence and Aiden, stating that they noticed an attraction with horses performing tricks and would like to get a closer look.
“We could go with them,” Prudence offered as Agnes and Silas read the pamphlet that had a list of things the fair offered, trying to see if they could spot the location of the horse attraction.
“You do not like horses,” Aiden pointed out, his gaze sweeping through the crowd.
“But you do. I do not mind—”
“I know that you would rather do anything else than see them, and that is fine with me. We can do whatever you want to do, and wherever you want to go, we’ll go.”
