Page 55 of Her Cursed Duke
Prudence pursed her lips, her heart quaking so much that it made her hands shake. Ever since she had realized the depth of her feelings for Aiden, she could not seem to think of anything else, suddenly overly fixated on his every move and word. Everything he did seemed to sway her, stoking the flames of love within her heart, and she was as horrified as she was stunned by this development.
But she refused to ponder on it too much, knowing that their charade was almost up, and in almost no time, they would go their separate ways to lead very different lives. That was the only way things would go, and she needed to accept it, no matter how difficult it would be.
It was proving to be the hardest thing she had ever done because he seemed keen on doing things like this, being sweet and thoughtful in ways that made her weak and hopeful.
“Are you sure?” she questioned, already thinking of the first attraction she wished to visit.
“Absolutely,” he assured her gently. Then, as though he’d read her mind, he asked, “Where would you like to go first?”
Their first stop was a stall with a game that involved tossing rings over bottles, with a reward given to anyone who was able to get seven rings over different bottles. Aiden got nine rings to settle on the bottles and was awarded the chance to pick a gift of his choosing. He gestured at the display of toys and trinkets to Prudence, asking which one she wanted.
There was a lovely carved horse, painted so beautifully that it shone under the sun, and she immediately chose it. They went to another booth, where they watched a puppet show. As they sat on the benches, watching the wooden figures hobble around on the small stage, Prudence could barely think of anything other than their elbows brushing.
The afternoon progressed smoothly with them exploring as much as they could, visiting different stalls and booths, sometimes out of curiosity and others because they had spotted something their family members would like.
Prudence had managed to get her grandmother a lovely ceramic seashell, and Aiden had spotted a fancy fan with gold embroidered patterns and bought it for his godmother, mumbling something about giving her a less lethal object to throw at him when she was vexed.
Even after walking around for about two hours, there was still so much to see, ranging from beautiful fabrics and clothes to specially bred animals. Just as Prudence had begun to think of finding somewhere to rest, she spotted a colorfully decorated stall, with paintings hanging all around it. Her legs began to move without much thought, and before she knew it, she was in front of the stall, staring at the collection of paintbrushes and special, high-quality oil paints.
“Are you an artist, Miss?” the vendor queried, noting the sparkle in her eyes as she lightly traced a finger over a box that contained a set of thirty-two little pots of paint.
“Not really. But I do like to paint,” she replied shyly.
“Is that so? Well, aren’t you full of surprises?”
She whirled around, going still when she noticed that Aiden’s face was quite close to hers, a result of him leaning over her shoulder to make his remark.
“It-It’s just a hobby,” she stammered, feeling strangely defensive.
“That sounds quite special. Will you show me some of your works sometime?” he asked, sounding earnest.
Heat filled her face, and she shook her head. “I… I’m not very good, so I don’t like showing them to others,” she lied.
She couldn’t understand why she did that.
Prudence half expected him to press further, but he nodded simply. “I bet you are much better than you think, but if you do not wish to show them, then that is fine. Perhaps when you are more confident in your skills?” He dropped his gaze to the set of paints. “Would you like these?”
Prudence quickly put some distance between herself and the pretty box, casting her gaze elsewhere. “Ah, no, thank you. With the state of my current skills, they would be a waste of money,” she said, ignoring the longing that tugged at her heart, unsure if it was for Aiden or the paints.
Again, Aiden did not push, and she ignored the mild disappointment that flashed through her, glancing around in search of another attraction to distract her thoughts.
She sighed when she spotted a stall selling jewelry and accessories and quickly pointed at it. “I’ll be over there, perusing the wares.”
Aiden watched her walk away silently, waiting until she was absorbed in browsing through the shiny tiaras before facing the owner of the stall before him. “How much for the paints?”
The vendor stated his price, and Aiden nodded, reaching into his pocket. “I’ll give you double if you can have it sent to my house. Give me something to write the address on.”
Prudence sighed at the sparkling pieces before her, trying to get over the loss of the chance to procure the paints, deeming that it was all for the best. She picked out a hair barrette with silver gleaming butterflies interwoven together, deciding it would make a wonderful gift for Imogen.
Aiden arrived at her side just as the vendor wrapped her purchase and handed it to her, and she forced a smile, not wanting to dampen the mood.
“Shall we find a place to rest? Perhaps with some refreshments?” he suggested.
Prudence nodded. “That sounds wonderful. I was just about to—”
“Fire! Fire!”
She whipped around at the alarmed shouts, noting that there was smoke rising from a stall a little ahead of them. Before she could think of what to do, Aiden handed her the things he had been carrying and then grabbed her arm as he sternly instructed, “Stay here. Do not leave this spot, do you understand?”
