Devrim's Discipline - Brianna Hale Page 0,38
things?
By the way, Mama and I are imposters at Court, and I’ve been lying to you. What a great start to a marriage.
A few days later, Aubrey and I go window shopping and stroll for an hour, while we gaze into the windows of milliners and dressmakers. A wedding dress boutique makes Aubrey pause as she gazes at the white satin and lace.
“I think I’ll enjoy Court much more now that Daddy’s taken the pressure off me to marry. Now when I dance with a man, I know he won’t go on and on about why or why not he’s suitable.”
I’m about to agree with her, before I remember that I’m not supposed to know about this. “He has? That’s great. It sounds like he’s been more relaxed lately.”
“So much more relaxed. It seems like, once he got those things about my mother off his chest, he’s become a different person.”
“How wonderful to hear,” I murmur, hoping I sound just the right level of interested. It’s tempting to ask more questions about the Archduke, but that could get dangerous. She might start to suspect there’s something going on between me and her father.
“As long as I don’t ask any questions about his past, I think he might stay like this. There are things I want to know about what he was like back then and what prison did to him, but I know he’s touchy about those things. Anyway, shall we walk back to the house and have some lemonade?”
We’re not far from Levanter House. I hesitate, and Aubrey puts her hand on my arm.
“Don’t worry. Daddy’s out.”
As far as she knows, every encounter I’ve had with the Archduke has left me in tears. He still does, a lot of the time, but now he kisses the tears away. “All right.”
It’s a short walk back to Levanter House, and we sit in the garden drinking lemonade. Swallows dip and dive in the early evening air, chasing flying insects.
Aubrey follows the path of one of the little birds across the garden. “What about you? Is your mother putting pressure on you to marry?”
“On and off. Maybe I won’t marry anyone.”
Aubrey catches the straw of her lemonade between her teeth and grins at me. “I bet she wouldn’t like to hear you say that.”
“Oh, boy. Tell me about it.” If our lands aren’t restored, then me marrying someone rich is her back-up plan.
A deep voice hails us from the patio. We look around to see the Archduke coming down the path toward us. I can’t help my short intake of breath at his unexpected appearance. He’s wearing his uniform trousers, but he’s taken off the jacket.
“Lady Wraye.” He turns to his daughter with a frown. “Aubrey, have you forgotten you promised Lady Sumner that you would spend the evening with her daughter?”
It’s plain to see from Aubrey’s face that she did forget. She glances at her watch. “I’m going to be late. Sorry, Wraye.”
Devrim stands back to allow his daughter to pass. “You go. I’ll see Lady Wraye out.”
Aubrey looks at me as if to ask if that’s okay, and I smile and nod.
“Thank you, Daddy. Bye, Wraye!” She waves at me as she hurries back toward the house.
Devrim and I look at each other. Alone together. It’s an unexpected treat. He sits down in Aubrey’s chair and draws in a deep, satisfied breath.
“How was your day?” I ask him, admiring his handsome profile in the golden light.
He takes a mouthful of Aubrey’s lemonade. “Hot and dusty. But the new recruits have improved a lot.”
As he gazes at me, a smile spreads over his face. My heart beats hard. It’s sweet and yet painful to look at him when he smiles. He makes me long for impossible things. “What are you so happy about?”
“Oh, nothing.” As he gazes across the garden, he reaches beneath the table, and his warm fingers curl around my own.
“You shouldn’t do that here,” I whisper, but I don’t draw my hand away.
“But I want to. It’s wonderful sitting here in the sunshine in my own garden with you.” His thumb brushes my knuckles. “You’re wonderful.”
So are you, so are you, so are you.
I want to say it, but too many feelings are dangerous. They can’t take us anywhere good. All the same, I hold his hand as tightly as I can.
When we finish our lemonade, he says, “I have that book that I promised your mother upstairs. Shall we fetch it?”
I should say no. Should, but we