The Duke's Heart 3q1729

THE DUKE’S

HEART

Copyright © 2021 Roxie Brandon All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, events, and places portrayed in this book are products of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Epilogue

CHAPTER 1

Fleur’s eyelids felt themselves become heavier as the night progressed on – she was already lamenting her decision of staying up late last night. She should have known better as she had known of this dinner party days prior but to be fair, these occasions were not her sip of tea. Fleur was confident in her everyday dealings - an independent woman who in her twenty one years of existence had raked up enough money to sustain herself without the aid of a man. It was a virtue that was instilled into her very early on by her father, who happened to be an iral back in the day. However, social gatherings tired her out when done in excess and once you threw in the addition of lack of sleep, you reach quite the conundrum.

“Fleur!” a female voice called out to her, drawing her out of her reverie, “Young lady, I have been searching all over the place for you. It’s like you blended yourself against the white of the walls.”

Fleur shrugged; she had been keeping a low profile all afternoon. “Sorry, Elizabeth,” she lamented to the woman, who actually happened to be the host of the dinner party; her neighbor and good friend. “The food was delicious, by the way. You always tend to throw the grandest of dinner parties,” she said quickly, attempting to steer the conversation away from any more discussion on her reclusiveness.

Fleur’s tactic seemed to work as Elizabeth turned a shade scarlet and waved her hand in the air dismissively, “Oh you know me,” she said modestly, “But enough about that. You do seem to look like you are having the most morbid time and I will not stand for this!”

Fleur tried to backtrack, “No, please – trust me, I am having a grand time!”

But Elizabeth, being the stubborn friend she was, would not have any of it. “Come, I know something that is bound to cheer you up!” she said and dragged her along with her to the main room where the bulk of the party was situated.

“Oh Elizabeth – really you don’t have -,” Fleur’s words were cut short as she came to see what Elizabeth was walking her over towards. Her emerald eyes lit up at once. “Elizabeth! When did you get this?”

The object of fascination happened to be a grand pianoforte situated at one corner of the room. In her previous sleepy haze, it seemed that she had completely missed this wooden beauty at first gaze. Elizabeth laughed at her friend – this was exactly the reaction she had been anticipating.

“I knew you would enjoy it. We got it on a very good offer – I thought it is the missing link this room needed to tie itself together. After all, I always loved your pianoforte at your house.”

But Fleur had stopped listening halfway. She had already sprung forward to the instrument and was already running her fingers along the length of its keys – touching it but only barely so.

“Can I?” she asked, turning back to Elizabeth with childlike excitement. The earlier traces of sleep all but washed away from her system.

“Go right ahead,” Elizabeth nodded and then stepped back.

Fleur had loved playing as long as she could . She ed stumbling across the instruments when she was a child. Along with her eight siblings, she was offered lessons but while their interest gradually fizzled away, hers only grew. And eventually, she developed the proficiency of a truly talent pianist. It was one of her biggest ions and Elizabeth loved watching her perform.

Fleur’s fingers glided expertly across the black and white keys of the instrument and they rang out to play deliciously melodic tunes. A small crowd gathered up around her as they listened appreciatively and by the time she was done, they broke into applause.

Elizabeth greeted her with a grin splattered across her face, “You amaze me every time,” she said to Fleur.

“Thank you. You’re always so kind.”

“You deserve every bit of it,” Elizabeth said grinning, “Anyway, we must spare no time now! Let us go off to the card room and have a game of whist amongst ourselves.”

Fleur smiled politely back at her – she did not want to flat out decline but at the same time, she knew if she went with her now, there would be no escaping.

“That sounds splendid,” she lied expertly, “However, if you do not mind, I need to make a short trip to the retiring room.”

“Of course, of course,” Elizabeth replied back and then Fleur was on her way.

She felt like she needed to get away from the large crowd and go into a quiet corner. But she knew that Elizabeth would not leave her alone for more than a few moments, lest she were to spot her again so she needed to devise a foolproof plan. Slowly, she headed over to the library in the next room, careful not to be spotted by Elizabeth or any of her family . She opened the door and was delightfully pleased to find that the room was empty.

Letting out a satisfied sigh, she took a seat on one of the chairs. Finally, she could have peace at last. With now the amusement of the pianoforte taken away, she felt herself drifting off to sleep once again.

***

Fleur was jolted back to consciousness as she felt a hand subtly shaking her by the shoulder. Annoyed and still groggy from sleep, she snapped her head up to find an unfamiliar male face staring back at her.

“What is the meaning of this?” she quipped at him as she lazily rubbed her eyes, having only just realized that she had fallen asleep in the middle of the dinner party.

The man pursed his lips together at her and shot her a look of disappointment.

“You should not be here sleeping. Are you not meant to be playing whist out

with the rest? Such improper behavior,” he scolded her lightly whilst standing over her.

But Fleur seemed to grow even more confused. “Who are you?” she demanded at once and then straightened out her dress, “And what business is it to you whether I sleep or stay awake?”

The man straightened his back, too, as a chain reaction. “My name is Duke Roger Trenton,” he announced with considerable pride.

But Fleur seemed unimpressed as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. “That did not answer my question. What is it to you if I sleep or stay awake to attend the party, Duke Trenton?” she added in the last bit quite sarcastically.

The Duke seemed to be quite offended. He had only just met this girl in the span of less than a few minutes and he already found her to be quite gauche.

“Well, my uncle and aunt have thrown this nice gathering and I find it most improper of guests of your likening to spoil the evening by sleeping away like this,” he said with a firm voice.

“Your uncle and aunt?” Fleur crinkled her nose in confusion, “Are you Elizabeth’s cousin?”

He nodded. “Indeed I am.”

“Ah,” Fleur let out, “Of course, she has never mentioned you, so I had no way of knowing. I am one of her very good friends and I believe she would agree with me when I say you had no business of waking me up like so,” she huffed crossing her arms out against her chest.

“It does not matter to me what she thinks,” the Duke scoffed, “I was only fulfilling what I thought was right.”

Fleur rolled her eyes at him. “If you think it is so improper that I have come here instead of ing the main party, why are you here standing with me? Bit of a double standard isn’t it, Your Grace?” she said sardonically.

The Duke was quiet for a moment and it caused a triumphant smile to spread across Fleur’s face. She was about to speak up again, claiming how she had been right about the double standard when the Duke spoke up.

“I only came here for some peace, however, you seemed to have taken over the place for yourself and I needed to get rid of you somehow,” he itted truthfully and then looked at her properly for the first time. “Are you the girl who was playing the piano just now?” he asked after a moment of realization.

Fleur raised her eyebrows at him but nodded. “That was me.”

“Ah, right,” he let out a strange sound that sounded both like disappointment and the state of being unimpressed.

Fleur caught onto this and replied back, rather irritated. “Why? Did you have a problem with that as well?” she fired at him.

He shook his head slowly, “Of course not – no problem. Just that I am a man of the books and these trivial pursuits do not serve to amuse me; though I cannot speak the same for everyone else present in that room.”

Fleur felt anger suddenly pulsate through her veins. This m

an thought he had the audacity to say such a thing to her in such a casual manner. "You are quite the opinionated gentleman," she huffed out in her anger but the Duke seemed to be unfazed by it.

"I only share my opinions honestly. You do not have to agree with them - that is very much your prerogative," he replied with a casual shrug of the shoulders.

"You are quite pompous in your opinions, has anyone ever told you that?" She hit back at him with an equally unimpressed stare.

"It is not often," he said after a moment of thinking, "However, I am an intellectual man who appreciates differences of opinion."

"Right," Fleur rolled her eyes once again, "On second thought, I am not so sleepy anymore. I must go and find Elizabeth."

The Duke looked at her for a moment and then realized that she had not asked for his approval as she had already begun to walk away. He walked over behind her.

"So how do you know my cousin Elizabeth?" he inquired her, curiosity getting the best of him.

"We have known each other for years. We are neighbors after all."

"Interesting," the Duke said in response and then stopped his motion.

She walked away and out of sight. Then suddenly, as if ing something of great importance, he ran over to her.

"What is the matter?" she said turning around, surprised by his sudden appearance.

"You never told me your name. It is against proper social etiquette for you to leave without informing me," he explained.

Fleur felt as though she had heard the word social etiquette far too many times for one day. But she decided to answer him anyway.

"My name is Fleur Moore."

And with that, she had walked away from him. The Duke took a moment to collect his thoughts. Such a strange woman - she had no regard for him even after he informed her he was a Duke. That was a reaction he was not usually accustomed to receiving from women. In fact, most people gave him special treatment after finding out the high position he enjoyed in the society.

The reaction both surprised and irked him. He had to it to himself that he had behaved a little rudely with her but that was only because she had been shamelessly taking over the one spot he thought he would find peace. The entire afternoon had taken its toll on him and he wanted to be left alone.

Truth was, the Duke was not feeling quite himself for the past few weeks. It was as though the pressures of daily life had turned into a burden on him lately. He sighed and then walked back into the library that was just recently vacated. Finally, with the improper girl out of the way, he could enjoy his time alone in peace.

CHAPTER 2

Elizabeth had invited Fleur over for breakfast the next morning. Fleur felt a sliver of guilt for being so uninvolved in the party last night that she decided to go. She wanted to catch up with her, as well, without the constant company of too many people around.

“Honestly, where did you disappear to last night?” Elizabeth said over the table when they finally sat down for breakfast, “I searched all over the place for you but it was like you vanished into thin air,” her tone was agitated.

Fleur shrugged and racked her brain for an alternate topic of discussion. “You know how I am, Elizabeth. Why must you force me into these things? I prefer my solitude and you know the only reason I attend your parties is that you are my closest friend,” Fleur sighed, deciding to be honest.

Elizabeth shook her head, “I do not understand you and your incessant need to be alone,” she said before biting into her breakfast.

“Yesterday was not entirely uneventful,” Fleur added as an afterthought, “I happened to have the chance to meet your cousin, the Duke,” she said casually.

But to her surprise, Elizabeth laughed, “Oh, did you know? Were you two sharing a hiding spot or something of the sort, because I did not happen to spot him the entire evening as well,” she joked.

“Why yes, actually. That is precisely what happened,” Fleur replied, missing the irony in her friend’s words. “He came whilst I was sitting in the library and we

had an unpleasant albeit brief conversation.” Elizabeth looked amused, “The library! Curse the heavens, for I should have checked there in the first place. Though – how amusing that the two of you would end up there, both trying to avoid your social obligation – what I would not give to witness the sight first hand! Did you say you had an unpleasant conversation with him?” Elizabeth rambled.

Fleur nodded, “He was rather rude to me for not being out there participating in the party,” she remarked, thinking back to the night earlier.

“Oh, was he? Bit odd considering the sort of person he is generally,” Elizabeth replied back.

“And what sort of person is that, exactly?”

Elizabeth laughed, “Well you might not like me making the comparison right now, but I dare say, the two of you are quite similar in many ways. He also does not like to socialize much – I do not understand the reclusiveness, considering he is a Duke but then again, I do not understand your reclusiveness either.”

Fleur shrugged, “I do not agree – he did not look similar to me when I met him last night.”

“Well, you must get to know him before you can draw that conclusion, my love,” Elizabeth reasoned, “He is actually staying over at the house – did you know that?”

This caused Fleur to suddenly straighten up in her seat, “You mean he is here at this current moment?”

Elizabeth laughed yet again, “Yes – asleep probably upstairs in his quarters but he is here in the flesh, none the less. He is staying over with us for a few days.”

“Oh dear,” Fleur said dramatically placing a hand on her top of her heart, “Well, if he is here then it means that I need to get out of the house at once.”

But before Elizabeth could muster up a response for her friend, the Duke himself walked into the dining room.

“It is rude to eavesdrop, but I could not help but wonder why you ladies are discussing me so profusely so early in the morning?” he said with a cocky smirk plastered over his face. He raised an eyebrow to both his cousin Elizabeth and Fleur.

“Oh, please,” Fleur huffed, suddenly regretting her decision to come over for breakfast, “That is hardly the case. We have more important things to discuss than you.”

“Your words say one thing, yet your actions say another,” he replied casually, “Cousin Elizabeth, I had the most exquisite honor of meeting your friend at the party last night. You never seemed to have mentioned her before, so I thought I should ask you directly of the woman who claims to be such good friends with you.”

Fleur rolled her eyes at the contemptuousness of the Duke’s words. “Please – she does not need to validate anything.”

“Now calm down, Fleur. Roger has a penchant to belt out these absurd remarks every now and then – do not take them to heart,” Elizabeth said, “And Roger – I should say you owe Fleur a little apology for behaving so crassly with her the night before.”

The Duke stared back at his cousin for a few seconds and then cleared his throat, “I should do so, however I do not see how I did anything wrong. I merely pointed out that what I saw was wrong – is all.”

“Forget it, Elizabeth. I do not require an apology from this man,” Fleur huffed. But to her surprise, the Duke started to chuckle.

“But if it does mean that much to you then I suppose I do not have any other choice in the matter, do I dear cousin?” he said to Elizabeth before turning to Fleur, “My lady, I should not have woken you up from your slumber the night before. But the liquor and the crowds of people had twisted my mood into something foul and you seemed to be in my way,” he said sincerely.

Fleur was taken aback – she did not think he was capable of conjuring up a genuine sounding apology. She nodded her head, “It is quite alright – now that you have realized your mistake.”

“Right – truce then?” the Duke said and then settled down in his chair at the dining table again, picking up his fork.

“I like how you two are getting along,” Elizabeth said with a laugh.

“I hardly call this getting along, cousin,” the Duke said in reply, “However, I will say the next time I catch you dozing off in the middle of an extravagant social affair, I will resolve to reaching a compromise rather than evicting you from the room.”

“Let us not hope there is a next time,” Fleur replied back dangerously.

“Enough bickering now! Let us eat in peace,” Elizabeth stepped in, not wanting to disrupt the pleasant atmosphere of the room.

Fleur sank back in her seat and observed the Duke from a distance. She found herself noticing how the stubble of his beard added a certain ruggedness to his face and how the chisel of his jaw gave his face definition. With an almost startling realization, Fleur came to the conclusion that the Duke was indeed a very handsome man.

Suddenly, she quickened the pace of her eating and tried to push the thoughts away from her head – she could not afford to be thinking like this about a man who had behaved so poorly with her only less than twenty four hours ago!

***

Elizabeth seemed to be adamant on getting the two of them to get along. She

convinced Fleur to stay for a little while longer after breakfast and thrust her into the garden with the Duke. After doing this, she herself conjured up an excuse and disappeared from sight.

“I do not understand why Elizabeth wants the two of us to get along so ardently but I am going to respect her efforts and not call her out on them for now,” the Duke remarked as the two of them strolled the lush green garden.

“You know how she is,” Fleur said with a shrug as though this was no surprise to her, “She is somebody who loathes conflict with a ion – so naturally, when she saw that there was tension between the two of us, she felt the need to barge in.”

“You seem to know my cousin very well,” the Duke said, “Apologies for making those dubious comments about it earlier.”

“I did not think you had it in you,” Fleur replied with a laugh, “Two apologies in the span of less than an hour – I am truly amazed, Your Grace.”

“Why is it every time you say, Your Grace, you infuse it with such venom that I begin doubting my claim to the title?” he said with his lips pursed.

“Well - commoners like myself do not get to rub elbows with people with titles like you that often, so excuse me if the word is a little difficult for me to roll off my tongue,” Fleur replied and the Duke suspected that there was a hint of sarcasm hidden behind her words.

“You may call me Roger if the title repulses you that much,” he replied coolly, “I do not really mind.”

Fleur was surprised to hear this, but she kept it hidden. “Roger it is, then,” she said and then paused for a moment, “So, Roger, what brings you to Bedfordshire at this time of the year?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “My mother wrote to me specifically and asked me to arrive here at my earliest convenience. I own an estate here where my mother resides; however, I live in our other estate a town apart. So I have come to visit her as well as my aunt and uncle,” he explained.

“Do you have any other siblings here or does your mother reside alone?” Fleur asked out of curiosity.

“Heavens no, I am an only child,” he said, “Elizabeth is perhaps the closest thing I have to a sister.” Fleur looked surprised.

“Interesting – I would not know what that feels like. I, myself, am from a big family. We are eight siblings in total.”

“Eight is quite the hefty number,” he replied.

“It is - growing up in a household comprised of so many people was quite the challenge. However, I do not see how you could ever relate to such a thing as you are highborn – surrounded by wealth and luxury,” Fleur remarked.

But to her surprise, the Duke started to grin. “Being the Duke is not quite as delightful as you might expect it to be or how I expected it to be anyway. There is little joy in possessing obscene amounts of wealth if one seldom finds the time to enjoy it.”

“Then you should cherish idle moments such as these – such as a leisurely stroll in the garden. I expect you do not have the luxury of doing this a lot in your daily lifetime,” Fleur offered.

“I am not going to lie to you now and tell you I do not enjoy the company of a beautiful woman by my side,” he said casually even though the statement caused Fleur to freeze a little.

Fleur gulped, “Your honesty is appreciated.”

The two of them continued on their walk. Therein, they exchanged many words and Fleur found that the two of them had many similar opinions on many matters, just as Elizabeth had mentioned to Fleur.

CHAPTER 3

“Roger!” Elizabeth Trenton called out to her son, “Come in here, I have some important matters I need to discuss with you.”

She ushered her son inside the room and then closed the doors to ward off any unwanted listeners from spying on them. Once inside, the Duke took a seat on the sofa in front of his mother, who was now pacing in front of him.

“What is it, Mother? What has gotten you looking so frazzled at this time of the evening?” he asked with genuine curiosity at his mother’s state.

“Well, I do have some news for you and you must digest it,” she announced, “There was a very specific reason I called you to visit me in Bedfordshire, you must know this.”

“I suspected it to be so,” the Duke said casually, “However, let us not build up the suspense any further. It would be most desirable if you were to just outright tell me now.”

“Fine, alright, but you must listen with an open mind,” the Duchess onished, “I have arranged a meeting for you tomorrow.”

“A meeting?” the Duke raised his eyebrows, “Of what kind?” He knew his mother rarely interfered in his business dealings, so he struggled to imagine what sort of meeting she had arranged for him.

The Duchess sat down beside her son. “Well, you are a much sought after man by the ladies yet you seem to have no interest in settling down and I will not be here forever,” she said vaguely.

“Mother, will you just outright come out and say what you mean? I am not fond of these elaborate web of puzzles you are weaving for me this current moment,” he said impatiently.

“Alright then,” the Duchess said finally, “I have arranged for you to meet a woman tomorrow who can be your potential wife – I have personally handpicked her out for you myself, so I expect you to show up without a word of complaint,” she said firmly.

The scenario finally clicked in the Duke’s mind – of course, what other reason could it be for his mother to be so impatient? He considered the idea for a second in his brain; he did not lie to himself – he had been toying with the idea of settling down in his mind for a few months now but there hadn’t been anyone who he had his eyes on. Perhaps he could go see this woman that his mother had chosen for him.

He nodded and the Duchess got up from her place of sitting and hugged her son in surprise.

“How delightful!” she said with great fervor, “I thought you would at least put up some form of a fight in your defense.”

The Duke shrugged, “No, Mother. I am quite indifferent to it now – I will meet this woman tomorrow.”

The Duchess clapped her hands together in excitement, “Oh you are going to absolutely love her. I am so pleased that you have agreed.”

***

Fleur Moore found herself dealing with an unlikely debacle over the course of the next few days. She had never much thought about the idea of love, much less how her ideal man should be like, but she found herself sitting in corners, daydreaming daydreaming of scenarios she had never thought about much before. And to her horror, she found that the cause of it seemed to be coming from one person who she had only recently met. And that person was the Duke.

Fleur felt at war with herself – her brain did not understand what her heart was telling her. After all, how was it possible to develop feelings for someone just after having two short interactions with them? She did not know why he had the effect that he did on her – perhaps it was only his face or perhaps it was the way he invoked feelings in her that she was not sure she was capable of having earlier. It was manic – the effect he had on her!

They say that love and hate are the opposite sides of the same spectrum. And so, if it were true that she developed a hatred for him when she first met him, it was also quickly becoming true that she was fast moving onto the other end of that same spectrum. Her emotions were transforming quickly into something she had not quite experienced before – could it be love?

Whatever the reason was, she found that she had developed something more than a little crush on the Duke and in her typical fashion, she had no idea what to do about it. She considered confiding in her best friend – Elizabeth - but she felt

scared of the judgment. She was not yet ready to it it out loud to herself – let alone anyone else. And so she kept it in. Little did Fleur know, as she kept her emotions to herself, developments were occurring in the Duke’s life that would make it wholly impossible for her to ever it her feelings to him out loud.

***

Her name was Daphne and she was the daughter of the Duke’s mother’s best friend, hailing from the same high society as he did. Their first meeting was awkward, to say the least, as the both of them sat beside each other in a crowded room where everyone seemed to know everyone already, based on their family ties.

“This communion is going to be amazing,” Daphne’s mother remarked, “I cannot think of a better woman to be by your side than my daughter.”

The Duchess chimed in, “I absolutely agree,” she said.

The Duke turned to look at the woman he was supposed to marry – she did not utter a single word to him, rather she avoided his gaze and had her eyes trained to the floor for the most part. He noticed that she was conventionally beautiful – but there was nothing so remarkable about her that would make him think of her for nights on end.

He turned to face her, “Would you like to go for a stroll in the garden?” he asked her, hoping to get her alone so he could get some time to know her.

She looked at her mother first and then back at the Duke and back to her mother again.

“Oh, you know how my Daphne is,” her mother said in response instead, “Of course you can, but Daphne is a little timid - we are all family here, you can speak to her here.”

The Duke nodded and sank back defeated into his chair.

“Worry not, my love,” the Duchess chimed in with a beaming smile on her face, “Once you two are bound in marriage, you will have a life time to speak to her.”

Daphne giggled at this and the Duke stared back at his mother in horror. It was true – wedding bells were eminent in the Duke’s future and it was true that he was settling down on the advice of his mother, but as he saw the two ladies interact, he began to wonder if he would ever be compatible with Daphne at all? The Duke decided he was going to have a lot to drink that night.

CHAPTER 4

With the progression of time, Fleur was only growing more infatuated with the Duke. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and that was certainly true for her scenario; she had not seen him again since the incident at breakfast, except very briefly outside Elizabeth’s house whilst she was running some errands with her mother. Fleur decided she would not keep her thoughts to herself anymore and the first confidant would be no one more relevant to the situation that she was in than Elizabeth.

“Why do you look so frazzled today?” Elizabeth asked her when Fleur came to visit her with the intention of a confession – clearly, Elizabeth could tell something was happening by the look on her friend’s face.

Fleur pursed her lips, “I need to talk to you on a matter of great urgency.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, “Great urgency, you say? Well come on in then and tell me.”

Fleur was fidgeting in her seat and playing with her hands. She wondered if it was this hard to confess to Elizabeth, how would she ever manage to do so in front of the Duke?

“I am trying to find the words, but they will not leave my throat,” Fleur said with a faux dramatic effect to her tone – she might as well make her situation humorous as it was already sufficiently awkward.

“You are spewing riddles and reaching no conclusions – you need to tell me

what is happening this instant, Fleur Moore!” Elizabeth said harshly.

When Elizabeth used somebody’s full name that certified that she meant business. Finally Fleur uttered a sigh of resignation – she knew that there was no point in hiding it anymore since she had come this far.

“I think I have developed feelings for someone,” she said timidly with her voice barely above a whisper.

This caused Elizabeth to suddenly perk up with curiosity, “Oh is that so now? Well, thank God, by the looks you were hosting on your face, I was under the impression you have come to deliver upon me some grave news of the advent of a disease or worse. This is quite the pleasant surprise,” Elizabeth concluded with a laugh.

“Well then, are you not interested in finding out whom I am referring to?” Fleur said rather impatiently. Now that she had confessed half of it, she could barely keep the other half from bouncing off the tip of her tongue.

Elizabeth nodded, “Of course, of course. Go on, then. Tell me the name of the person who has been stealing away your night’s sleep and making you into this frazzled nervous mess.”

Fleur sucked in a sharp breath, “Elizabeth,” she started, “I think I have fallen in love with…Roger.”

Now there aren’t a lot of things that have the capacity of shocking Elizabeth but this piece of information nearly knocked her out of her seat and her mouth fell agape.

“Roger? Do you mean…my Roger?” she asked in further shock.

Fleur nodded, “Yes, him.” “The Duke!” Elizabeth said clapping her hands together, “Oh who would have guessed? Just till yesterday I was under the impression you did not think very highly of him.”

Fleur let out a frustrated groan, “That is what I thought too but as it turns out, I have fallen in love with him. He occupies my thoughts like a stubborn tenant who does not pay rent but does not vacate the premises – I have no control over it and if I am being honest, it is driving me quite insane,” a scarlet blush had crept up on her cheeks by the end of the sentence.

Elizabeth just clasped her hands together in front of her and beamed at her friend. “I cannot express how this feels – I have never seen you like this and it is out-rightly the most precious thing I have seen, it turns out. You must confess your feelings to him; I am sure he will reciprocate.”

Fleur shook her head. She did not want to say so in front of Elizabeth, but she knew that she belonged to a different social class than the Duke hailed from. He was one of many estates and big family fortunes while Fleur was from a middle class family of ten, where everyone had to work to keep food on the table. She felt insecure about that fact and wondered if the Duke would ever accept her given her social standing. The thought made her heart drench with melancholy.

“And why not? I believe his mother is scheduled to visit us today – she might bring him along and then you can have a chat with him. I will personally make sure that it happens,” Elizabeth was getting quite excited about her matchmaking efforts now.

Fleur cracked a small smile. She did not have the guts to tell the Duke, but she was happy that she had at least confided in someone – it felt as though a boulder had now been removed from her chest. She felt very light. The two women agreed that they would meet again in the nighttime at dinner after the Duke’s mother had left. Elizabeth vowed to get any and all information from the woman that could help Fleur in her efforts.

***

Elizabeth Trenton sat across the room next to Elizabeth and her mother. The woman had a certain superior high society air about her – perhaps it was the way her back was always perfectly straightened or how her posh accent ran thick amongst the rest. But whatever it was, it cast a rather daunting impression on those nearby. She crossed her legs and sipped on her tea.

“Today, I did not only come to drink tea and exchange pleasantries. I have some important news that I feel proud to announce that you are the first ones to know,” she said with a smirk dancing on her face.

Elizabeth’s mother leaned over to her excitedly, “Well, what is it, Elizabeth? You must tell us at once if the news is as exciting as you are making it sound like.”

The Duchess laughed, “Well, Laura,” she said referring to Elizabeth’s mother

with her name, “I have the most astute honor of announcing that next week, my son is to be married in a lavish wedding ceremony.”

While Laura let out a delighted squeal and clapped her hands together in excitement at the news, Elizabeth stared back at the Duchess with her mouth agape.

“He is getting married?” she repeated in a state of shock, “But how can this be? I heard nothing about a betrothal – this seems very sudden.”

The Duchess nodded, “It all happened quite quickly after I expressed to him that I think he should settle down now. He trusts my choice and so when I showed him the woman I had handpicked for him, he was more than happy to oblige.”

“Who is the lady that you have picked?” Elizabeth asked out of sheer curiosity.

“She is lovely – oh dear Elizabeth, you will adore her also,” the Duchess gushed over her prospective daughter-in-law, “Her name is Daphne.”

After some more questioning, Elizabeth came to find out exactly who Daphne was. She had met her at a few balls but they had never sparked enough chemistry to ever have a memorable conversation. Elizabeth felt a lump in the back of her throat as she thought of Fleur – she would be devastated to hear about this news.

***

That night, Fleur went over to Elizabeth’s house as planned after the Duchess had left. She straightened out her clothes as she waited for the footman to come open the door. Since the afternoon, she had toyed a little more with the idea of confessing to the Duke. The thought still scared her, but she thought perhaps instead of confessing, she could attempt to meet him with the help of Elizabeth. Perhaps she could get him to fall in love with her and then he would confess himself without her needing to.

She was snapped out of her reverie when she felt herself being wound tightly in a hug by none other than Elizabeth herself. The hug was much tighter than usual and it left Fleur with an odd taste of a consolatory one in her mouth.

“Come in, come in, let’s go up to my room,” Elizabeth’s words were rushed as she dragged her friend up to her room. She sat her down on the edge of her bed and then began to nervously pace the room.

“Elizabeth,” Fleur finally called out, “What has gone into you? You are making me a little uneasy with your sudden onset of anxiety,” she remarked.

Elizabeth ran a hand through her hand, “I am sorry, I am quite disheveled at the moment; you must excuse me but as it turns out, I have the most terrible news to deliver to you.”

Suddenly, Fleur’s heartbeat accelerated as she began to think of all the grave possibilities. Slowly, she mustered up the courage to open her mouth.

“What is it?”

Elizabeth shot her friend another one of those looks that suggested that she felt sorry for her and walked her over to the bed, gently lowering her onto the bed, sitting down beside her and wrapping an arm around her.

“When Her Grace came over to visit, she brought with her some news that I am sure you will not be so fond of.”

Fleur nearly jumped up from her place of sitting, “What is it? Is the Duke alright – has he sustained some form of injury?”

Elizabeth shook her head, “No it is not that,” she said and then paused for a moment, “It turns out that the Duke is getting married very soon.”

Fleur went into a state of shock as she stared back at her friend – she could not believe the words that were coming out of her friend’s mouth. “But,” she finally spluttered out, “How did this – this was not – this is so sudden. Has he chosen her for himself and how long was this going on for?” Fleur fired her questions at Elizabeth – she felt the onset of humiliation. The man she loved was already off to be married to some other woman.

“No, it is not premeditated. I believe his mother chose a girl for him and he simply agreed without putting too much thought into the matter,” Elizabeth told her.

Fleur threw her head into her hands, “This is awful – what am I meant to do now?”

Elizabeth did not have an answer to her words – she just pursed her lips. “I am sorry.”

***

Fleur did not sleep that night as she thought of the events of the day. Her heart pulled on its strings as she thought of the fact that the Duke was now going to marry someone else entirely. This is what heartbreak feels like.

The wedding ceremony was personally put together by Elizabeth Trenton. It was a lavish affair where the guests all walked the entrance decorated in bouquets and complete orchards. The entire chapel and its outdoor surroundings smelled of beautiful flowers and the bride walked the aisle while donned in white. The guests gasped and clapped at the arrival.

The groom stood at the end of the aisle and took in the sight of her. She was a beautiful woman, no doubt, but as he stood there, he felt no spark or no connection. It was as though he was a guest at someone else’s wedding and it took a nudge from the priest for him to realize that this was not something where he could participate from the sidelines. This was his own wedding day and very soon, he was going to officially wed her as his wife. Daphne walked over to him and flashed him a perfect smile. They said their vows and the crowd clapped. They were now the Duke and Duchess.

CHAPTER 5

Laura had thrown a lavish dinner party for the Duke where she had invited half the town. It was meant to be a celebration of his marriage to Daphne. It was a lavish and most extravagant affair and Fleur found her name etched across the guest list. It was going to be a long day. Fleur was dreading seeing the Duke again now that he was a married man. Her feelings for him had not yet diminished by accord and she knew that she might splutter out her heart’s contents if she were to face him again. Thankfully, Elizabeth sympathized with her and assisted her in her efforts in dodging the Duke.

“You must stay here in this room,” Elizabeth told her, “I am sure Roger will not come here, for he is entirely busy with everyone outside. They are flocking him like hounds – everyone wants to wish the Duke and new Duchess a happily married life.”

Fleur tried to hide the fact that the word Duchess made her wince a little. She had to get comfortable with the idea that the man she was in love with was a married man. Fleur tried to appease her mind by looking for other distractions – she looked over to where the gentlemen were enjoying their glasses of wine and a wicked thought crossed her mind. It was true that it was frowned upon for women to drink openly at gatherings but right now, given her state of mind, she did not care much about social conventions. In fact, if she were to survive being in the same room as her beloved and his lover then she definitely needed to put some liquid assurance in her system.

She pranced over to the table and picked up a glass for herself and before she even knew it, she had downed the liquid in one go. It burned against her throat and she welcomed the feeling. Two glasses later, she was already beginning to feel at ease. A warmth sprouted from the bottom of her stomach and stemmed out to the rest of her. She decided she was done being alone and ventured out of her designated room, even though she knew the risk of seeing the Duke outside was much higher but in her state of semi-inebriation, she welcomed the risk.

First, she came to meet Daphne. “My name is Fleur,” she introduced herself to the woman with a sly smile on her face, “Congratulations on your marriage.”

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her; she did not know who this woman was. But Fleur was quick to clear that up.

“I am very good friends with Elizabeth,” she explained, “Elizabeth is your husband’s cousin – well, at least according to him she is the closest thing he has to a sister.”

Daphne nodded but something in her mannerisms felt forced. Fleur observed that it almost seemed as though she was putting on a façade for show. From afar, Daphne seemed to look like the picture of perfection with bouncy blonde hair and her perfect smile that she flashed every now and then. But something about her did not seem very genuine to Fleur. Still, Fleur dismissed the notion all together thinking she might be biased from her love for the Duke.

They did not exchange any more words and Fleur was on her way. She searched the crowd for Elizabeth – suddenly she did not want to stay in the party anymore. She was done with the festivities and the alcohol in her system had mellowed her out significantly. She decided to retire to her old place where she found solace the last time she was at a party like this. She walked over to the library and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it had been unlocked. Walking in though, she saw something she was not expecting to. The Duke sat on the couch with a glass of brandy in his hand.

“Fleur?” he called out to her as he noticed her tiptoe in.

“Oh – sorry I did not mean to intrude. I will be right on my way,” she said but before she could rush her way out, the Duke called her back in.

“Wait, Fleur,” he said to her in an intense tone, “I do not want you to go. Come – stay with me, have a drink!” he offered.

Fleur slowly made her way to him, “It seems you do not care about propriety today – here you are encouraging me to ignore the ongoing party outside and stay here with you,” she said as she sat down next to him.

The Duke laughed and it caused a pang of something in Fleur’s heart. This was a bad idea – she told herself – being this close to him when she was so head over heels in love with him and he was a married man. But she decided to be in the moment and discarded all thoughts out the window.

“Well, it seems that you still harbor some bad feelings about that day,” he laughed, “I told you – my intention that day was not to be malicious. Besides, I decided I quite like your company after we had that chat in Elizabeth’s garden.”

Fleur gulped, “Well I am glad that you think so, Your Grace.”

“I thought we agreed that you will call me Roger from now onwards,” he said casually taking another sip out of his glass.

“You’re right,” Fleur nodded, “But what am I meant to call your wife now?” The

words rolled off her tongue before she even had the chance to stop herself.

The Duke gave her a look, “Well, you may call her anything you want. Her name is Daphne,” he said nonchalantly.

Fleur could not help herself – she had far too many questions about the Duke and his marriage and she felt that this was a good chance to ask them, instead of wondering about them for the rest of her life.

“I did not see you as the type who would settle down so soon,” she said, trying to sound as casual as she possibly could, “But here you are – wedded and taken in the short span of a few days that I have gotten to know you.”

The Duke laughed in response, “It was quite sudden, I will give you that,” he said.

“Then why did you agree to it?” Fleur asked him.

He looked back at Fleur and for once, he did not have an answer himself. He had been telling himself that he had agreed to this marriage because his mother had said so and that it was convenient, but right now as he sat next to her, all of those things looked like petty excuses. He did not know why he had married her and right now, looking at Fleur straight in the eyes, he was not sure if he even wanted to marry her. Fleur nudged him softly, snapping him out of his daze. He shook his head.

“I do not know, if I was to tell you the truth,” he said honestly, “But I guess that the only thing I can say with utmost certainty is that I did not know if anyone else was going to come along in my life, so I decided to settle for her.”

Fleur was taken aback by his honesty and it encouraged her to do the same. “Maybe you should have waited then,” she told him and unconsciously moved over to him a little, “Perhaps the right person had been in front of you all along?”

The Duke laughed, “Well if she was then she should have made her presence felt before.”

Fleur struggled with herself. She wanted to tell him everything, all her heart’s content. “Roger,” she started. She noticed that her breathing had suddenly gotten really rough. “Roger, I need to tell you something.”

The Duke straightened up and took another sip of his drink. “You can tell me anything that you want.”

And then it finally dawned upon him – he had not married Daphne because he had thought that there was no one else left out there for him or that he had listened to his mother. No, the real reason he had married her was much deeper. For the past few months, the Duke had been wrapped in a near constant cloud of grief and depression. His grim thoughts had been his most constant demons. Depression is a state where everything becomes monotonous - not even the joys of living such a lavish life brought him any sense of relief or happiness. It was a grey life and the Duke had been struggling to find some color within its walls.

And that is when he decided that he needed to take a chance. He decided that perhaps marriage would be the thing that would eventually bring him out of his depression – a new start and getting to know another person. But now – a week into his marriage, he had been proven wrong as nothing changed. Everything was still the same stagnant grey as it had been before.

He sighed. Meanwhile, Fleur battled with her own anxiety. She knew that this was a now or never type scenario – if she didn’t tell him now, then she would forever regret keeping it in. For now, she knew that she had no chance with him. He was already taken by another woman so it should not make any difference to him what she felt about him. But telling him would be a sort of catharsis that Fleur desperately needed – perhaps after telling him, she could finally begin to get over him as that would be the final nail on the coffin.

“I well, I do not know how to say this,” she said with a nervous laugh. The Duke began to become a little curious at this point.

“Well perhaps we need to put more alcohol in you – then you might be able to properly speak your mind,” he suggested.

Emboldened by his suggestion, she took the glass from his hands and brought it to her own lips and drank. Once the cool liquid hit her throat, she had gained enough confidence to speak her truth.

“I think I am quite ardently and most definitely in love with you,” she said without skipping a beat.

An awkward silence fell upon the air as Roger struggled to comprehend the

weight of her words. He blinked several times over and then opened his mouth only to shut it again. He had been rendered speechless.

Fleur took this as a bad sign and suddenly, her cheeks flushed red. She stumbled to get off the couch and away from him.

“I am sorry – I shouldn’t have – please forget,” she mumbled but before she could properly stand up, the Duke clasped her hand and pulled her back in.

“Why did you not tell me this before?” he asked, regaining his ability to speak.

“Well,” she said blushing, “I only realized it not too long ago and then I found out that you were to be married.”

The Duke stared back at her. “I had no idea.”

“Well,” she said awkwardly fidgeting beside him, “What is there to be done about it now?”

She felt the intensity of the Duke’s gaze on her and it made her blush even deeper. She was under his scrutiny and she had no idea what was rummaging through his head at the moment.

“I don’t know,” the Duke replied.

Suddenly, he was seeing her in a totally different light. Her confession had an odd effect on him and he found himself being drawn to her without his own conscious effort.

“I should go,” she said and tried to get up from beside him but to her surprise he pulled her back in.

Now, being just a few inches away from his face, she could feel his cool breath fan across her face. She gulped, unsure what to do next. Suddenly, his lips were crashing down on hers and molding themselves along their contours. Fleur was surprised by his reaction, but she soon wound her fingers in his hair and kissed him back. They devoured each other for a few moments before the Duke suddenly stood up urgently and took her hand.

“We cannot do this here,” he said to her as he settled his disheveled hair.

“What are you saying?” Fleur asked him, still breathless from the kiss.

“I am saying that,” he paused and then looked back at her, biting down his lip. She was absolutely beautiful – how had he so blatantly missed this the first time they had met? If he had known something like this was possible between them, he would not have agreed to get married.

“I am saying that I am going to take you home,” he said looking at her straight in the eye, making sure that his intention was clear.

Fleur looked back at him with the same dazed look – the man she loved was asking to take her home with him. In her head an image of Daphne flashed before her but then she shut off her mind of all thoughts about her completely. She took his hand. “Take me.”

CHAPTER 6

The next morning, Fleur awoke with a raging headache. She draped the sheets around her body and found that she was alone in a bed that she was not familiar with. Gasping, she got up as she realized what had transpired the night before. She had expressed her feelings to the Duke and what had happened next was something she had never expected. The Duke had taken her up and they had spent the night together. Bile rose in her throat, but she could not bring herself to regret any moment of it. It had been perfect and everything that she had wanted it to be. She turned to her side and saw that even though the Duke had gone, he had left a note for her on the bedside. Slowly, she picked it up and opened it.

I had a wonderful time with you. I appreciate your love for me. Please know that this is not the end. We should figure out where this road takes us.

She read the note over and over and before long she had it memorized. She traced the contours of his handwriting as she mulled over her own thoughts, blushing as she ed the time that she spent with him. There were too many thoughts present in her head and she needed to get back home. A cure of a hangover was needed but was a cure for a broken heart also required?

Had she just so willingly entered into an affair with a married man? A married man – who, that too, was very different from her in of social class. If anyone was to ever find out about their tryst, it would be the talk of the season. She knew she had to hide this. But no matter how big the secret was, there was one person whom she could not hide anything from. She had to talk to Elizabeth.

***

Elizabeth was in her garden, bent over her petunia flowers when a flabbergasted

Fleur appeared in front of her. She put down her gardening tool and examined her friend from afar.

“Why on earth do you look so distraught?” she asked her, eyeing her up and down.

Fleur shook her head, “I have a lot to tell you – please come inside with me so I can get this off my chest.”

Elizabeth followed her inside the house and then crossed her legs out in front of her. “Go ahead, tell me what has happened,” she prodded but then found herself getting distracted, “Though – did you leave the party early last night? I did not see you later.”

Fleur’s heartbeat started to accelerate at the ends - could it be that Elizabeth already knew?

“I did,” she said briefly, unsure of how to start to explain the events that took place after she left.

“Well – that confirms it – you and Roger are actually so alike,” she said as a matter of fact, “He left the party early last night as well. Nobody knew what had gotten into him. I actually had to sit out with his wife the whole time after – she complained about it.”

The words made an uneasy feeling of guilt rise inside Fleur. The reality started

to click in front of her as she began to see things how they truly were. Was she out of her mind to confess that she had slept with a married man, even if it was to her best friend? The mention of the word wife had thrown her back into reality, and she realized that telling Elizabeth what had happened would be a bad idea.

“Anyhow, that is not so important anymore,” Elizabeth dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand, “You are more important here. Now tell me – what did you come here to say?” she asked.

But Fleur had changed her mind. She pursed her lips, “Actually – well, it’s not significant anymore.”

Elizabeth made a face at her, “What do you mean by that?”

Fleur dished out the first excuse her brain could conjure up, “Well – actually I came to tell you about how I left the party early. That was really it, since I did not want you to be offended about it. Of course, you already knew so my telling you now is pointless.”

Elizabeth scrunched up her face in a way that told Fleur that she did not buy her excuse but to her relief, Elizabeth did not press further for more questions and decided to let the topic go.

“Well, fine then,” she said, “But now that you are here, let us go into town with Mother. There is a wonderful new bakery open on the main street and I am just dying to try out the new butter bread.”

Fleur felt thankful that her friend was so easily amused by things – it was proving to be in her benefit today.

***

It had been two days since the two of them had the exchange at the party and the Duke had yet not made any sort of efforts to her. She had to remind herself that it wasn’t as though she was waiting for him to her but deep down she knew that it was a lie. She was waiting on him ever since she had read that note that he had left her – the note that was now conveniently plucked away in her dresser, away from all prying eyes and only for her to know the existence of.

Fleur had not yet decided what to do with the whole scenario. Morally, she knew that she was in the wrong but her feelings for the Duke served to cloud her judgment. She wrestled against herself but she knew that when and if the time would come again, she would not be able to resist the Duke. Thud. Fleur jumped up from her bed at the noise. She felt around in the darkness of her room and only when another similar thud came through, she realized that the noise had been coming from the window.

Begrudgingly, she walked over to the window – groggy and confused. In the dim light of the moon, she made out a familiar face standing beneath her. Roger was standing outside throwing rocks at her window. She whisper-yelled from her window to tell him to stop, in a state of panic. He winked back at her and told her to come down. With an odd fear and excitement coming from inside of her, she quickly put on her dressing gown and made her way downstairs.

“What is it?” she told him when she finally came face to face with him, “What is the meaning of this?” she asked.

“I knew you were an irer of Romeo and Juliet,” he said, flashing her a grin.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but then she looked at him in the steady dim of the moonlight – he looked nearly handsome enough to knock her off her feet.

Her breath came out hoarse, “Why have you come here?” she asked.

He shrugged and pulled her down on the cool grass lawn to sit on the ground with him, “I suppose I missed you and wanted to see you.”

She bit back her lip, “Are you telling the truth?”

He nodded, “I do not know – I have not been able to stop thinking about you ever since that night. It is as though you were something that was in front of me all along but somehow I was too blind to see it. But I see it now.”

Fleur bit back her tongue from mentioning his wife – she did not want to dim the mood by mentioning the sad reality of their actions. No, right now she wanted to exist in this fairytale.

“I have not been able to either,” she nodded.

“What should we do about it?” he said, now instinctively inching a little closer to her.

She shrugged, “I know just as much to do as you.”

He breathed in her scent and tried to familiarize himself with it. He could not get enough of her. She, in turn, leaned in her head and rested her forehead next to his and before they knew it, one thing was leading to another.

“Let us go to an inn,” he suggested in the midst of it all somewhere and in her inebriated state, she agreed. No, Fleur had not consumed a drop of alcohol that evening but she was drunk on the idea of Roger and the love that she fostered for him.

***

The two of them found themselves falling into a pattern of events. Most nights, they would meet in an obscure inn in some part of the town, both disguised to not make their appearances known. It was secretive and dramatic and they both thrived on it for they only had a few hours before Fleur would have to get home, sneaking in the same window she would leave by.

More than anything, they would sometimes just sit and talk into the late hours of the night. They would discuss their childhoods and how they felt about things around them. It was a source of great comfort for the Duke. For months, he had been battling with demons with his depression but now, it seemed that his life

finally seemed to have a little bit of excitement. More so, the Duke found himself falling a little in love with Fleur and all her mannerisms.

“I honestly do not want to leave,” he told her one day whilst they sat together in bed.

Fleur nuzzled up closer into his neck, “Mhm, I do not want to leave either.”

“Why could you not have come into my life earlier?” he asked her with his eyes fixated on the ceiling of the room.

“I ask myself that too,” she murmured, “To think if it hadn’t been for that day in the library, we would have never met each other.”

He nodded, “Well that day is now my favorite day.”

Fleur thought of Daphne and how she was so blissfully unaware of what was transpiring behind her. It made her feel strange, as it always did but she suppressed the feeling. For now, she was content with this.

CHAPTER 7

Daphne saw the Duke arriving home early the next morning and called him over.

“Where have you been?” she asked with her hands crossed out in front of her.

The Duke paused and then went over to give her a hug, “I was away,” he kept his words short –not wanting to straight out lie but also not giving anything away.

“Well – it seems as though you are always away,” she said in a bored voice before turning away and walking back to the couch.

“I am here now,” he said to her.

It was not as though the Duke had not tried to attempt to make his marriage work. He was not an inherently bad person and he did not think that cheating was something a person should indulge in but every time that he tried to talk to Daphne, it bore no fruit. They had nothing in common and conversations were very dull. She had refused to consummate the marriage and they had separate sleeping quarters. The Duke had vowed he would not have a marriage like his parents had had, his father had several concubines and his mother had turned a blind eye to them as she enjoyed the wealthy and noble lifestyle she was living.

But I’ve done the same thing to Daphne, he thought as he shook his head. He was no better than his father and he thought too highly of Fleur to keep putting her in that awful position. He tried to think back to the moment he had agreed to marry her – he did not see why he had done it. He cursed himself – he should have waited a little longer for the right person to come along but he did not and

now he had to suffer the consequences.

Daphne nodded, looking bored and announced that she had a long day and would now be returning to her quarters to sleep. It was as though the two of them were both equally uninterested in each other and their union was, indeed, a very unfortunate match.

***

Roger decided that he no longer wanted to meet Fleur at inns and other obscure places. They had only been intimate two times, the rest of the time they talked. He loved how intelligent she was and she loved hearing his tales of his childhood and of running the estates now. He made up his mind to bring her home and show her the inside of his massive house – the empty estate that was only occupied by him and Daphne and their plethora of servants. Fleur agreed.

The two of them snuck into the sleeping quarters at an obscure end of the house when the Duke was sure that Daphne was fast asleep. But instead of doing anything else, they just sat and talked.

“I how you told me you did not like music when we first met,” she laughed.

“Ah, why yes – it still holds true to some extent – I am more of a man of the books,” he said in his defense.

“Well – I see no problem in being both,” she said and then her eyes lit up, “I love the pianoforte – it is one of my ions and I cannot imagine a life without it.”

Seeing her get so excited about a topic, the Duke conjured up an idea. “Do you want to play?”

He opened the closed door to the ading room where a piano sat collecting dust. “I would love for you to show me your skills,” he offered.

Fleur could not help but accept his offer – she loved playing music and did not turn down any opportunity to do so. As the Duke watched her lovingly caress the keys with her eyes focused intently on the keys as she made them harmonize so melodically, he began to realize that perhaps he did not mind music so much at all. In fact, when she played it with so much ion pouring out from her, it made him love it just as much as her.

That was when he realized that he loved her, for when you love someone, everything that they do ends up becoming a favorite of yours, or so he believed in his version of love. He was quite shocked at the realization that he loved her, but he knew to deny it would be to deny what the heavens had planned out for him.

Suddenly, there was a sound from the top of the stairs and the Duke realized in panic that the sound of the music had woken Daphne up.

“Quick,” he said to Fleur and halted her playing, “I think Daphne is on her way here. You must hide yourself in the other room.”

And without waiting to listen to a reply, he ushered her away to that room. Fleur waited inside, still stunned from what had just happened. In that moment, as she heard the Duke talking to his wife on the other side of the door and reassuring her, Fleur felt a taste of something she had never experienced so intensely before. She felt shame. Shame that she had to hide away from everyone and the person who openly claimed the Duke as her own was out there with him at this moment. She felt like the other woman and it twisted her heart. She did not know why it made her so emotional but tears started to leak out of her eyes as she waited and hid herself away. She felt pathetic and thought to herself that she did not deserve this life of sneaking around. Right there, she made a decision.

***

“What do you mean, Fleur?” the Duke said to her the next time they met up in the secrecy of an inn but this time, she had no intention of staying with him in shame. She had only gone there to deliver a message to the duke.

“I mean exactly what I said,” she told him sternly, “I will not shame myself anymore. I know we just talk but I feel this is not right, Roger. I refuse to do it any longer, and I will not see you anymore.”

The Duke tried to dismiss it as a joke at first – surely, she could not be serious but when she crossed her hands out in front of her, he started to think that perhaps she was.

“So what are we to do then?”

“Well it seems that you will have to pick one of us – I cannot go on leading this double life any longer,” she complained.

Roger knew that this conversation was due – he had been anticipating it but he did not know that it would come so soon. He tried to relax her by rubbing her shoulders, but she shrugged him off almost vehemently.

“No, Roger,” she said to him. “I do not want to see you again. I am making the choice for us. You need to stay with Daphne.” “Fleur, please…” he began, but his answer was the shutting of the door, and he was left alone, still in shock at what had happened. But he could not blame her.

***

Fleur knew she had done the right thing. The clandestine meetings with Roger had shattered her heart and her soul. Yes, she loved him, would only ever love him, but she could not continue their meetings. The two intimate times were dear to her heart, although she was loathe to it that even to herself.

Fleur could not eat; she spent her days alone in her room, not wanting to see even Elizabeth when she came calling, worried because she had not seen Fleur in weeks. One more week had ed when her worried mother knocked on her door, insisting that Fleur accompany her to one of the shops in town. While she had refused, her mother would not take no for an answer, and so Fleur dressed and walked the short distance into town. While the fresh air did make her feel better, her heart was not interested as it was still shattered in two.

After her mother had finished her shopping, they stopped at the bakery for some

fresh bread to take back home. While her mother was paying, Fleur snuck out the side door, wanting to be alone for a bit, away from all the chatter and gossip occurring in the bakery. She heard soft moaning and walked to the back of the bakery then towards the woods where she heard the noise coming from, afraid that someone was injured and needed help. As she edged closer, she realized the sound was coming from a man and a woman as they kissed ionately.

Embarrassed and not wanting them to see her, Fleur quickly turned to head back the way she had come when words uttered from the woman’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Oh, Nathaniel! How I love you! Roger is an absolute insufferable man. Curse his sadness day in and day out, it is no way for a woman such as myself to live but his wealth will allow us to live the life we have always dreamed of. Soon, my love, soon.” Fleur did not even need to look back to see who had uttered those words as she recognized the voice immediately, it was Daphne.

CHAPTER 8

Two more weeks had gone by, and the Duke had respected Fleur’s wishes and had not ed her. She wrestled with writing a letter to the Duke, telling him what she had overheard but he would probably not believe her. What business is it of mine anyway? she thought and decided to put the incident out of her head. Besides, Elizabeth had insisted that she go to a ball with her as she was worried about Fleur, who did not look well and who still wanted to do nothing but hide away in her bedroom.

Fleur had refused but at both Elizabeth’s and her mother’s constant insistence, she had given in. She had to it that getting ready for the ball made her feel a bit happy again. She wondered who she might meet, if they would ask her to dance and if she might feel even a little bit of attraction to them.

Fleur was in a happy and festive mood as they arrived at the ball. A handsome young man, Thomas, quickly asked her to dance and she eagerly accepted. After two sets, they walked off the dance floor where they continued to talk a little, getting to know each other.

“I need to speak to you,” the Duke said in a demanding voice as he cornered Fleur at the ball whilst she was on her own for a moment. Fleur was shocked.

What was he doing here? Her mind raced back to the day she had overheard Daphne behind the bakery and she wondered if Daphne might have run off with Nathaniel.

Fleur gave him an icy stare, “Well I do not wish to speak to you at the moment,” she said stiffly before turning away, “and you cannot make me.” “Can’t I?” the Duke said, spinning her around to get her to face him, “It looks like I can!”

Fleur glared back at him – running a hand through her wild hair, she desperately sought some form of escape. She did not want to speak with him at the moment and was not in a mood to deal with anything that he had to offer.

“I can see that you are noticeably angry,” she started to say but he cut her off.

“Why, how awfully observant of you,” he snapped back at her.

Fleur ignored his sarcasm and raised her eyebrow, “Make it short.”

That was all that the Duke needed to hear. He grabbed Fleur by the hand and took her to one of the empty rooms. Once there, he closed the door behind him.

“Explain yourself,” he said sternly with his arms crossed out in front of him.

“There is nothing to explain,” Fleur spat back with equal venom in her tone.

“Do not make me spell it out for you, Fleur,” the Duke warned and his tone promised dangerous consequences.

Fleur pursed her lips, “You do not have the right to play the jealousy card,” she told him with a stern face, “You, of all people, do not have the right to do so.”

“Who is he to you?” the Duke asked again, ignoring every word she had just uttered to him.

“Again, you do not have the right to play the jealousy card. Whatever he is to me is between the two of us – you are not one to be asking such questions,” she huffed. This caused the Duke to suddenly pull her closer to him, “How can you say that I am not one to be asking these questions? Have you forgotten all about our time together?” he questioned her.

“What is there left to ?” she replied with a little hurt seeping into her tone, “You are not willing to leave your wife – so why should I wait from the sidelines and watch, just to get myself hurt?”

The emotions that she had kept bottled up inside for so long were now freely flowing out.

The Duke’s face softened at once, “You know none of that is true and you know that I care about you very much.”

“I do not see how you do when all you do is talk and there are no actions,” she said. “Has your wife left by now? Apparently, Nathaniel is much more of a man than you,” she spat out, shocked that she did not have the power to stop the words.

“Why do you not see my actions? And who is Nathaniel? Why would you think Daphne has left me?” the Duke said frustrated, “Do you not see how I ignore my

wife for you? I have not even taken her to bed – all because I feel I do not want to do you any wrong, why cannot you see that?” he demanded with a hint of desperation in his tone.

She gave him a wry sarcastic smile, “Then why is it so hard for you to leave her? I am done playing my role as the other woman. But not to worry, Daphne will make it easy very soon for you and I will no longer be interested.”

“What foolishness are you talking about Daphne? And you have not answered my question as to who this Nathaniel is. And, you are not the other woman,” the Duke said to her, suddenly grabbing her hand, “You are the only woman who has been able to capture my heart. There is no one else but you.”

“You say that so easily but then there you are with a ring on your finger while mine lays bare,” she remarked, “Perhaps I should court Thomas – I am sure he would be willing. Maybe then we could continue our little affair and you would see what it is like being with someone who already belongs to somebody else.”

The Duke’s face soured up noticeably at the mention of the other man but he tried his best not to let his emotions get the best of him. “You are the one my heart belongs to.”

“Then leave your wife,” she gave him her ultimatum – her words rang crisp and clear.

Although she knew and hoped that Daphne would run off with Nathaniel and make Roger’s mind up for him.

The Duke hesitated and then opened his mouth to speak, ‘You know it is not that easy.”

“And that is where we part, Roger,” she said to him, “You wish to have it all – a beautiful high society wife by your side but then still indulging in your unfaithful whims on the side – I cannot bring myself to be a part of this any longer. I thought I loved you and perhaps I still do but I cannot berate my heart more than it already has been – I have suffered enough.”

“Are you leaving me - again?” he said to her in a small voice that for a moment, it seemed as though he was a child yet again.

Fleur did not know the answer to that question. She did not want to end it with him again after seeing him again now – for if she did, she would do nothing but miss him terribly once again, but she knew that she could no longer participate in this show where she was the side woman and another woman called herself his wife. She wished that Elizabeth had not talked her into coming to this ball as seeing him again was doing strange and dangerous things to her heart. She had had enough of this.

“That is for you to decide,” she finally said to him, “Now – stand aside and let me be. I will go out there and return to Thomas and you shall not follow me or bother me once again. Only speak to me when you have made a decision – I am not here to cater to your uncertainties.”

She turned towards the door, but bitterness overcame her and she turned back to Roger, words suddenly spewing from her mouth.

“Oh yes, Nathaniel. Apparently, he is Daphne’s lover. I happened to come upon them two weeks ago when I stepped outside the bakery for some fresh air while Mother paid for the bread. I heard, umm, noises coming from the woods and thought someone was injured and needed assistance. I was mistaken. There in a ionate embrace was Daphne and Nathaniel. She told him that they would be together very soon, that is why I thought maybe she had left you.”

And with that, she left with the Duke only left staring behind her, a shocked expression on his face.

***

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Thomas asked Fleur a little while later and she gave him a small smile and a nod.

“Yes,” she said. She could not help but notice that her conversations with him were so vapid – empty of any substance and often consisting of small talk.

“You look very beautiful tonight,” he said to her and flashed her a smile.

She looked around, as if on instinct, to see if the Duke was around but he was nowhere to be found. Then, it was no use orchestrating a love affair with Thomas in the middle of the ball as the Duke was not around to witness it. Fleur had been hoping to make him more jealous but it was not to be. She just smiled back politely at Thomas.

Fleur knew that she was still head over heels in love with Roger and he was still pretty much the only man for her. She hated how the cards had played out and how they could not be together. She knew that the Duke did not love Daphne – she was not insecure about that part but the thing that had upset her the most was how he was unwilling to get his marriage annulled.

She looked back at Thomas, but she did not see him for who he was. Instead, she only saw the emptiness that the Duke had left in his wake. She felt envious of Daphne for she got to flaunt the Duke – they could go out in public and she could wrap her hands around him without having to cast several stealthy gazes around to see if anyone was looking or not. But Daphne did not love him, that much was evident.

She wanted that life with the Duke but she knew that was only ever going to be a dream that would be forever unfulfilled. Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Quickly, she excused herself from the company of Thomas and made her way to the retiring room. Once inside, she bent over the porcelain bowl and retched out her stomach contents. The bile made her mouth taste rancid and her head started to spin – she felt completely sick. What was happening to her? She convinced herself it was the shock of seeing the Duke again so unexpectedly.

CHAPTER 9

Fleur slowly returned to the dance floor, searching for Elizabeth so that they could leave and go home. She went out on the balcony for some fresh air, deciding to take a break before seeking Elizabeth out again.

“Your Grace!” she overheard, and stepped to the edge of the balcony to look down. “

What is it?” Roger said angrily.

“Your Grace, Daphne was caught gathering up your jewels and most prized possessions, stuffing them into two bags and then quickly exiting out the door, while a man I have never seen before waited for her in your coach. Reginald and Solomon caught her and escorted them back inside while Norman went to summon the magistrate and bring him back to the house. We are awaiting your presence back at the house, Your Grace, to ascertain what ought to be done.”

Fleur gave a shocked gasp, causing the Duke to look up and see her. He said nothing, only nodded and got in the coach to go back to his estate. Fleur then noticed Elizabeth standing off to the side and she called up to Fleur and told her to come down so they could go home. Elizabeth had also seen Daphne with Nathaniel on the day she insisted that Fleur go to the ball with her, and she had planned to tell the Duke what she had seen at the ball. Just as she was telling him, the Duke’s footman appeared, giving him the news about Daphne.

Elizabeth said nothing to Fleur on the trip home, as she knew that Fleur had overheard the conversation between the Duke and his footman. Fleur wanted to confide in Elizabeth that she had seen Daphne and Nathaniel behind the bakery, but she was too shocked to open her mouth and form words.

***

The Duke arrived back at his estate and confronted Daphne about her deceit while the maids packed up her things. The attempted thievery had been stopped, thanks to the observant eye of Reginald, the butler, and the stolen items were removed from her bags under the watchful eye of the magistrate. The Duke saw a nervous, brown-haired man sitting cross-legged on the couch and suspected that it was Nathaniel.

His suspicions were true when he heard the magistrate ask for his name and he nervously replied, “Nathaniel Dunn”. While the Duke was angry, he was more relieved that Daphne would soon be out of his life forever. Both Nathaniel and Daphne were then escorted by the magistrate to prison.

Fleur was not proficient in the field of medical health care but she had learned some things from midwives and her mother about pregnancy. She knew what morning sickness was and knew how violently it could overtake you. She was afraid to it that what she had been feeling might be morning sickness, but she knew there was a high possibility that it could be.

Fleur doubled over in horror as she considered the possibility. What was she to do? The scandal would forever harm her family. She wept as she considered different ways she could end this pregnancy but then she knew she could never go through with it. If she had to go away, start anew and pretend that she was a war widow, then that was what she would do.

At the current moment, as Fleur lay in her bed with her knees pulled up and her arms wrapped securely around them, she had two things running in her mind –

constantly, obsessively and deliberately. One was that she did not know what to do if she actually turned out to be with child. But she shook that from her head as she instinctively knew that she was with child. And two, she needed to go see Elizabeth and let her know everything that she had been hiding from her.

“Elizabeth,” she hugged her best friend and tears began to roll down her cheeks at their own accord. Seeing Fleur in a state like this, Elizabeth immediately went into a state of panic.

“What has happened?” she demanded her at once, “Fleur Moore, you tell me what is going on at once! I am tired of this secrecy as I have noticed that you have been keeping things from me for a while now,” she demanded in an angry tone.

Fleur shook her head, “I do not know how to tell you this.”

“You know that you can tell me anything.”

She closed her eyes and with trembling lips announced, “I am pregnant with Roger’s child.”

To say that Elizabeth was shocked was an understatement. She was shocked that Fleur would place herself and her family in scandal’s way. As Fleur began to cry at Elizabeth’s harsh words, Elizabeth softened and told Fleur that she had to tell Roger right away. Elizabeth confessed to Fleur that she had invited the Duke to the ball, telling him that she had something important to tell him about Daphne and also because she knew the Duke would divorce Daphne and she wanted Fleur to be there, hoping they would get together.

She told Fleur that she would arrange a coach for them to be taken to the Duke’s estate the next day. While Fleur protested, she soon stopped, knowing that she had to tell the Duke and hoping he had a suitable solution.

***

The Duke had felt a sense of relief when Daphne had been taken away by the magistrate. He felt a lightness that he had not felt in a very long time. His marriage would be annulled quickly, and he hoped that Fleur would still want him, although he feared that she would not and that Thomas might hold her heart.

The footman announced to the Duke that Elizabeth and a guest were there to visit with him. When he saw Fleur, tears stung his eyes as he realized how much he loved her and how close he came to losing her.

Elizabeth left them alone, nudging Fleur to tell him quickly. The Duke raised his eyebrow and led her into the drawing room. Taking a deep breath, Fleur closed her eyes and spoke to him.

“Roger, I do believe I…I…I am with child, your child.”

She heard a sharp intake of breath and then a long exhale as the Duke tried to take in the information he was just given. After a brief period of shock, he was able to speak. Fleur feared that he would send her away, but if she hoped he would, she was sorely disappointed.

“Fleur, I love you. My marriage will be dissolved and I would be so honored if you would marry me.” Fleur did not have to think about her answer. “I love you,” she said, “Yes.”

“Well it’s about time!” Elizabeth said, coming in to hug them both.

EPILOGUE

The divorce occurred quickly and the marriage occurred soon after. It was a small gathering, and while the duke’s mother had been angry at the dissolution of her son’s marriage to Daphne, she softened when she was told the true details of the marriage’s demise. Fleur knew it would be a while before his mother would warm up to her, but she hoped that a grandchild might bring them closer together. When baby Joshua was born, both Roger and Fleur were amazed at how perfect their son was. Both thought back to that unexpected meeting in the Library of Elizabeth’s house, both thanking God for that day and how fate had brought – and then kept – them together.

Fleur smiled down at Joshua and then up at Roger, her life was perfect and she was blessed, she looked forward to a lifetime of loving Roger, watching watching Joshua grow, and prayed to be blessed with more children.

The End