For someone who pretends to act with such disinterest, he certainly makes a habit of always being close by…
A ripple of energy rushed up her spine as she felt the Duke’s eyes on her. That ripple spread across her body so that goosebumps began to appear. It was followed quickly by her pulse quickening; the same sensation she had felt the last time that she was in the Duke’s presence.
She still could not explain it. She still could not fathom its true meaning. All that Octavia knew was that there was somethingabout the Duke that somehow both terrified her and excited her in one. She liked his eyes on her, just as she feared them.
“Master Aaron, look who it is.” She turned and indicated to the Duke in the window. “Your father has come to observe your victory.”
“R – really?” Aaron seemed unsure. He quickly glanced at his father, and he looked away. “I doubt it.”
“He has…” She stepped into Aaron, rested a hand on his shoulder, and turned him to face the house. “Let us wave, yes? Show him that we see him.” She started to wave, even as her heart rate quickened.
Aaron still hesitated, but he started to wave, and Octavia saw the Duke watching. For some reason, she expected the Duke to wave back, as if he were the type who might do such a thing.
Rather, he turned and stepped away from the window.
Aaron’s shoulders slumped. “See, I told you he doesn’t care.”
Octavia’s heart broke when she looked down at Aaron; the slump in his shoulders, the pain clear across his face. The boy liked to pretend that he did not care, just as he liked to act out and be at the center of attention. Both these traits were closely linked.
It is his father’s attention that he craves the most. The more it is denied, the more he misbehaves so that his father might noticehim… even show him some semblance of affection. I wonder if the Duke has ever hugged his own son?
Gaining Aaron’s trust had been easy, a job well done, or so Octavia thought. But as to how she might bring the Duke and his son closer together… that was a question she did not have an answer for.
And how might she find that answer? If only Octavia knew.
Chapter Ten
It was just as Octavia finished her supper, alone, that an idea came to her – one concerning Aaron and his quest for his father’s affection. It struck her like a bolt of lightning so that she stood up, almost yelped with excitement, and then smiled with triumph.
Of course… it is so simple. How did I not think of this sooner?
That she ate alone was the main reason that this idea came to her when it did. Aaron and Henry had eaten together earlier, she did not feel as if it was right to eat her supper with the household staff, and the chances of the Duke joining her…There is a better chance of the sun rising in the middle of the night.
Nonetheless, with this idea now firmly in place, she hurried through the house, determined now to find the Duke so that she could tell him and that he might agree.
She was halfway up the steps when she realized her era.
Of the three rules that the Duke had given her when she accepted this role, the one that he seemed most serious about was that she not disturb him once the sun set. The reason for this, she could not imagine, but she remembered clearly the last time that she had sought him, just before evening arrived, and how quick he was to dismiss her the second that night fell.
In this instance, surely he will not mind? Even if he is busy with work, what is a two-minute conversation if it helps his son? Is that not the most important thing?
Octavia knew that it was dangerous. She knew that the Duke would be mad at her, if for no other reason than to prove to her his power and command. But she also reasoned that this could not wait, and that once the Duke heard what she had to say, he would agree with her.
Also… Octavia would be lying if she said there wasn’t a small thrill felt at the idea of testing the limits of the Duke’s patience. The last time that she had done so, something strange had passed between them. He had been angry at her, but she had seen another emotion pass behind his eyes. The effect it had on her was undeniable, and while Octavia worried about the danger, she was just as excited by it.
With that in mind, she pushed down her doubt and went to find the Duke.
Her natural inclination was to try him in his office, but when she arrived, she found the door open and the office empty. Her brow creased in a tight furrow of frustration…
Perhaps he is in the east wing?She stepped into the hallway and looked in that direction.Another rule of his was to never go there. But why? What could he possibly be hiding…
Again, Octavia felt that pulse ripple throughout her body at the mere thought of disobeying the Duke’s rules. She had never been one to do as she was told; she coveted her independence and autonomy, and she was certain that whatever she found in the east wing would be revealing.
A smile crept up her lips, excitement fluttering in her stomach as she started down the hallway. This was so wrong, so dangerous, but that wasn’t going to stop her.
As luck had it, perhaps even fate, Octavia did not make it as far as the east wing. There was no need.
On her right, as she walked down the hallway, she spied a door that was only half-closed. She thought nothing of it, was about to walk right past, when she heard grunting coming from within. Octavia came to a sudden halt, listening closer to those sounds of grunting, her curiosity piqued beyond belief.