Page 148 of The Good Duke
He leaned close. “This is where you might ask where else I’ve been,” he whispered.
The sough of his breath, a delicate hint of mint, brushed her skin and wreaked havoc on her senses. “Where else have you s-searched?”
“The breakfast room.” He grew serious, lost in contemplative thought. “Though, at that point, I wasn’t really searching for you as much as waiting for you to arrive. Which you didn’t.”
“I broke my fast with the servants,” she murmured.
Displeasure filled the beautifully sharp, chiseled planes of his face. “Yes, I learned as much. There’s more.”
“There’s more?” she repeated. “You know, Your Grace,” she said gently, “you employ a team of servants, and, as such, I expect any one of them could have pointed you to me.”
“Oh, yes.” Simon inclined his head, and a glorious golden loose curl tumbled over his brow and covered his eye. “I, of course, knew as much. However, I believed I knew you well enough that I didn’t need anyone’s help locating you, Seph. When it became apparent I did not, well, then it became a challenge to myself to find you. Which brought me to your bedchambers.”
Persephone gasped. “You went to mybedchambers?” she whispered.
“Oh, yes,” he said as casually as if he’d mentioned he’d been to Sunday Mass. “Ultimately, I needed my butler to direct mehere.” He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the room.
Confused by his lengthy cataloguing, Persephone cleared her throat. “Ah, yes, well, now you have found me,” she said and beat a path over to the chair she’d occupied for most of the morning. “I trust you are eager to discuss the day’s business.”
“Oh, most eager,” he said happily.
She’d thought herself resolved to the fact of Simon’s impending betrothal and marriage, only to find how much the idea still hurt.
Making a show of removing her notebook from her worn satchel, she’d just grabbed her pencil when Simon spoke.
“You won’t be needing that, Seph.”
Frowning, Persephone looked from the book in her hand to Simon. “This contains my detailed notes with the final preparations for the dinner party.”
“I trust your work is detailed and given your capabilities and skill, it hardly requires any discussion.”
Her capabilities and skills?
Concern filling her, Persephone studied Simon carefully. “Are youill, Simon?”
He laughed. “I’ve been a bit, but I expect to survive.”
Simon wrinkled his nose in an adorable way at odds with the strong, formidable man he’d become.
“Or Ihopethat is the outcome, anyway.” He added that last part as if to himself.
“Bit?” she asked, her confusion deepening.
“I’ll explain, love. All in due time. All in due time.”
Love.
During Persephone’s time in Simon’s employ, he’d referred to her by all manner of endearments, but never had they been tender and uttered with genuine affection.
Must he choosenow, with Persephone likely just weeks away from leaving and him marrying, to reveal this side of him she’d missed and loved?
Fighting back tears, she blinked wildly.
Simon chucked her under the chin. That unexpected and gentle bump managed to distract her from her sadness.
“Only you, Seph, would look about to cry at not being able to see to your work.”
She flashed a weak smile. “You know me,” she murmured.
