In Magician's Embrace [BOOK 1 of Price Family Saga]

21. Chapter (Being Tender May Cost You A Heart)

Lynette hastened her steps towards the kitchen, inadvertently colliding with a tall, well-built gentleman in the hallway. She stumbled, nearly losing her balance, but he instinctively caught her just in time. Their eyes met, and Lynette momentarily lost her breath, her heart seemingly ceasing to beat in that very moment.

"Whither are you in such haste, Miss Morris?" he inquired, breaking the awkward silence and slowly releasing his hold on her.

"I beg your pardon, My Lord. I had the duty to convey a tray of tea to your esteemed mother and her guests," Lynette swiftly explained.

Arden had intended to have a conversation with his father before seeking out Burnett, yet with his mother's company present, he was unwilling to risk the exposure of delicate matters to unsuitable ears.

"Would you be so kind as to prepare some tea for me as well, Miss Morris?" he asked, his smile causing her knees to weaken.

"Of course, My Lord. Shall I bring it to one of the salons or the study as usual?" she inquired.

Arden shook his head. "Nay, I shall partake of it in the kitchen, if it suits you."

She promptly led him to the kitchen, her mind swirling with a myriad of thoughts, her cheeks blushing intermittently. The water in the kettle was still sufficiently hot, and soon she presented him with a delicate teacup and a small vessel of milk, her hands trembling with nervousness, causing the porcelain to emit a faint clinking sound.

"Fear not, fair maiden, for I shall not cause you any harm," Arden jestingly remarked.

"Pity," she replied, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Arden's eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks suffusing with a deeper hue of crimson. He, a renowned paramour and gallant seducer, found himself blushing like an innocent debutante on her inaugural eve! The unexpected flush unsettled him to such an extent that he momentarily neglected to divulge his preference for tea sans milk, as he used the motion to divert his thoughts.

"Pray, let us... put this exchange behind us, I beseech you," Lynette softly implored, to which he nodded.

Clearing her throat, she swiftly changed the subject. "I have never had the opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for thy gallantry at the Red Cat tavern. Thus, I extend my sincerest thanks, for I shall forever hold it in my memory."

Although Lynette had been in service at the Price residence for nearly two months, this was the first time she engaged in conversation with Arden. On occasion, she caught glimpses of him passing by the kitchen or exchanging a few words with Maggie, but he never directed a smile or a wink her way, as he had been wont to do at the Red Cat. It seemed as though he deliberately avoided her, but she refrained from entertaining such notions and carried on with her simple life as the cook. She learned from Maggie, acquainted herself with the other servants, and finally started to experience a sense of contentment after a long period of turmoil. Save for those nocturnal nightmares that plagued her almost every night, stirring her from the peace of slumber.

"You are most welcome, Miss Morris. The gratitude lies primarily with those two gentlemen who stood by my side, unafraid to employ their fists," Arden responded, taking a sip of his tea.

"Without your intervention, they would have suffered greatly, Lord Price. I witnessed your swift action, but soon had to flee as a glass narrowly missed my ear," she shuddered at the recollection.

Arden gazed at her with a curious expression, and within that look, there was something that stirred a fluttering sensation in her belly, akin to the delicate wings of a butterfly.

"Pray tell, where were you after that incident?" he inquired, his interest piqued. "If I may be so bold in my inquiry."

"In the nunnery, kind sir," she responded, glancing demurely to the side, as though ensnared in reflection. "A friar took me under his wing during my time as an aspirant. I adorned the religious garb, immersed myself in devout supplication, and embraced the tranquillity of seclusion... alongside a search for a vocation. There came a juncture when I feared a compelled journey back to the shores of Ireland awaited me."