The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 9.

Agnes was just...a vile person.

It was also hard to believe that someone as heartless as Agnes, was capable of falling in love in general, let alone with someone as irritating as the Duke.

"The poor boy," Nalini mumbled with a frown. "We have to talk to him tomorrow. I need to know what mistake he was talking about."

Nora nodded once in determination, grabbing Nalini's hand tight. "To the morrow, we must."

***

Richard giggled slightly as he pointed at a black and white illustration. "Miss, that looks funny!"

Nalini cracked a small smile. "It does, doesn't it?" She couldn't find it in herself to be happy that day; everything that had been told to her by Nora was still uncomfortably floating around in her mind and had kept her awake until it was time to wake up.

She watched as Richard bounced up and down on his bottom. He sat close to her, half his body leaning across her lap as she read to him.

It would have been endearing, if not for the fact that her mind was occupied with how she was to approach a subject of abuse with a five-year-old boy.

Nalini reached out hesitantly to stroke his blonde hair that covered his eyes a little, relieved to find that he didn't pull away in disgust. He looked up at her, his doll eyes questioning.

"How is Agnes, Richard?" she asked softly.

As soon as she mentioned Agnes, his face dropped slightly and a frown formed in place of the cute smile he had on before.

"She's fine," he said, quietly.

Nalini sighed internally. This was much harder than she had imagined.

"She's not being...rude to you?"

Richard froze, and leaned away from her and her touch. Nalini's palms started sweating. Did she go about this the wrong way? Clearly, she wasn't very good with kids and it was too late to change anything now because he looked like he was about to cry.

"Richard, don't cry!" She panicked. "If anyone's being rude to you, just take me to them and I'll give them a big, old slap!" she said teasingly, in an attempt to make him feel better.

Luckily, it worked as giggles bubbled its way up out of his lips. Then followed a silence that enveloped them.

Nalini bit her lip and gave up. There was no point pestering a little boy. He would share if he wanted to. Just as she turned her attention back to the book again, Richard opened his mouth.

"M-my..."

Nalini turned to him, her whole body tense and awaiting the next words that would come out of his mouth. Richard sniffled as he scratched his cheek.

"M-my nanny is h—"

"Richard."

The door opened to reveal the awful woman that we were just talking about. Agnes' beady eyes narrowed in on Nalini's figure as she watched them, suspiciously. Nalini tried not to show on her face that they were talking about her.

"It is time for your bath," Agnes said, in a monotone voice.

Richard, whose face suddenly paled, shuffled away from Nalini and got up. She watched as he walked past Agnes, who glared at her as she shut the door behind them.