The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 22.

"Someone rather tame and...well, shy."

"You described me very well right then," she said. He continued to stare at her, eyes swirling with confusion. So, with a small sigh, she explained. "Contrary to popular belief," she began, earning a bemused smile from Colin, "I'm not witty at all. I'm a very shy woman normally but...today has been a great day. Plus, I've consumed far too much sugar so that may have been what has added to my confidence."

Colin's eyes glistened as he listened. "Shy or not, you are as entertaining as I presumed." There was a small pause before he added as an afterthought. "Ah, do correct me if I'm wrong but was it not the Duke I saw you walk in with?"

At the mention of him, Nalini stood to attention. She glanced over Colin's lean shoulders, eyes wandering around to find him. "Oh, er, yes you did. We are not acquainted—I'm the governess."

As they spoke, Colin suddenly spun her around, catching her off-guard and allowing her eyes to meet with the Duke's figure; he wasn't paying attention to her, instead, enlightening the young lady in front of him.

It was then that her stomach grumbled once again protest. Nalini was hungry and a single shortbread biscuit hadn't done her justice. Maybe because of her hunger—or maybe because she still wasn't used to the dancing—she stumbled and stepped on his feet. 

Spinning back around, she faced Colin, face flushed. 

"I'm so sorry! I suck at dancing." The man shot her a quizzical look. Then she realised her mistake. "I-I mean I'm very poor at dancing! I stepped on your feet and everything."

"Believe me so, I will live."

She shook her head. "This  was nice but I think I should go," she said, quickly, suddenly feeling hot and suffocated in the dress she was wearing.

Colin's head flinched back slightly, eyes squinting. "Are you quite alright?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, thank you. It was very nice to meet you." She pulled away from him and shuffled away as quick as her large dress would allow. Just as she left, a tune more upbeat began with young women squealing and chattering loudly as they raced to their suitors.

As she grabbed something more filling to eat to settle her stomach, she turned to see that Colin had already left. With a sigh, she watched the men and women bowed to each other before they started dancing. And Nalini nearly choked on her trifle at what her eyes witnessed.

It was if she was beholding a flash-mob; they began to dance exuberantly in perfect sync. All the couples danced side-by-side, holding onto the hands of each other with the men spinning the ladies right on time. It looked like a lot of fun but it wasn't something that Nalini could pull off—memorising those moves had to be torture. Already all eyes were on her as she danced with Colin, let alone participating in something like that. She managed to avoid the stares the entire time but she didn't know how much longer she could stand it.

***

Afterwards, some people were invited to a 'tea party' or more of an afternoon tea, outside a gorgeous park, hosted by a woman named Lady Appleton. According to whispers around her, she was a very wealthy and respectable woman, divorcee and also the mother of the Duke of Manchester. She had moved away to live here in Birmingham due to family reasons, apparently.