After that awkward scene in the park a few days ago, Nalini and the Duke didn't talk on the way back home. They didn't talk about what had happened then or even now. It seemed only the two of them knew, as well.
Today, Nalini was free as Richard was entertaining himself in the play-room. Nora and herself had been given the orders to bake a cake for some guests that were to come whilst the chef had worked and finished the snacks and sandwiches.
It seemed that parties and balls were all that happened nowadays.
Anyhow, the prospect of baking a cake was still exciting. It was called 'Victoria Sponge' and though Nalini had no idea what it was or how to make it, with Nora helping her with the ingredients, she was getting by.
Since Will, the cook, was relaxing on his break, it meant that the kitchen was all theirs for a couple of hours. Speaking of which, the kitchen was certainly old-fashioned. She had never seen anything like it back home in India and when she stepped foot in it, it was as if she was being whisked back into the past even though she was actually in the past.
There was one long rectangular table situated a few steps away from the wall, a coal oven stove behind it and black and white brick walls covering the entirety of the space, giving the area a dim, eerie vibe.
Shuddering, she turned back to mixing the dry ingredients slowly. Baking had never been her strong suit, but she was enjoying it. The only thing freaking her out was the fact that the Duke was going to eat it. She didn't want to poison the man.
"Are you alright?" Nora bent her head down, peering into her eyes. "You look very serious."
Nalini was yanked away from her thoughts. She couldn't believe she was thinking about him when she was making cake! "N-No, I'm fine. I was just thinking about...life."
"Ah, don't we all?"
"It's something I'd rather not think about."
"Really?" Nora gasped as she cracked an egg into a separate bowl. "Life is full of surprises, do you not think? I love a life of romance and though the reality is never close to it, one can always fantasise."
"Even in my fantasies I don't see something like romance happening to me," Nalini whispered, mostly to herself.
But, of course, Nora had managed to hear it. "Surely you jest, Nalini! You can always fantasise about His Grace."
At that comment, she gasped, her hand that held the wooden spoon freezing. Her wide eyes met with her cheekily smiling friend. "Nora!" she scolded, eyes glancing behind her and at the door before lowering her voice down to a whisper, "You can't say things like that!"
"And why not? We all know His Grace is the most good-looking out of all the men here in Birmingham. He is also an eligible bachelor."
"All that is very very wrong. For one, he is not an eligible bachelor. I've heard him say he's not looking for anyone myself!"
"Aha!" Nora exclaimed, eyes wide in realisation. "You admit he is good-looking, do you not?"
Nalini squeezed her eyes shut. Dang it, she had been caught; her and her foolish mouth always had to go off and say the wrong thing.
"No, no! You're getting the wrong idea here," she stammered out. Nora hummed knowingly, her lips curving up into a coy smile.
"Oh, am I now? Do not worry, I won't tell anyone."
Nalini refused the urge to slap her forehead and shook her head, smiling to herself. "You're impossible."
Nora giggled, nudging her shoulder. "Of course I am."
The housekeeper shuffled into the kitchen with her puffy black dress, face bloated and red as if she had just unleashed her fury onto someone. Both Nora and Nalini eyed her, lips stitched shut. The woman stared at the latter, lips settled into a thin line.
"Is the cake coming along?" she said in a hurry as if she was making small talk and holding back the main subject.
"Er, yes, Mrs, we're halfway done," she offered with a smile, though that was far from the truth.
The housekeeper narrowed her eyes, clasping her hands in front of her and then smacked her lips as she was satisfied with the answer. "Alright. His Grace would like to see you in his room."
As she left, Nalini shared a glance with Nora who wiggled her eyebrows. The former clicked her tongue and pushed at her arm playfully before taking off her apron and slowly walking out of the kitchen. It wasn't until she had stopped in front of the Duke's fancily designed white door that her heart began to pound in her ears, the blood rushing to her face.
She didn't know why she was feeling that way, in fact, she was entirely too nervous, knowing that the Duke would open the door any second and face her. His presence was always intimidating, after all, he was royalty and she was...well, she was nothing but a simple governess.
Nalini found it difficult to swallow, her throat feeling as if it was on fire at how dry it was. The cold in the empty, long hallway prickled at the hair on her neck so she went to knock when the door opened automatically. The Duke glanced over at her as he fixed his cuff then did a double-take.
"Oh. Good," he said, "you're here."
She didn't know what was an appropriate response to that. "Yes, I am."
He looked disgruntled; his thick blond hair was mussed as if he had a long day and spent it raking a hand through his hair. "The guests will be here soon. Dress for the occasion and arrive downstairs to greet them."
Nalini was frozen to the spot, even as the Duke rolled up the sleeves of his shirt before closing the door and pushing past her to leave. It was when she ended up facing the door and not the Duke, that she found her voice.
"W-Wait!" He stopped and turned, looking over his shoulder at her. "I can't greet the guests, Your Grace. I'm just the governess. There's no need—"
"If I say I require your presence, then you will do just that," he snapped. "Richard must be looked after whilst this event occurs." Nalini gulped; the old Duke, the one that she knew when she had first met him was clearly back. She should have taken advantage of his 'decent' side when she had the chance but, internally she shrugged.
What could she do?
So, she nodded, intertwining her sweaty fingers in front of her. "Of course, Your Grace," she said, obediently. "Can I ask," she added in, just as he went to turn away, cringing at the twitch in his jaw that had begun, "what kind of event it is?"
"We will be having tea. That is all."
The word 'tea' was almost like a trigger word for her, now. Would it be a repeat of what had happened the other day? She watched as the Duke strode away and down the stairs, leaving her alone. Nalini shook her head to stop her mind from being filled with silly thoughts. Of course, it wouldn't be a repeat, as the same people wouldn't show up to the party.
She just had to dress casually and hope for the best.
***
Alastair was exhausted. Exhausted and quite cross, he'd say. Though it was one measly dance, the young woman, Lady Delaney, thought it wise to send him love letters as if he was a schoolboy. He had been in his room, reading the pathetic thing for the sake of being polite, only to realise he had been sent ten of them.
There were more, Good God in heaven there was more, though from Chastity and some other women he had no interest in indulging. Those were in the past, however, and should he thought the years of love letters were behind him, there it was again.
He ran a hand down his face, the skin beneath his touch stretching; he knew that dancing with her was a mistake. Alastair had no clue as to how the girl had acquired his address, though he figured it wasn't much of a secret since he was the Duke. Everyone knew of his whereabouts. It was severe enough that Chasity was striving for his attention but momentarily he had to deal with the affections of a very young, very naive woman that was also friends with Landon.
He could not help but lash out, throwing his fury onto Nalini. She was a woman, after all, and dare he say, the only one who didn't eye him as if he was some sort of sweet delicacy for sale. It was refreshing yet, it did not mean she was released from his wrath. She continuously unearthed a way to slither beneath his skin and a hit a nerve.
Perhaps he had been far too rude to her, this time. Seeing her features crumble up into a grimace, her delicate shoulders caved in as if she was frightened of him, caused his stomach to harden. His skin tingled in discomfort, the reaction somewhat astounding him.
Shaking his head, he passed the study and made his way over to the drawing-room, sliding open the doors to reveal a spacious and well-kept room. Alastair let out a relaxing sigh, joyous to be away from the suffocating letters of a seventeen-year-old woman's false declaration of love. He admired her spirit but, it was unwanted.
His fingers twitched with the need to grab a glass and drink some whiskey. He resisted the urge by shoving his hands into the pockets of his neatly pressed black pants and glancing at the mirror. Letting his eyes roam over his face, he let out an ungentlemanly grunt of disgust, lips curled up.
Alastair could not help but acknowledge that he looked horrendous. Eyes red-rimmed and hair horribly unkempt. Surely, Charlotte and Nathaniel would not let him hear the end of it. Though, they wouldn't be the only guests tonight. He had gone out of his way to invite Mr Phillips, for his show of bravery that day. It would only be suitable to wish him thanks in person. Though he still held no trust in him, he was far more competent than his brother.
The gathering wasn't purely for pleasure, no, it was to discuss important matters with Nathaniel about the estate, however...if he must be honest, then it was mostly for entertainment. The people's discussion and view of him did not matter in the slightest until that day. Of course, it was not until Nalini spoke up—the disobeying chit had disobeyed for good, for once—and it was not at all what he was foreseeing.
Her words had unquestionably moved him, as she had defended him, yet it also got him reflecting. He was perhaps too harsh with the people, and though he was far too busy with conferences with monarchs, paperwork and matters of the estate to hold a public party for the people, he hoped his small gathering with a certain amount of people would be sufficient to convey the message to the general public. It was time to acknowledge them for their presence and help in a much too troubled society.
With a resolute sigh, he sharply turned away from the mirror and walked over to the large square-shaped window that took up the majority of the wall in the middle. Pushing back the red drapes that covered it elegantly, he glanced out to see his son entertaining himself and his good friend.
They seemed content. With his head held back and shoulders straight, his lips quirked up into a small smile of adoration. A moment later, Nalini came into view, bending down a little to whisper into their tiny ears. He had anticipated his body to become wooden in stature, however, he was at ease. His eyes were glued on the two of them, watching as they interacted as if they were mother and son. Her long wavy black tresses hung over her shoulders, framing her small face in perfec—
For heaven's sake, stop it, man.
He was startled back to reality by his own mind, knowing that he had gone too far. For God's sake, he was admiring Nalini of all women. He sighed. Turning away, Alastair seated himself onto the red velvet Bergere chair, leaning back and letting out a soft exhalation through his nose.
He hadn't relaxed like that, not even for a moment, in a long while. It was satisfying.
He had no idea how long he sat there for as soon after, the guests had begun to arrive. He only knew once Nora and Harriet made her presence known. So, he made way for them to set everything down in the room. He took that time to greet the guests, pleased Nalini had changed and was presently greeting them as he had asked of her.
***
Inclining his head towards the first guests, Nalini watched as the Duke greeted Nathaniel and his wife. Just in time, Edward had arrived behind them, walking at a leisurely pace. Nalini's body went as rigid as a board then, one hand clutching the skirt of her simple, long-sleeved blue evening dress whilst the other held Richard's hand.
She had no idea the Duke and Edward were in such good company, now. She found herself not minding. Things were changing around.
Edward offered her a gentlemanly smile and slanted his head forward in a polite greeting and so she did the same. They all went to walk inside when the creaking of heavy weight accompanied by the turbulent clopping of hooves echoed throughout the estate. They all turned simultaneously to see a wide, wooden carriage stop perfectly in front of the large doors of the manor.
Lady Appleton stepped out, stretching out her arms in a rather dramatic show of introduction. "My, my Alastair! How funny to meet again, is it not?"
Nalini watched as the Duke glanced around with a pinched expression, possibly to find out which of them were responsible for her invitation. Two out of the three guests looked him dead in the eye. The only one who didn't was—
"Mr Phillips," The Duke said with an accusatory, grounded voice, "did you invite Lady Appleton?"
Edward's pink blotched face and sheepish smile was enough of an answer. Nalini couldn't help but stand very still in the hopes of not letting the bubbling laughter in her throat come out. Seeing Edward's face was enough to make her feel as if she was back home again and able to act in the way she saw fit.
"Frankly, she invited herself," he quickly said to save himself, "I came to meet her during my walk here and she seized the information out of me. I'm afraid I possessed little power to decline."
There was a silence that settled amongst all of them. Just when she thought the awkwardness would never end, a slight tug on her hand caused her to lean in towards Richard who looked up at her, lips pulled down.
"What's happenin', Miss?"
"Nothing of importance, Richard," she said gently. "We'll be going inside, shortly."
Nalini stole just enough of a glance to see the Duke nod in a restrained manner. "As you are already present, it would be churlish of me to not summon you inside."
"Indeed it would, young man." Then, without a word of warning, they all watched as she turned back to the carriage and waved whoever was inside, out. "Come on out now, dear. It is safe, I assure you."
Nalini shared a look with Edward while the Duke narrowed his eyes at the old lady's back. Clearly she was stepping over her boundaries, mother of another Duke or not. And surely enough, stepping out of the carriage with two red patches on her face was the young woman from the other night.
All eyes swivelled to the Duke who held himself together fairly well. Though, his body was as wooden as a statue. There was visible tension in his neck, shoulders and arms as he stood and as if he couldn't control himself any longer, he rubbed the brow as if to ward off a headache.
"Might I ask what Lady Delaney is doing here, unannounced?" he asked in an exceptionally dry voice. His face indicated to Nalini that he was going to explode in less than ten seconds and she didn't want to be anywhere near the area when that would happen. Lucky for them, she thought, the other lady with the creepy smile from the debutante ball wasn't present.
Lady Appleton snorted in an unladylike way and quickly glanced over to where Nalini stood. This sudden attention caused her to straighten up.
The older lady only patted down her bun, making sure there were no flyaways. "Well, she is my niece and so my guest. I do not recall Mr Phillips mentioning that we were not allowed to bring company of our own."
The grinding of the Duke's teeth could be heard from where Nalini stood and she resisted the urge to laugh since it didn't seem very appropriate. Everyone's faces were very grave and she was starting to wonder if there was a memo she had missed out on.
Although, what happened with royalty was none of her business. She was only invited to the balls because the Duke was compelled to as she was the new governess. He didn't trust her enough to leave her alone in the house.
"Your Grace," Lady Delaney whispered, a slight flush on her face and neck. "I am honoured to b—"
"Let us proceed," he said, sternly, cutting her off. He cast a furtive glance towards Nalini whose eyes had widened, any sign of laughter now gone at how rudely he had dismissed her. Though she was not able to explain it, her chest had been lifted of any substantial weight that was settled there as the young woman called Lady Delaney, showed up.
Speaking of Lady Delaney, she had her pink lips parted, skin a deep shade of red as if she had been slapped across the face. Nalini felt incredibly bad for the poor girl—how was she to know that the Duke didn't necessarily appreciate her presence? It wasn't her fault. Shooting a smile at Lady Appleton who, surprisingly returned it, she rushed over to Lady Delaney with Richard beside her.
"Are we going inside, now?" he whined.
"In a minute." Tapping the woman's shoulder, Nalini offered a pitiful smile. "Hi, um, please don't mind His Grace. He hasn't been in the best of moods lately, but I'm sure he'll be pleasant soon enough. Please don't be discouraged."
Nalini hadn't expected her advice to be so well-received. The young woman blinked a few times before a slow smile gradually appeared on her face. Her chocolate eyes glistened as she did so.
"I understand," she said before inclining her head, "thank you. That was very kind of you."
"Oh, no, don't thank me! It just seemed like the right thing to do," Nalini said, feeling as if her cheeks would crack at how long she was smiling for. Lady Appleton stood beside them, watching the two interact with interest in her eyes, though she was gazing more at a particularly interesting woman. One that she hadn't seen in all her fifty-five years of existence.
"Let's goooo, Miss!" Richard exclaimed, tugging on her hand exceptionally hard. At his impatience, she ushered the two of them inside before rushing forward with an excited Richard. "I cannot wait to eat all the yummy sandwiches!"
"You have to leave some for the guests, Richard," she advised, feeling her body shake. The events to come didn't feel too exciting. It felt as if things were just about to start.