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“I Helped a Duke Find His Lost Dog,” She Told Her Mother — Then the Garden Gate Opened

“I Helped a Duke Find His Lost Dog,” She Told Her Mother — Then the Garden Gate Opened

Chapter 7

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Eventually, the Duke excused himself from the magistrate and navigated the small gathering, coming to a deliberate stop at Eleanor's side near the stone birdbath. He did not immediately speak, simply allowing his presence to settle around her like a protective cloak."Your garden is exceptionally peaceful today, Miss Vale," he murmured, his voice pitched for her ears alone."I am glad you find it so, Your Grace," she replied, her heart executing a small, erratic flutter.She liked having him stand beside her. She liked the quiet, undeniable fact that out of everyone present, he had chosen her side.Before the Duke could reply, Mrs. Bellamy, a cheerful and remarkably observant neighbor, drifted toward them with a plate of small cakes."Your Grace," Mrs. Bellamy said, her eyes crinkling with a lack of malice but a surplus of curiosity, "it is a pleasure to see you here again. We had begun to wonder if you had taken a permanent liking to the Vales' garden. I do believe we see you here more often than at your own estate."Alderwick's posture stiffened infinitesimally. "Mrs. Vale is a gracious host, Mrs. Bellamy.""Indeed she is," the older woman agreed, her gaze shifting thoughtfully from the Duke to Eleanor before she drifted away to offer her cakes elsewhere.The words left a sudden, clear ring in the air. The private amusement they had shared over a lost dog was no longer private; the neighborhood was watching. Eleanor looked at the Duke, seeing the tight control returning to his features. The visits had gained a public meaning, and they both knew the unspoken comfort of their current arrangement could not last. A question hung silently in the space between them, waiting for one of them to speak it aloud.The garden was quiet the next afternoon when the familiar heavy click of the gate latch sounded. Eleanor looked up from the book resting in her lap to see the Duke of Alderwick stepping onto the path. He moved with his usual deliberate grace, but there was a faint tension in his shoulders.He approached the wrought iron table where she sat. Reaching into his coat pocket, he placed a small, slightly scuffed leather ball onto the metal surface. The soft thud of the object landing was the only sound in the garden.
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“I Helped a Duke Find His Lost Dog,” She Told Her Mother — Then the Garden Gate Opened

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