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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 9

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"I know you have not," Eleanor replied gently. "But the lightness we enjoyed is no longer enough."Alderwick bowed, a stiff, formal gesture that reestablished the distance between them. "I shall take my leave, Miss Vale."He turned and walked back toward the gate. Eleanor watched him go, the ache of his departure settling heavily in her chest. She had forced the fracture, knowing that without it, they would remain trapped in a polite fiction.The following morning, Eleanor found her mother arranging fresh flowers in the parlor. Mrs. Vale worked methodically, trimming the stems with precise clips."Mrs. Bellamy called earlier," Mrs. Vale said, not looking up from her task. Her tone was mild, devoid of any alarm. "She inquired, quite delicately, whether the Duke of Alderwick had yet declared an intention to court you."Eleanor stiffened, her hand pausing on the back of a velvet armchair. The private tension of the garden had indeed spilled into the neighborhood."And what did you tell her, Mama?""I told her that I trust my daughter's judgment entirely," Mrs. Vale replied, finally turning to meet Eleanor's eyes, "and that I will support whatever decision you make."The quiet affirmation fortified Eleanor. The doubt that had shadowed her interactions with the Duke now had tangible public consequences. She could not allow the ambiguity to continue.Later that afternoon, Eleanor saw the Duke's tall figure approaching along the lane. She did not wait for him to ring the bell. She stepped out of the front door and walked down the path, meeting him just inside the garden gate, fully visible to the windows of the house.Alderwick stopped, his dark eyes searching her face. He looked tired, as if he had spent a long, restless night turning her words over in his mind.
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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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