Seren had just been about to ask him the same question, and very happily, though not very obviously happy, agreed.
The gardens of Filiya house were more like a giant field. It seemed like the family was not fond of gardening. Nonetheless, it allowed them the much needed fresh air to clear their heads.
They took one turn around the place in silence, enjoying the cool spring air. Except that Seren felt she was about to burst.
“The Duke has informed me that I may return back to my village,” he said first.
“Oh. When will you be returning?” Those were probably not the right words; now it just sounded like she wanted him to leave as soon as possible…when she did not. Her feelings were the complete opposite.
“I think I will, tomorrow. I have long overstayed my welcome.”
She shook her head in protest. “Why did you come into town in the first place?”
“I—"
“I hope you will stay for a while longer—"
“—I was looking for you.” They blurted at the same time.
Peter was the first to ask why.
So, Seren had to be the first to open her heart. “I did not mean what I had said when I told you I did not want any form of a relationship with you,” she said quickly, the words almost becoming jumbled up. “I’m sorry.
“I came to find you, Seren…If I may address you as such, because your visit to my village had given me hope.”
She could not help but smile. “So…”
“But I am—"
“—Whether you are poor, or are a servant, is of no concern to me, and I do not care that I am walking with you, alone, in this field.”
He smiled in return, and it was the prettiest smile she had ever seen. “There will be a lot of talk. A man like me courting a duchess is unheard of.”
“I grew up thinking any potential spouse had to be a wealthy aristocrat, but that mindset had only led me to unhappiness.” A woman like her being courted by someone both socially and financially beneath her was unheard of, but she was feeling rebellious. “But I suppose it did eventually lead me to you.”
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YOU ARE READING
The Duchess
Historical FictionSeren Ferguson marries the Duke of Blackfall after becoming pregnant with his child. It is, by all accounts, a loveless marriage. Will their relationship improve, or will she find love elsewhere, in unexpected places, from unexpected people?
