The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 44: An Esteemed Guest

Jessamyn stopped and turned in the direction she heard Jerrick’s voice. He was dressed to the nines, and for the first time, she saw him holding a silver walking stick. His hair was slicked back, and his every step exuded elegance and poise as he walked.

He smiled with a debonair charm and carried himself all with an impeccable posture that accentuated the regal air surrounding him.

He held the walking cane with intricate details firmly in his grasp, not merely for support but as an extension of his sophisticated persona.

Well, if anyone could make walking with a stick into a tempting move exuding confidence, it could be him!

"Your~"

She almost said "Your Grace" out of habit but she stopped herself remembering his desire not to be called that.

She did a curtsy. "I’m taking the boy to the garden for a walk," she said.

"Walk?" he smirked looking at the tubby boy clinging to her.

Jessamyn adjusted him to sit on her waist as he slipped down her silk gown.

"Am I not allowed to go to the garden?" she asked.

"Who told you that?" His eyes ended on her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"No one. I wanted to clarify. That’s it," she said.

He stared at her unblinkingly. She didn’t know whether he was looking at her or she was the mere object his eyes landed on as he was thinking about something. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"May I take my~" leave?

"Is he eating you?" he asked, interjecting her.

"Pardon?" Jessamyn didn’t get what he was asking.

"He has gained the weight you’ve lost. Is he eating you?" Jerrick asked without missing a beat.

Jessamyn snorted as she tried to control her laughter. He hasn’t lost his sense of humor!

"Do you think I’ve lost weight?" she asked. She didn’t think so. Also, how much weight did she lose for it to be apparent in just two days? He must be pulling her legs. That’s it.

"If you’re going for a walk, why isn’t he walking?" Jerrick walked closer, grabbed the boy by his collar, and lifted him.

"Careful," Jessamyn reached out to hold the boy. The boy was dangling like a kitten caught in the mouth of its mother cat. He looked at Jessamyn pitifully, not pleased with the manhandling.

"Will he bounce off the wall like a ball?" Jerrick asked, making a motion to throw him at the wall. "He is so round... What is he eating?"

"Jerrick!" Jessamyn tried to get the boy back, but Jerrick raised him high up. "He’s not a ball. He’s a bubble. He’ll burst if you throw him," she said.

She didn’t know how else to deal with the juvenile man.

Jerrick chuckled, impressed with her answer. "Bubble?"

"Are you going somewhere?" Jessamyn asked, hoping to change his mood.

"No. I am receiving an esteemed guest," Jerrick answered, still holding the boy above his head. He looked all over the boy as if he was examining him.

"Oh, a guest? Should we stay in our room?" she asked, trying to get the boy from his hand.

Somehow, that question got his attention, and he looked at her. "Which garden are you going to? The Rose garden is now in full bloom," he said.

"The one with the duck pond," Jessamyn said. She would never step into the rose garden he made for his lovely wife. She was not masochistic.

Jerrick nodded and then let the boy down. "Run," he tapped the boy’s butt with his walking cane softly.

Jessamyn felt bad for the little boy, but he waddled out with all his might to escape the mean old man. He did not throw one of his horrid tantrums. Jessamyn could see how smart the boy was to see that his tantrums wouldn’t work on Jerrick. She didn’t even know he could walk that well.

"Get her a coat," he told Lynae. She went upstairs to get one.

"I am fine," Jessamyn tried to stop her, but Jerrick gestured for Lynae to keep moving.

"You’re thin as a wisp. You cannot handle the cold if you’re not plump. This is not Ravensworth. Roche’s winter is not to be trifled with. Cold takes more lives than heat," he said.

"I’ll take note," she replied politely and bowed.

She never was plump. How was she going to become plump all of a sudden?

Drawing circles with her toes, she looked at Jerrick. He was staring at her, but there was an air of gentleness around him. Standing with the elegance of an aristocrat, he invoked a sense of tranquility.

That gave her the courage to ask what she wanted to ask.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, hoping to get a response.

He looked at her and nodded.

"Can I stay in Ravensworth until the wedding?" she asked. "I need to~"

"No," he said and folded his hands behind his back. There was no hesitation in his tone and no room for misinterpretation. He refused her openly.

His eyes were on her, sternly observing her face, and she bowed her head unable to meet the intensity of his eyes. Her heart fell.

Lynae walked down with a coat and helped her wear it. Jessamyn did a curtsy, taking leave, hiding her disappointment.

"After your walk, come to the white drawing room," Jerrick said.

Jessamyn nodded and walked away.

Jerrick fisted his hand. He knew why she wanted to go back there. She would sit by her husband’s tomb and wane further. He was not going to allow her to disappear from his sight. He had a feeling he would lose her forever if he let her go now.

Jessamyn sulked for some time, hurt by Jerrick’s blatant refusal. She wanted to lay flowers on her husband’s and child’s tombs before she returned. Their death anniversaries were coming up, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to visit there after the wedding. Now was the time.

She let out a deep breath. She was used to handling disappointments all her life. What was one more? But her heart hurt. She wondered if there was a way to go there.

"Careful!" She ran behind the boy, trying to fight a goose. What a dumb kid!

Looking after the boy, she could forget her disappointment for some time. After some time, the boy got tired and wanted to eat lunch.

She didn’t want to go to the White Drawing room when her mind was not fine, but she went there anyway. She was a little curious as to who that esteemed guest was.

Bernard stood outside, and seeing her, he gave an enthusiastic bow. She was shocked by the change in Bernard’s attitude for the last couple of days. Bernard opened the door for her to enter.

Looking at the guest, she was bewildered. She looked at Jerrick with her eyes wide.

What is he doing here?