The Duke's Bed Warmer-Chapter 55: Do You Love Him?

In the morning, after getting dressed, while going for breakfast, she noticed his study door slightly ajar.

Who is inside?

She stopped and peeked inside. Austin was sitting at his desk, working.

Seriously! He almost lost his leg yesterday, spent the whole night at the infirmary and instead of resting, he is working??? What kind of man is he??

She was about to step inside but then stopped.

Why am I going to him? He has an entire castle of people whose job it was to check on him, to make sure he didn’t push himself too hard. He doesn’t need me.

She turned around and continued walking to the great hall.

The great hall was half-empty by the time she arrived. Emeric was in his usual seat with a book open beside his plate, and a cup of tea in his hand.

"You look terrible," he said.

"Thank you."

"Are you alright?"

"I’m fine."

"His Grace is awake," he said. "His leg is better now. He is already giving Harrington orders."

"Good."

"He tried to walk to the stables this morning," Emeric continued. "And the physician threatened to resign."

Marguerite, who had just sat down beside her laughed but Alina didn’t. She was staring at a big scratch on her palm. She had no idea about it until now, she was too focused on protecting Austin.

Emeric and Marguerite exchanged glances but didn’t say anything.

After breakfast, she went to the garden to escape. She closed her eyes and recalled how Austin shoved Rowan to protect him, putting himself in danger. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

He can’t be cruel to others without any reason. If he is hiding someone in the east wing, I’m sure he must have his reasons. Why would you tell me? Who am I? Just a bed warmer. I should’ve stayed in my lane.

Lady Talbot joined her and gestured for her to sit on the bench. For a few minutes, they talked about the roses, the weather, and a new gossip about Lord Pemberton’s nephew. Alina listened and responded at the right moment.

Then, Lady Talbot smoothly changed the conversation.

"I heard about yesterday," she began. "The whole castle knows what happened at the barn. Stable boy has a loud mouth, apparently."

Alina sighed.

"He said you dragged His Grace out yourself."

Alina’s hands tightened in her lap.

"He helped."

"He just lifted the beam. But it was you who went into a collapsing building after a man who told you to stay out."

Alina didn’t answer.

"Are you in love with him?" Lady Talbot asked.

Alina went still. Her hands tightened even harder.

"In love?" She chuckled. "More like, in his bed."

"Is it?"

"He bought me. I can’t love someone who bought me."

"You can’t or you shouldn’t?"

"Both."

"Then why did you risk your life to save him yesterday?"

Alina hesitated a little before replying.

"I would have done the same for anyone."

Lady Talbot looked at her with pity.

"No, my dear. You wouldn’t have."

"How would you know?" Alina replied. "Also...it doesn’t matter what I feel. He is engaged to Audrey and I’m just a bed warmer. Feelings don’t change anything."

"You are wrong. Because feelings are the only thing that change everything."

Alina looked at her for the first time since the conversation began.

"You sound like you know a lot about feelings."

Lady Talbot smiled.

"I know enough," she replied and stood up. "Be careful. Because the question isn’t whether you love him. It’s what you’ll do when you can’t pretend you don’t."

Then she walked away, leaving Alina with the echo of her words.

Do I love him? No. It’s not possible. Lady Talbot is probably listening to a lot of gossip these days. I care for him, yes, because he is kind to me. Yes. That’s the only reason. I can never fall for a man who bought me. Never.

She decided she wouldn’t go to see him to prove Lady Talbot wrong. But in the evening, she found herself standing at his study door.

"I’m here only out of courtesy. That’s it," she told herself.

She stepped inside and saw him sitting behind his desk, his leg propped on a stool, with papers spread on the desk.

"How’s your leg?" she asked.

"Fine."

"I heard the physician threatened to resign."

"He always does that."

She took another step and noticed a chessboard on the side table. He was playing against himself again.

"You should rest."

"I am."

"In your study?"

"This is my version of resting."

She walked closer and looked at the chessboard carefully. Then moved his black queen without asking.

"There," she said. "Now black has a chance."

He stared at the board and then at her.

"That was my white game."

"It was sloppy."

He smiled. She then pulled a chair to the side of his desk and sat down, picking up one of the reports.

"What’s this?"

"Estate accounts. You wouldn’t..."

"My father was wealthy once," she said. "I kept his books for three years before the debts swallowed everything."

He watched her read the report, surprised she understood everything but he didn’t interrupt.

She left his study at dusk and was walking to her room when she passed the junction that led to the east wing corridor.

She stopped and looked down the long dark hallway. Lady Talbot’s words echoed in her mind.

I need to stay in my lane.

She turned away and walked to her room.

She had expected him to stay at the infirmary again at night because his leg had still not healed. But when she entered his room, she found him already there. He was sitting on the bed, half-undressed, struggling with his boot on his injured leg.

Stubborn.

She walked over without a word, knelt and removed the boot carefully. Neither of them spoke. Then she stood up and stepped back.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight," he replied.

She lay beside him, close enough to feel the warmth of his body. Then closed her eyes and was almost asleep when she felt his fingers gripping the edge of her sleeve.

She froze, pretending to be asleep. She didn’t dare to open her eyes and ask him about it.

Moreover, she didn’t know whether he was asleep or awake. Or whether this was the first time or he had done it before and she had no idea??