The Duke's Bed Warmer-Chapter 58: New Responsibility

Audrey invited Alina to her room the next morning. When Alina entered, she saw Marguerite and Lady Brennan already sitting together, both unusually quiet. Audrey sat across from them, composed as always.

"Sit," Audrey said. "Tea?"

Alina sat and Audrey poured the tea. Without another word, Audrey slid a folder across the table.

"Lord Prescott’s family is visiting Ravenmoor in two days," Audrey said. "His father is the Earl of Thornbury. The welcome event must be extraordinary."

Alina looked at the folder in surprise.

"We are planning a ball," Audrey continued. "And I want you to plan it."

The room went quiet.

"Me?"

"Yes," Audrey smiled. "You know how to handle and read people. Just look at the growth of your sewing circle."

Alina opened the folder and saw the guest list, budget and all the other details she needed for the planning.

"I’ve never organized such an event before," Alina said. "If something goes wrong, it affects more than just a party."

"Don’t worry. I’ll be available if you need guidance," Audrey replied. "Also someone believes you can adapt into our world, I’d like to see if that’s true."

Someone who? Austin?

Marguerite squeezed Alina’s hand under the table while Lady Brennan looked at her with encouragement.

"Fine...I’ll do it," she said.

"As expected from you," Audrey smiled.

When they stepped out into the corridor, afterwards, Marguerite grabbed her arm.

"You can do this."

"I’ve never planned a ball."

"There is always a first time for everything."

Lady Brennan nodded.

"And we are here for you. You’re not alone."

Alina looked down at the folder in her hands and realized it was a chance to prove herself but she could also fail in front of everyone.

"I need to go to the library," she said, and walked away.

The library was quiet at this time of the day but her mind wasn’t.

She opened the folder and read the guest list. It had forty names. She knew a few names, had heard them from Lord Ashby, Lady Talbot and her sewing circle but she had no idea about the majority of them.

She didn’t know the order of precedence, didn’t know who outranked whom, and which families were not on good terms. The protocol manual Audrey had given didn’t help much either.

She was buried in etiquette books when Emeric came and sat beside her. The news of Alina planning the welcome ball had already spread everywhere. He pulled the folder towards him and started writing.

"Prescott’s family is the guest of honour, so they will sit at His Grace’s right," he wrote. "Keep Lady Allen away from Lord Mason. They fought for the spring ball three years ago."

Alina listened and nodded.

"The Hamilton family should sit together, or they’ll complain for a month."

Emeric surprisingly knew everything. She had a lot of questions and he answered all of them patiently.

"Don’t add Lord Crawley’s name on the dance list," Emeric said.

"Why?"

"He moves like he is fighting bees. Don’t let him near the dessert table after midnight. He gets sticky."

Alina laughed loudly. Austin passed by the library door and watched them laughing. He stood there for a few seconds, then walked on.

A while later, a servant approached their table and handed over a book to her.

"From His Grace," the servant said. "For reference."

"Thank you," Alina muttered.

It was the official protocol manual from Austin’s personal collection. The pages had annotations in his handwriting. She turned to the section on dance order, and found a small annotation in the margin:

The host’s companion opens the second dance. Not the third. It’s a common mistake.

"What does ’companion’ mean?" she asked. "Is it Audrey?"

Emeric looked at the note.

"Prescott and Audrey are supposed to do the first dance as hostess and guest of honour," he replied. "The second dance should be you and His Grace."

"Me?"

"According to the arrangement...you’re his companion since he is not married."

She immediately closed the manual.

"Help me with the seating arrangement," she said, trying to pretend as if dance conversation didn’t happen.

The next afternoon, Audrey sent a seamstress to Alina’s room. Madame Claret was the most elite seamstress of the city who only worked with high-ranking nobles. She arrived with her two assistants who were carrying three dresses on their arms.

"Her Highness specifically requested me to dress you for this ball," Madame Claret said. "I couldn’t say no."

Alina smiled.

"Thank you."

But why? Is this some trap or is she being genuinely kind?

Her assistants then showed Alina the dresses.

"She has selected three dresses for you. You can choose the one you like the most."

The assistant started with a midnight blue dress, then forest green, and a deep crimson at the end. The last one caught her attention. Probably the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.

The colour was beautiful, with gold embroidery on the entire dress. The fabric was of the finest quality with flawless stitching. When the light fell on the dress, the gold threads shimmered lightly, making the whole dress feel almost alive.

"This one," she said, touching the dress.

Madame Claret smiled.

"An excellent choice."

Then she stood on a stool while the assistants measured, adjusted and pinned the dress against her body. She looked at her reflection and saw her mother.

"You have very beautiful features and body," Madame Claret said. "Your mother must have been very beautiful."

"She was," Alina smiled.

"The dress will be ready by tomorrow morning," Madam Claret said after they were done with her measurements.

"Thank you once again."

Madam Claret smiled and left, her assistants following her.

At night, Alina took the books with her into Austin’s room and worked at his desk. She was working on the final versions of the seating chart, the dance order, and the food menu. She had been working since dinner, cross-referencing Emeric’s annotations with Austin’s protocol manual, checking and double-checking every name and detail.

She had planned everything according to the protocol manual except for the music. She had placed the musicians in the centre of the hall instead of the corner. Her reasoning was simple. It felt more intimate and made the music part of the room, instead of some random background noise.

She was so focused that she didn’t hear Austin enter the room. He stopped when he saw her working at the desk.

"You’re still working?"

"I can’t afford to make mistakes tomorrow."

He walked to the desk and stood beside her, looking down at her notes.

"Musicians in the middle?" he asked.

"So that everyone can hear the music. And it will also keep people from crowding the corners."

He shrugged.

"Move Lord Asherton’s seat."

"Why?"

"Lord Asherton challenged Lady Pemberton’s husband to a duel six years ago over a land dispute. Her husband declined and Asherton called him a coward publicly. They haven’t spoken since."

Alina had no idea.

"How do I fix it?"

He leaned down, their faces almost touching. Then picked up her pen and moved Asherton three seats away.

"What else am I missing?" she asked.

They both turned to look at each other and suddenly the distance between them became nonexistent. He immediately cleared his throat and pulled a chair beside her and sat.

They both worked together. He told her everything about the feuds, and the alliances. He mentioned which lords would drink too much and which ladies would judge the decoration.

This was the most he had ever spoken to her.

After working for an hour, he went to bed while she stayed at the desk. When she was finally done with the final draft, it was almost three in the morning.

She put the document into the drawer, walked to the bed, and lay down on her side.

Austin was awake...she could tell by his breathing.

"I know you aren’t very fond of Lord Prescott, given how interested he was in me during the estate visit," Alina said. "So...I was wondering if you would forbid me from talking to him?"

"Would it matter if I did?"

"No."

"Then I won’t waste my breath."

"But you want to?"

He didn’t answer. But tonight his silence was louder than any word he could say.

"Goodnight," she said.

"Wear the crimson dress tomorrow."

"You know about it?"

"I chose it."

Alina smiled. She couldn’t believe this man. The more she thought she understood him, the more he surprised her.

"I was going to."

"I know that as well. I just wanted to..." He stopped.

"Wanted to what?"

"...say it," he replied quietly.