The Duke's Bed Warmer

"Someone should remind the girl what she is." Lord Asherton stepped forward. "She is supposed to warm the duke’s bed, not dance with him publicly."

The silence was suffocating. Alina stood frozen, the weight of every gaze pressing down on her. But she didn’t look at Asherton. She looked at Austin, who was still standing with Audrey.

Then she turned back to Asherton.

"Lord Asherton." Her voice was steadier than her hands that were trembling behind the folds of her dress.

"You seem very concerned about my place tonight," she said. "I wonder.. do you show the same concern for your wife?"

He froze.

"She left the hall twenty minutes ago. Did you notice? Or were you too busy watching me?"

A few heads turned towards the chair where Lady Asherton had been sitting. It was empty now. Asherton was surprised as he hadn’t noticed.

"My wife is not your concern," he snapped, but the intensity in his voice was gone now.

"She doesn’t seem to be yours either," she replied. "She looked tired when she left."

Asherton’s hands curled into fists as he took a step forward.

"Enough."

Austin’s voice cut through the tension. He set his glass aside and walked forward, passing Asherton without a glance, stopping in front of Alina.

He didn’t say anything, then he held out his hand. Alina looked at his hand, then at his face. He gave nothing away. She looked around, everyone was watching them, waiting for her reaction.

Slowly, she placed her hand in his. Austin turned to the musicians and gave them a small nod. The music resumed.

He led her onto the dance floor, his hand settling at her waist. She put her hand on his shoulder, and together, they began to move.

Everyone watched them in shock as the Duke of Ravenmoor danced with his bed warmer instead of his fiancée.

For a while, no one followed. Then Marguerite asked her husband to dance. Lord Whitmore took her hand and joined them on the floor.

Then Lord Ashby offered his hand to Lady Talbot.

Lady Talbot took his hand and they joined as well.

Soon, others joined. And everything seemed to be back to normal. Asherton stood alone at the corner, humiliated.

"You should go back to Audrey," Alina murmured.

"Why?"

"People are watching."

"Let them."

"She is your fiancée, and this dance was meant to be hers."

He didn’t answer. Instead, he turned her, drawing her closer as the dance became intimate. His hand pressed more firmly at her waist while his face moved dangerously closer to hers.

"You...."

"Stop talking."

"You need to..."

"I need to finish this dance."

She fell silent. Everyone watched them.

"You’re making a scene," she said.

"I don’t care."

"You will tomorrow."

"I like to live in the present."

She had no answer for that. So she let the music carry her on the dance floor, and let herself melt into the moment without pulling away.

Soon, the dance came to an end. Austin didn’t let go of her hand instantly. He turned to Lord Asherton, who was still standing at the corner.

"Lord Asherton," Austin said calmly. "Apologize to Miss Ashworth. Now.

Asherton stiffened.

"Your Grace..."

"Now."

His voice left no room for refusal. Everyone now looked at Asherton while he looked at Alina, his face burning with anger and humiliation.

"I apologize, Miss Ashworth," The words sounded forced.

Alina just looked at him in response.

"And?" Austin prompted.

Asherton hesitated before speaking again

"I was wrong, and it will not happen again."

Austin looked at him briefly, then turned to the room.

"The ball continues," he announced. "There’s nothing else to see here."

The spell broke and the guests turned back to their conversations.

But everyone had seen how the duke had chosen his bed warmer over his fiancée. He had made Asherton, a high ranking noble, apologize to her in front of everyone.

Later, Austin walked to Audrey and asked her for a dance.

"May I?"

Audrey accepted his hand with a perfect smile as if nothing was wrong.

"Of course," she replied.

She took his hand and they both went towards the dance floor.

But she was angry. She danced like she was performing, like she was proving that she was still his fiancée to the hall. That the bed warmer might have taken one dance, but everything else belonged to her.

Alina stood alone in a corner, watching them dancing together when Lord Prescott appeared at her side.

"May I?"

He was the guest of honor. She couldn’t afford to insult him, especially not after what had just happened.

"Yes," she replied.

He took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

"I like how you’ve placed musicians in the center," he said.

"You want to talk about the musicians?"

"For now." He turned her smoothly. "The rest can wait."

She smiled.

"Your duke made a very public choice tonight," he said after a minute.

"He is not my duke."

"In a room like this, actions matter more than the titles and what he did today makes him yours."

She didn’t reply.

"He doesn’t understand what he did tonight," he continued. "Men rarely do...when it matters the most."

"Is that a warning?"

"No. A simple observation. I’m very good at them," he smiled. "He doesn’t know what he wants, Miss Ashworth. But unlike him, I prefer to be clear about what I want."

"And what is that?"

"Your time," he replied looking into her eyes. "To show you what it feels like when someone doesn’t take months to recognize what’s in front of him."

Alina froze mid- dance for a second, then continued.

"You’re very blunt."

"Because you seem exhausted by men who aren’t."

Before Alina could process his words properly, he ended the dance.

"Thank you, Miss Ashworth," he bowed.

"Thank you, Lord Prescott."

"If your duke doesn’t understand what he declared tonight, someone else will...and they won’t wait for him to figure it out."

He stepped back and walked away. Alina remained standing there alone as the ball continued around her.

She touched her mother’s locket and saw Austin still dancing with Audrey.

Is Lord Prescott right about Austin? Does Austin have feelings for me ?