Chapter 20 - Twenty
The rhythmic clatter of the horse-drawn carriage on the cobblestone streets was a familiar sound, but Eric hardly noticed it.
He was staring intently out the window, his gaze unfocused, seeing not the bustling city streets but the memory of a firelit room and a woman with bold blue eyes. His thoughts kept drifting back to the moment he had held Delia in his arms, the faint, clean scent of lavender that clung to her hair, a scent that now seemed to linger on his own coat.
Aiden, his trusted aide, sat across from him in the plush carriage. He was a sharp, observant young man who had arrived from the city estate that morning, expecting to brief the Duke on urgent business matters. Instead, he found his employer lost in a world of his own.
"Your Grace," Aiden finally ventured, breaking the long silence. "Are you expecting someone?"
The question pulled Eric from his thoughts. He sat up straight, turning away from the window, his expression clearing. "No," he replied, a hint of surprise in his voice. "Why do you ask?"
"You have been staring out that window for the better part of half an hour now, Your Grace," Aiden said respectfully. "It is unlike you to be so... distracted."
Eric raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" He leaned back, a thoughtful expression on his face. Then, something else came to his mind, a puzzle he wanted to examine from another angle. "Aiden," he called, his tone shifting.
"Yes, Your Grace?" Aiden replied, leaning forward slightly, ready to receive an order.
"If a woman," Eric began slowly, choosing his words carefully, "proposed a marriage of convenience to you one night, and then disappeared in the morning after drinking all your wine, what would it mean?"
Aiden blinked, taken aback by the highly unusual and personal question. He considered it for a moment. "Well, Your Grace," he said, "perhaps she’s playing hard to get. A tactic to make you pursue her." He paused. "Or, perhaps she isn’t interested anymore and regretted her proposal."
Eric shook his head, a firm, decisive movement. "No," he said, more to himself than to Aiden. "I don’t think that’s the issue here."