Artizia was stretched out on the lounge seat, enjoying the cool breeze when Margaret all but ripped the balcony door off.
“Your Grace!” She hissed at the startled Duchess. “His Grace is here to see you!”
“The Duke?” She asked, sitting up in surprise. “Why?”
“He asked if he could join you.”
“What, out here?”
“Yes.”
“For what?”
“I told him you were having lunch.”
“He wants to join me for lunch? Hasn’t he eaten?”
“Your Grace,” Margaret’s voice was strained with thinly veiled impatience. “I believe he wants your company.”
“Oh,” Artizia blinked. The idea of the Duke coming to her in the middle of the day just to spend time together was so strange that she hadn’t even considered it. She looked down at the workout clothes she was still wearing. Her body was sticky with sweat and her hair was bunched up in a loose ponytail with flyaways still plastered to her face.
It would be rude to keep the Duke waiting, though, even if he did show up unannounced. And a part of her didn’t care to keep up her image in front of him.
“Show him through.” She said at last. If he didn’t like seeing her like this, he could give them some notice next time. Besides, it was hard to turn him away with Margaret looking at her like that. While Margaret went to convey the message to the Duke, Artizia did her best to fix her ponytail. There was no mirror out here, so she hurriedly checked herself out in the back of a spoon. Not for the first time, Artizia was thankful for her face. Framed as it was by flyaways, it was still something to behold.
The Duke paused for a moment when he caught sight of her. Artizia was expecting it but was intrigued to see him glance away as though embarrassed. She looked down at her outfit again. The workout gear was simple and meant for mobility through the dense forest. Her top was cropped and cut away at the shoulders, while the knee-length shorts were seamless and very snug.
It was far from her most revealing gear, but to a man who only interacted with women in formal social settings, it would no doubt be a shock. She looked the other way to hide the mischievous grin that overtook her face momentarily.
“This is a pleasant surprise,” she said, turning to the Duke again after fixing on a bright smile. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I thought that I should rectify my behaviour.” He replied after a while. “My apologies, Artizia. I have been neglecting my duties as a husband.”
Artizia’s smile was frozen in place as she stared at him. A heartfelt apology was not something she had anticipated. Where had this come from? Was it because of their conversation last night? She had poked fun at him for being a workaholic but she hadn’t expected him to take her words seriously.
Golden eyes darted to Margaret who was hovering in the open doorway behind the Duke, hand on the door handle and mouth slack. Was that what she looked like too? Their eyes met and her disbelief was mirrored in her maid’s. Seeing that snapped her out of her shock.
“Not at all, Your Grace,” she said at last, with a quick wave. “I knew what I was getting into.”
An awkward silence fell between them at this point. Artizia shot another glance at her maid who met her eyes with a pointed look. Having been raised by the older woman, she knew instantly what that look meant.
“Will you join me for a while?” She asked, gesturing to the vacant seat next to her. “If you’re up for refreshments, Margaret can prepare some.”
The Duke nodded with some relief. “I’ll have a hot black coffee. No sugar.” He instructed to Margaret as he moved to the seat Artizia had pointed out. He caught Artizia’s satisfied look. “What?”
“I was just thinking that a plain black coffee seems very… like you.”
“Are you saying that I’m boring?” He nudged his seat backwards so that it was out of the sun’s reach. The late afternoon sun was still quite hot, though the cool air was quite pleasant in the shade. How many years had it been since he had lounged outside in the middle of the day like this?
“That’s not what I’m saying,” Artizia responded, spearing a fruit on the plate next to her and popping it into her mouth. “I was only implying it.”
Margaret returned with the Duke’s coffee, interrupting them for a moment. They remained silent while she placed the cup on the table between them and excused herself.
He took a swig of the hot beverage and leaned back with his eyes closed. “You know, I’ve been getting the sense lately that you don’t have a very positive impression of me.”
“Well,” Artizia ate another piece of fruit and took a sip of tea. “To be frank, you haven’t been doing yourself any favours.”
He opened his eyes and stared at the canopy overhead. “I suppose you’re right.” Lifting his head, he turned to look at her. She met his gaze with a raised eyebrow as she ate another forkful of fruit. He had avoided looking at her until then. This close, he could see the lines of her body that the black fabric clung to. There was an inexplicable charm to her dishevelled, relaxed appearance. Her lounging figure was reminiscent of a feline. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on hers. “What do you recommend I do to redeem myself?”
Artizia looked away briefly as she considered his question. An idea popped into her head. She could have a bit of fun with this.
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