Chapter 419: The Sleeping Duke

Chapter 418: The Sleeping Duke

Lyria’s POV

Duke Valenridge slept for a considerable while.

At some point, Pippa entered bearing a tray of refreshments, and insisted that I partake of something, else she should be obliged to summon Elara. I had no wish to be scolded a second time, and so I resolved to oblige her. She had scarcely set down the tray when she noticed the figure upon my bed, and froze at once.

Her gaze travelled from the sleeping Duke to myself, and then back again, and her expression passed through several stages in rapid succession — surprise, disbelief, and, at the last, disapproval.

"Your Highness," she said. "Why is His Grace upon your bed?"

I glanced towards him, hoping her voice had not roused him, and was relieved to find he slept on.

"K-keep your voice d-down," I said softly. "He is r-resting."

Pippa stared at me.

"Resting, Your Highness?"

"Y-yes. He s-suffers difficulty in sleeping, and I t-told him he might r-rest here."

"Upon your own bed?"

"W-would you rather he r-rested upon the f-floor?"

Pippa opened her mouth. Then closed it once more. Her expression suggested she wrestled with several thoughts at once, and cared for none of them particularly.

"I am convinced," she said at last, though softly, "that this is some manner of scheme to foster closeness with Your Highness."

I laughed softly.

"I q-quite believe His Grace and I a-are already somewhat c-close," I said.

Pippa sighed, and shook her head.

"That is not, Your Highness, the manner of closeness I intended."

I did not fully comprehend her meaning, though I resolved to discover it in time. For the present, I took up a biscuit and ate of it.

Pippa grumbled under her breath throughout, yet she made no attempt to wake him, nor to remove him from my bed. Whatever her misgivings, she appeared to accept that I had made my decision, and that she must reconcile herself to it.

When I had finished eating, I handed her the letters I had written.

"D-do see that these r-reach their intended r-recipients," I said.

She took them, glanced upon the names inscribed there, then gave me a nod.

"I shall see that they reach them, Your Highness."

She withdrew thereafter, granting me some further time alone.

The morning passed, and I occupied myself with my reading the texts Julian had set before me. The words grew easier to recognise by degrees, though I stumbled yet over some of the longer ones.

At midday, Phineas knocked upon my door.

"Your Highness," he said through the wood, "there are two persons here to see His Grace. His valet, and a guard."

I rose and crossed to the door.

I had no wish to disturb Duke Valenridge. He had slept deeply, and given what he had confided to me of his difficulty in resting, I was reluctant to interrupt what might prove one of the few hours of proper sleep he had lately managed.

"I s-hall speak with them m-myself," I said.

"Your Highness, I might attend to the matter, should you prefer it," Phineas said.

"I w-would rather set their minds at ease m-myself."

I opened the door and stepped just beyond my chamber.

Two figures stood waiting. The first was Tommy, Duke Valenridge’s valet, his countenance betraying a scarcely concealed anxiety. The second was a large man I did not immediately recognise — broad across the shoulders, not unlike Earl Hawthorne in his build, with blonde hair and a composed expression that, to my eye, seemed more affected than genuine, for there was an unease about him not unlike Tommy’s own.

Tommy’s eyes widened upon seeing me.

"Your Highness," he said, bowing swiftly. "Pray forgive the intrusion. This is Dorian."

He gestured towards the other man in introduction.

"Your Highness," the man said, with a bow of his own.

"It is only..." Tommy continued, "we have been searching for His Grace since the earliest hours of the morning, and we are well aware of his fondness for vanishing without notice. We have searched every place we might think of, and he is nowhere to be discovered. We...please, Your Highness, have you any knowledge of him? Have you seen him at all?"

And it was for this very reason that I had stepped out, that I might set their minds at rest.

"He i-is with m-me," I said, my voice low. "T-though you cannot s-speak with him, for h-he is r-resting. I d-do not wish to d-disturb him."

"Resting, Your Highness?" Dorian asked, no small measure of surprise in his expression.

I nodded.

"He is s-sleeping quite d-deeply," I said. "Given his i-insomnia, I d-did not wish any soul to w-wake him. But you n-need not t-trouble yourselves. He is w-well."

Tommy’s shoulders sagged with evident relief, as did Dorian’s.

"I am grateful to you, Your Highness," he said. "Truly."

"Indeed, I thank you also," said Dorian, with a bow. "I thank you most sincerely."

It seemed to me I had done rather more than merely permit His Grace to sleep.

"Y-you n-need not thank me for it," I told them.

"And yet we are grateful for it all the same," Dorian said. "We shall take our leave now, Your Highness."

Tommy inclined his head in agreement.

"Should His Grace prove in any way troublesome to you," he added, "you may send him away without the least remorse."

I laughed softly.

"I s-shall bear that in m-mind."

Tommy and Dorian bowed once more and withdrew, their steps considerably lighter than they had been upon their arrival.

I returned within my chamber, and observed that Zephyr had shifted his position. He now lay curled beside Duke Valenridge upon the bed, his small black form tucked against the Duke’s side, as though he had determined this to be the most suitable place for him.

I regarded him in surprise. Had he not shown the Duke every disdain but some hours before? And now he lay curled beside him?

I shook my head. Perhaps even his disdain had its limits.

I returned to the reading table and settled myself once more, drawing the book towards me.

An hour passed.

Then came another knock at the door.

"Your Highness."

It was Phineas again.

I frowned, wondering what the matter might be.

"Is s-something t-the matter?" I asked.

"There is a maid here to see you, Your Highness. Her Majesty has summoned you."