Deborah narrowed her eyes. “His Grace was merely helping me tend to my wounds. It was a necessary interaction and not a deep conversation,” she clarified.
“That is how it starts.” Nicholas grinned. “Necessary interactions soon turn into voluntary ones.”
“Stop it,” Deborah hissed. “You say anything that comes to your mind.”
“Are you afraid His Grace will discover that we are speaking about him and realize that you have been interested in him this entire time?”
“I do not know why this delusion persists in your mind.” Deborah rolled her eyes. “I merely tolerate his presence.”
“Surely the two of you make a great team?” Nicholas asked, curious. “He challenges you in the way that you wish to be challenged.”
Deborah fell silent. Her brother was right, but she would never admit this out loud.
“Rendered speechless.” Nicholas grew even more confident at her silence. “This only confirms my suspicions.”
“It does not mean anything.” Deborah’s voice dropped down to a hushed whisper. ‘It is true that the hunt was thrilling in part due to how competitive the both of us are. However, I still deem him completely insufferable.”
‘My dear sister.” Nicholas smiled. “The opposite of love is indifference, and it is clear that you are not indifferent towards him.”
“Spare me from your imagination,” Deborah said, a ring of finality in her tone. “I just want to return to the estate and rest for a while. It has been a long day.”
With that, Deborah reined in her steed and fastened her pace, leaving the entire party of gentlemen behind her.
The Duke watched as she sped away. “Lady Deborah seems to be in a hurry,” he remarked.
Immediately, his mind was filled with concern for her. Had the healing herbs stopped working and she sped away to tend to her wounds?
“I hope she is all right,” he added as an afterthought.
The hunt had made him see her in a new light, and he had developed an appreciation for her perseverance.
“Oh, do not worry about Lady Deborah,” Peter assured the worried Duke, “she is strong beyond her capabilities. I am sure she either grew annoyed with Nicholas teasing her, or she wants to hurry off to the estate to read her books.”
The Duke nodded, still staring at the retreating figure of Deborah in his line of sight. “Has she always been this competitive?” He found himself curious to know more about her.
“Oh, I would say she has toned it down over the years,” Peter admitted with a slight chuckle. “As a young child, she would constantly compete with Nicholas and me over everything. However, her interests shifted to more reclusive ones as she grew older, and she developed a passion for writing.”
The Duke found himself engaged in what Peter was saying, eager to absorb any new information he could about Deborah.
“Writing was something I was never good at,” Lord Jonathan interjected. “It is too much effort trying to put to paper the thoughts that go on in your head. It is much easier to forget them by the day’s end.”
The Duke found himself getting annoyed at the interjection. He wanted Peter to continue talking about Deborah but did not want to appear too curious.
“Oh, I am the same way,” Peter concurred. “I simply do not have the patience to write.”
“Have you read any of her works?” the Duke blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity. “Of course, I only ask because it is not every day that I hear someone’s favorite pastime is writing,” he added quickly to not arise suspicion.
“Once or twice.” Peter shrugged. “She is very protective of her writing and often says that we may read it when it is published.”
“Ambitious,” the Duke remarked.
“Oh, that she is.” Peter nodded in agreement.
Nicholas joined in on their conversation, and the trio began discussing other matters. However, the Duke remained still focused on Deborah.
She infuriated him yet fascinated him at the same time. And he could not point a finger to why exactly that was.
* * *
