The Duke listened intently, pausing to ponder for a moment.
“I must say, now that you put it that way, I see some parallels with the kind of books I prefer to read as well,” he said, nodding in her direction.
“How so?” Deborah asked immediately, finding herself growing excited by the idea.
Are the Duke and her finally agreeing for a change? Surely that was a rare occasion, and the stars must have aligned to make that a possibility.
“I prefer to read biographies of great men who have come before us. They led lives of adventure, often pushing the realm of possibilities and reaching new heights,” he said and then his lips curved into a smile. “Of course, the important difference remains that the kind of adventures I am interested in reading about actually occurred in reality.”
Deborah resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Always so pragmatic.”
“I wasn’t aware that was a bad thing.” He flashed her a smile yet again.
“It is true that your historical books might have knowledge that actually happened. However, they are still constrained by reality. The books I enjoy are limitless, going as far as the writer’s imagination takes you.”
“Imagination,” he repeated in a playful tone. “Or delusion.”
“Delusion?” Deborah scoffed, offended by his choice of words. “There is nothing delusional about dreaming. There is more to life than just following along our duties.”
The words slipped out of her mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Immediately, her eyes widened in horror as she wondered if she had gotten too far and attacked him personally. But to her surprise, the Duke took it quite well and chuckled at her words.
“Following our duties is how we contribute to a greater good,” the Duke replied. “It is a noble way to live.”
“I respect what you mean about the great good.” Deborah nodded, meeting him halfway. “But what about personal joys? Surely that makes life worth living.”
“You seem to have a unique approach to life.” He flashed her a smile, and immediately, Deborah was disarmed.
It seemed that whenever he smiled, he transformed from being an insufferable character to someone else entirely.
Deborah could not help but notice the way his cheeks dimpled whenever he smiled. It was endearing, but more so, it was striking how handsome he appeared.
As if in a daze, she found herself staring at him.
“Do you not agree?” he asked when she failed to respond in time.
“Agree about what, Your Grace?” Deborah struggled with her words.
What had gotten into her? It was like she was struggling to focus. Heat rose in her cheeks, and she had to look away. Now, when she looked at the Duke’s smiling face, she could not help but remember the kiss they had shared.
“About you having a unique approach to life,” he said. “You seem a bit distracted.”
“I am not distracted,” Deborah protested, knowing full well that she had been caught off guard. “What reason do I have to be distracted?”
“Lady Deborah.” The Duke smiled once again. “You are acting a bit strange. Please, at least admit that.”
There it was; his smile again. Deborah trained her gaze on the floor, scared that she would turn scarlet if she looked up at him again.
You are the one acting strange.
She never knew that he had such a nice smile, and more so, that it had the power to disorient her completely.
“Even more so now,” the Duke continued, seeming thoroughly amused. “It is as though you have been rendered speechless. Pray tell, was it something that I said?”
“Not at all.” Deborah flushed and began to get up from her seat at the table. “I have realized that I am sleepy, indeed. I should return to my room.”
“You have forgotten your book.”
“Oh, right,” she mumbled, still blushing and refusing to look him in the eye. She grabbed the book hastily and rushed out of the library without saying another word.
