The Duke's Bed Warmer

Chapter 85: Austin’s New Steward

Austin’s chair at breakfast was empty. His study was locked from inside. He had even instructed the staff to not let her in, no matter how much she requested.

Alina noticed, and a terrible idea came into her mind.

She waited until breakfast ended, then went straight to the corridor outside Mr. Harrington’s office. He was just stepping out.

"Mr. Harrington. I need a favour," she said.

"Miss Ashworth?" he asked in surprise.

"I need you to take the day off."

He stared at her like she had asked him to murder someone.

"I don’t take days off."

"You’ll take one today. You’ve a backache and you can barely walk."

"My back is perfectly..."

"Mr. Harrington," she took a step forward, and whispered. "His Grace is avoiding me, and I need to talk to him. The only person he can’t avoid is his steward. If you’re unavailable, he’ll need a replacement. And I’m volunteering."

"He will be furious."

"He is already furious."

Harrington hesitated but then looked at her pleading and determined face. He reluctantly agreed.

"Fine," he said. "I’ve a terrible backache since morning. Physician has advised me to rest."

"Don’t worry," Alina replied. "I’ll make sure His Grace isn’t affected by your absence."

He straightened his cravat and told her everything she needed to do as Austin’s steward.

Then he left, holding his back.

Alina stood outside his study door, took a deep breath and knocked three times like Mr. Harrington did.

"Come in."

She entered carrying a stack of reports and put them on his desk. Then she moved to stand beside his chair with her hands clasped behind her back.

Austin stared at her in disbelief.

"Good morning, Your Grace. Shall I pour your tea?"

"Where is Mr. Harrington?"

"Mr. Harrington has a terrible backache. He can barely walk."

"He has never been sick a day in his life."

"The human body is unpredictable, Your Grace," Alina replied. "Tea?"

His eyes narrowed with irritation as he understood what was she exactly trying to do here.

"I don’t want tea."

"Take a look at reports, then. The border reports..."

"I don’t want you as my steward."

"Unfortunately, you have only two options: me, or manage the day alone. Given that you have never managed a day without a steward since becoming duke, I recommend you choose me."

His jaw tightened. She could see him thinking whether he should throw her out and spend the day fixing his schedule, or tolerate her for the next twelve hours.

"Fine," he said, at last. "Summarize the border reports."

She picked up the first report despite having no idea how to summarize a military border report. But she didn’t give up. She read it slowly, stumbling over military words. She pronounced the word "reconnaissance" wrong three times.

"Re-con-ay-sance," she tried.

"Reconnaissance," he corrected.

"That’s what I said."

"You said three completely different words and none of them were reconnaissance."

She ignored him.

"The point is that the southern border patrol reports no unusual..." She squinted at the handwriting. "Movement? Moaning? This handwriting is atrocious."

"It says ’movement,’" he said. "Give me that."

He took the report and read it in three seconds.

"Southern border is stable. Next."

She handed him the second report, then another, and so on.

"You’re a terrible steward."

"At least I’m honest," she replied.

Alina as steward was a disaster.

During one of his meetings, she opened the wrong door. She walked into the records room instead of the meeting room, confused because she had never been into that part of the castle.

Austin had to go find her. He strode quickly through the corridors, only to find her examining tax ledgers with genuine interest.

"The meeting room is the next door."

"These ledgers are so informative. Did you know your grain tax hasn’t been adjusted since.."

"Alina. In the meeting room. Now."

Then came the library meeting with Lord Ashby. She was supposed to give him Austin’s research request, but ended up giving him the quartermaster’s collar report by mistake. Still, Lord Ashby read it with interest.

"Your Grace, this collar reinforcement design is remarkable."

Austin pressed his fingers to his temple while Alina muttered apologies.

In the afternoon, Austin was at his desk working. He had forgotten about his lunch because Harrington wasn’t there to remind him. And Alina who was supposed to remind him had gotten distracted.

She was reorganizing his letter shelf because Harrington had sorted them alphabetically instead of chronologically.

It took her half an hour to remember about lunch.

"It’s two o’clock," she said.

"I know."

"And you haven’t eaten."

"I’m not hungry."

"You weren’t hungry yesterday either and the day before. You’ve been living on anger and reports, and that’s not a sustainable diet, Your Grace."

Before he could reply, she left. She returned fifteen minutes later with a tray from the kitchen and set it on his desk.

"I asked Evelyn about your comfort food," she said. "She said it’s bread with cheese and chicken soup."

He looked at the tray, then at her. She was smiling as if she had achieved something great. Then, without any comment, he began to eat.

"Where is your food?" he asked.

"I ate in the kitchen, when Evelyn was preparing yours,"

He almost smiled.

After lunch, she brought his afternoon reports and tripped on the rug edge. Papers flew across the study floor like confetti.

She dropped to her knees and started gathering them in a flurry of aplogies. He watched her from the desk for a few seconds, then got up and knelt beside her.

They reached for the same paper and their fingers touched. They froze and stared at each other.

"You’re the worst steward this castle has ever had," he said.

"I know," she murmured, lowering her eyes.

He noticed her hair coming loose from the blue pin he had given her. She looked sad as she realized, she was failing at something. Because according to her, she could do everything perfectly. She was trying hard but was still struggling.

No one had ever done this for Austin before. People had made big efforts and grand gestures for him in the past, but those were always for political reasons or their own selfish goals.

But Alina was here because she wanted to be near him, talk to him, to apologize.

He smiled but she didn’t notice, too busy picking up the papers.

"I can’t do this," he said.

She looked up immediately, fear flickered on her face.

"What?"

"Stay angry at you," he said. "I’ve been trying all day. I locked my door and instructed the staff, and you...you bribed my steward and appointed yourself in his place."

She pressed her lips together.

"I don’t know how to hold my anger when you’re in front of me like this. You...you make it impossible...just by being here, by refusing to let me shut you out."