Capítulo 40: 'You hear me, Lex?'
As soon as they were out of the crowd, the duke turned to his side and grabbed the duchess' hand again. Unlike his earlier attempts where she'd instantly stiffen then relax, this time, she didn't even notice it and even tightened her hand in return as she looked at the other stalls. Amelia would even tug at the duke's hand to make him follow her faster.
"Let's check that one out—" Alexander looked back at the direction Amelia suddenly turned to as her words trailed off.
"What is it?" with one brow raised, the duke scanned the crowd for whatever caught the duchess' attention.
"I thought there's—never mind. It's probably nothing." Amelia shook her head, but the sudden tightness of her hand on his made Alexander a little worried. He looked back again once more to check, but there was nothing out of the ordinary.
Maybe it was really nothing.
After having their fill of the crowd, the duke and duchess strolled casually through the sidewalk, stopping by to watch some street performers, then continuing forward where another performer has gathered an audience of his own at a distance. Then that's when Alexander felt it—eyes intently following them, boring a hole in his back. He looked back to scan the square, but it was dark, and the lights only reached a certain point. Glancing at his fiancée, it seemed as if she also felt the same thing as her expression turned bleak.
The man who wanted Amelia dead last night must've hired not just one but also a couple more to ensure that the deed's done one way or another.
Alexander felt hot from the inside. Fuming even. Elias and his men were the ones who took care of the man after Jyver and Ancel immobilized him. Seeing that he's yet to report anything must mean that they haven't resolved anything yet—so much for the sword and shield of the empire.
He mentally cursed, asking himself what Vernon was thinking and how they handled the man last night—though a part of him felt that with the presence of Vance Thomson, he might be dead hours ago without even anyone knowing.
Inhaling sharply, Alexander grabbed the duchess tightly and pulled her across the street where it's lit and crowded. That way, they'd have a little leverage and could run away efficiently, making the crowd their temporary shield. But that also has its drawbacks. As much as the duke wanted to lead the man into thinking that they haven't noticed him, so he'd follow them and trap him somewhere, he also didn't want to put Amelia into another uproar.
Last night was already too much.
"Do you have even just an inkling of who wants you dead?" Alexander asked, even though he already has a clear idea of who it might be.
"I'm not sure anymore. For one, there's my aunt's husband, but I don't think he could plan, or even execute, something that has become complicated with the poisoning and the assassination. He's the type of person who always found the easiest and shortest way of doing things. So, I don't think he's working by himself. Because if he did, the best that he could do would be to send hired killers to get rid of me until I'm dead—or pay someone to plan my death for him." The duchess explained in a low voice, her hand now intertwined with the duke's. "And to use a poison coming all the way from Pradour? There's a whole lot of plants here in the duchy that could have the same effects. Why go through all the trouble, right?"
If Alexander didn't know any better, he would have agreed with Amelia's assumptions, but he did know better. And it frustrated him that he couldn't tell her, and equally annoyed at how well Vance was keeping it that way. For sure, whatever reports arrived at her table must've already been sorted through by her advisor, and at worst, he could even leave some crucial pieces of information out of it.
"I'd like to corner him," Alexander looked at Amelia with disbelief. He didn't know that she would suggest such a thing after what happened last night. But it's just what he wanted to do. "I don't think we're out of the woods yet. He's probably lingering somewhere waiting for us to think that we could let our guards down."
"I can't have you in danger again. Do you have any idea how scary your advisor is?" Alexander kidded, bringing his face closer to the duchess, "I'd like to keep my head on my shoulders, thank you." He smiled, and for a second, with how close and comfortable he's become, he almost kissed her again. It was a good thing that a child bumped into Amelia that she turned her head away, even pulling her hand from him, to check if the child was alright.
Alexander made a face and slowly clenched his fists at the sides. How could he think of such a thing when he should be thinking of a way to lure whoever's following them?
"So, are we going to do it?" Amelia asked with determined eyes, casually slipping her hand into his again, and a small smile ran across Alexander's face. He tried not to look at her hand so the duchess wouldn't be conscious about it, but he couldn't help himself squeezing it a little.
"Don't do anything crazy. You hear me?" he said firmly, holding a finger up to warn her. And for the first time in his life, a lady rolled her eyes at him. None of his lovers did it; no one!—Well, maybe except for his sister and Lady Norrine, but they're a different story.
"Please, I'm not fragile. I'm built with muscles and callouses from training. I could at least get away by myself just fine. And I don't think that he would want to cause a scene because if he did, he would've done so earlier to save some time." Stubborn as ever. Alexander palmed his face and took a deep breath. Amelia has a point.
Looking discreetly from side to side, Alexander and the duchess casually walked away from the middle of the crowded street and into the sidewalk like the one they were at earlier. They could watch other performers from there, and there were also small peddlers here, and about so they lingered at one stall longer than they had earlier, buying some time until the man they were after reappeared from a distance—but he didn't.
No matter how long they waited, he just wasn't there anymore, and none of them felt like being watched too.
"Maybe he knew that we noticed him," Amelia whispered to the duke.
"Probably," was Alexander's disappointing response, though he was somewhat relieved too.
The night was finally upon them, and they both knew that they were out longer than they initially expected. Alexander could already foresee the duchess' lady assassin waiting at the gates, ready to plunge a knife through him. Or maybe Vance and Vernon would be the ones waiting there—either one, he better bring the duchess back to the palace unless he wanted to be swarmed with flies the next morning.
**********
Amelia's heart pounded so fast she could barely keep her breathing controlled. The sudden adrenaline that rose when Alexander agreed to lure the man following them excited her. At last, she thought, she'd do something worthwhile than sit pretty while Vance and the siblings looked for the perpetrators. She also wanted to take matters into her own hands as much as the others do.
She's fed up with being protected. It's her fight too. But when, after some time, no one approached her—not even a speck of danger to be sensed elsewhere—Amelia's shoulders sunk. She continued to look around even when Alexander said that they should go back to the manor.
Time really does fly.
Gathering the cloak about her, Amelia tugged on her hood and brushed some stray hair away from her face. Then her eyes fell on the duke's hand holding hers. It was a little rough and heavy. She'd imagine that he'd have softer hands, but she's just being fictional; even her hands were not as smooth as the other ladies, like Constance and Laila's hands—soft and supple.
His lovers' hands must be soft, too, since they probably didn't need to practice holding a sword since the age of ten.
Amelia sighed, then later shook her head. It was no time to think about ridiculous thoughts, she realized. What she needed to think of was what to tell her advisor and the others about her secret rendezvous. Arabella would be fuming by now, and the brothers too. Ayland and Laila could be reasoned with, but Christa must be out of her wits as well. Amelia would definitely get an earful of lectures and whatnots.
But just when she thought that the trouble would have to wait until she arrived at the palace, her eyes spotted a carriage with a small blue flag waving on top of it and House Mulford's crest waiting in front of Alexander's manor.
Amelia gulped nervously, and she heard Alexander click his tongue.
As soon as they came close, Leticia, with her vibrantly embroidered satin robe wrapped around her, came out, her back towards Amelia and the duke, followed by Elias, still wearing his knight's uniform, his left hand resting on his sword's pommel. They were almost at the gates and didn't take Elias a minute longer to notice the two of them, and all of a sudden, his face turned stern, and his jaw tightened, halting Amelia. Memories of when she was training with Elias rushed towards her like a hurricane. She hasn't seen Elias' glare for a long time, and even though she's received it a lot of times before, it still gave her chills.
Amelia's heart raced. Her hand unconsciously tightened at Alexander, who also stopped to look back at her, but she couldn't stray her gaze away from the Mulford heir who was walking towards them. But instead of talking to her, Elias rushed to Alexander and grabbed him by the collar to the duchess' surprise. Leticia was staring at a safe distance, obviously worried, but she stopped Alexander's knight from taking any action.
"What do you think you're doing?" Elias grunted at him. Since he's a tad taller, Alexander looked like being pulled up easily.
"Just taking my fiancée out for some fresh air," Alexander answered, unbothered. His hands grabbed both Elias' hands and forced them off of him. "What do you think you're doing with a duke?" he firmly said and walked past the Mulford heir, pulling Amelia with him.
"Amelia!" his voice rang in the duchess' ears that she couldn't help but flinch.
"No need to scold her, Mulford. I was going to bring her back even if you didn't come here." Alexander looked back at Elias, his tone calmer than he looked.
"That's not the point, Clement! And don't you get cheeky with me. I won't be intimidated by you." Elias was persistent. He was about to grab Amelia by the arm, but she instinctively pulled it away. Surprised by her own action, Amelia lowered her head then she felt the trembling hands on her shoulders. When she looked at who it was, it's Leticia. Alexander's sister gave her a light nod and brought her to where she was standing earlier.
"Aren't you a little overreacting?" Alexander questioned back, sounding a little annoyed as he took a step forward to shield them. Amelia mentioned it to him while they were looking through town earlier after coming from the eatery. But she also understood why Elias was so mad about it. With the strings of what happened recently, it's no surprise that her absence would definitely cause a commotion.
"That note could easily be faked. If something happened to her, would you take responsibility?!"
"Do you think I would let something happen to her?!" Alexander said, gritting his teeth, and for a moment, Amelia's breathing hitched when Elias suddenly took steps towards the duke. She thought he'd land a blow on Alexander, but before she knew it, the duchess already has her hand firmly against the Mulford heir's chest.
"That's enough, brother," Amelia said tonelessly. "I'm fine. And Alexander didn't force me to come with him. I wanted to come." Elias looked down on her, and she returned it. Thankful for the speck of courage left in her, the duchess looked back at Alexander and said, "I had a wonderful time, Alexander, thank you." It was one of the few moments that she ever called him by her first name. "And I'm sorry for the ruckus, Leti." Amelia showed a small smile to the lady standing by the gates with her arms around herself, securing her robe into place, then to Elias. "Brother Elias can be a little overprotective, right?" she said, linking her arm with his and pulling him aside.
"Don't you get cheeky with me, Amelia. It won't work." Elias held her hand and slowly slid it off of his arm. "I am still mad about you leaving without properly telling anyone. And without a guard. Everybody was on edge looking for you!" Elias said, a tad more composed than earlier.
Amelia swallowed some air as the consequences of her actions slowly came to light in her mind. She looked down at her hands for a second, bobbed her head, and showed an apologetic smile to the Clement siblings before turning her back.
It was no time to regret something that she wanted to do. Of course, she knew that they would be looking for her, but she wanted to go out despite any of it. Rather than look back to the inevitable, she should think about what to do next.
"Cice," Amelia stopped by the carriage's entrance when he heard Alexander softly call for her, and her heart ached a little. Tears welled in her eyes, but it was quick to dry when she felt Elias' hand on her arm, pressing her to take a step inside.
The duchess wanted to look back. The time they spent together was too short to be feeling anything special, but she felt comfortable. She felt at ease. Like any danger that's coming her way was nothing but just a pesky mosquito whispering in her ears.
She felt somewhat safe with him than being surrounded by thick walls and dozens of guards, to say the least. But Alexander doesn't have to know it like that, so Amelia smiled a little broader when she looked back.
"Oh, Leti," Amelia called through the window, "I'm expecting you on my birthday in a few weeks—since we're friends." she beamed, and Leticia smiled back at her, waving her hand goodbye. Her eyes also glanced at Alexander, who has yet to say another word, and waved at him too. But he just simply stared at her. The duchess wasn't supposed to say it to the duke, but it just rolled off her tongue smoothly, saying, "You must come too. You hear me, Lex?" imitating Alexander's words earlier.
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