To Love A Duke

Flight

Song Recommendation: Forever by LABRINTH

A ladies delicate sensibilities urges her to run from an uncomfortable situation. Alas she cannot outrun uncomfortable feelings..

hey where through with the running, but apparently not, she had done what she did best, and she had done it splendidly. She had outrun him. Literally. One minute she was in his arms and next she was in flight. Artemis, best in race. He wanted to know if she was okay, he wanted to see her and talk to her, he wanted to know if what happened in the library meant anything to her, and he wanted to return her slippers.

She had been so eager to be away from him that she had abandoned her footware and raced away like a horse on fire, at first he had been shocked then he had gone after but he underestimated her speed and dedication to her cause, the damned woman. how dare she kiss him so passionatly and run off like that. He knocked again

“Artemis, don’t be such a baby,” he leaned a shoulder on her door, the connecting door that led to her chambers from his room, it had been locked since she stopped speaking to him about a week ago and thought of hitting it down appealed to him greatly

He didn’t want to be seen begging to be let into his wife’s room so he had taken the alternative of seeking entry through this door and not her main door.

“I will act the gentleman and leave this at the door-just get whenever you want?” He waited for a while and stalked back to his study. Rourke was sitting with a drink in hand.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk..And that my friend is not a face of victory” Rourke commented on his sour expression a minute later as he walked into the study. Orion ignored his jab and strolled Over to the shelve pretending to look through some records, anything but to face his friend. The bastard was too damned perceptive for his own good.

“Hmm let guess, she walked away from a good f**k” Rourke said, smiling as Orion swung around to face him.

“Don’t talk carelessly about my love life man” he said seriously

“Is that what they are calling it these days? Love life” Rourke cringed “ That’s a ton of s**t” Rourke said and Orion could hardly blame The cad for his views on marriage.

Orion shook his head. And turned back to the shelve.

“Not that I’m offering advice but I believe She’ll come around in time” Rourke said stifling a snort, he ignored the non advice. Artemis never came around.

“How do you know I’m good f**k” Orion blurted, turning around to face him again.

“Now it would be s**t weird if I knew, wouldn’t it” Rourke’s smiled slyly and for the first time since he stepped into the room he noticed the shift in Rourke. Was he drunk?

“Five star rated weird” Orion replied narrowing his eyes at him

“Yeah I thought so- I don’t know- I believe the ladies” he grinned at Orion “though I must admit you are quite popular with the gender aren’t you” Rourke Said as he eyed the brandy in his hands

“Hmm” Orion replied watching his friend

“More so now that you’ve married the earls fiancée” Rourke commented his words were getting slurred

“Just how much have you had to drink” Orion asked, eying him concerned , Rourke never got drunk , when he did there had to be a good reason, and a damned good one at that. he looked down and noticed the emptied bottles of brandy.

“Not nearly enough, I’m as sober as a fox I do assure you” Rourke smiled then burped loudly

Something was definitely off with his friend, he was drunk, and he wouldn’t get much out of him tonight so he wouldn’t prob him. Today he had been so sucked up on his own problems he had not noticed the shift in Rourke. He was a man who had been through life’s s**t with a smile on his face.

“A raid on my wine cellar I see” he commented at the bottles that lay carelessly on the rug.

Striding to the doors he opened it and gave instructions to a footman to ready a carriage to take Rourke home. The footman moved swiftly to carry out the order as Orion came back in, Rourke seemed to be chanting some sort of war song. He had been a soldier in the war and he bore the scares of it physically and emotionally. They never spoke about it but he knew Rourke still had the nightmares and bore the guilt of living when many of his comrades fell.

He helped him up and supported him to the carriage as Rourke burped and sang in slurred attempts. Rourke was half asleep by the time he deposited him form in the carriage.

“I will call on you on the morrow man, be safe” he nodded to the driver and he took off into the night. Orion turned on his heel and walked back into the house pondering. He would deal with Rourke tomorrow, for now his lady wife took up his thoughts.