The Wrong Time

What Both Is And Isn't, All At Once

What a strange dream. To have dreamt of something so peculiar during the night and now wake to feel it was too realistic for my liking is a foreign feeling to me. I'm usually rather good at telling dream from reality.

I try to shake the feeling off as I slid out of bed and throw open my curtains, realising I'm up at a reasonable time for once. I rub my face, trying to rid myself of the lingering sleep and go about getting ready. By ready I mean making myself look mildly presentable with a loose shirt and trousers and leaving my hair to fall around my face.

I believe if yiu cannot dress comfortably in your own home then you are not really home.

I make my way downstairs and to the dining room hoping that I'm in time for breakfast. Upon opening the door and taking in the room I freeze. It was not a dream.

Sat there, at the right hand to the head of the table was Alex in all his morning glory. The sun streaming through the Windows covered him in a warm glow, making his hair shine and just ever so gently catching off his eyes making them seem more vibrant than one might ever think eyes could look.

Dam him.

I shake my head gently to rid myself of these thoughts and swiftly make my way over to the table sitting across from our guest.

"Morning mother, sister. Good morning to you Alexander." He gives me a stern type of look at my greeting but quickly replaces it with a smile.

"Good morning to you too. And please, just Alex if you don't mind." His tone wasn't exactly stiff, but something close to it. I simply wave it off.

"Of course your grace. I trust you slept well? Is the room to your liking?" I inquire innocently, trying my best not to smile too much at how much his title annoys him.

"Yes, I did quite thank you. I love the room. It has a certain homely cosy feel to it. I must congratulate you lady Helena on your excellent taste in decor." He throws her that charming smile of his. She smiles back and nods slightly towards him.

"Why thank you for the compliment but I cannot take all the credit. Erasmus here had a great input on the decor of that room up until a few years ago. That used to be his room before he moved across the hall to downsize. Heavens knows why but I stopped questioning why he does anything quite some time ago." I only just resist the urge to roll my eyes at her.

"Please mother, you make me sound like a living nightmare. I'm not that bad."

"You are." Victoria finally pipes in.

"Only to you and even then not all the time." I take a drink from my cup of water as she shrugs.

"We shall have to agree to disagree there." Shes goes back to giving her food her full attention.

"For once I couldn't agree more." I smile and steel a glance at the duke who looks between the two of us with amusement as our mother just sighs and tries her best to ignore us and focus on her breakfast. Though I notice a small smile tug at her mouth.

A comfortable silence falls over the table as we all continue on with our breakfast, it being too early for any heavy conversation to take place. we soon finish and mother and Victoria go off to busy themselves with their own things while I decide to give the duke a proper tour of the house and grounds.

The tour of the house doesn't take too long as I only show him the most important and interesting places, agreeing to show him anywhere else if and when it's needed. We head outside and are greeted with the soothing wind and a fresh scent in the air with the sun shining down but not too harshly.

"I myself help tend the flower beds over near the gates and round back when I find myself with nothing to do. You are welcome to join me if you like. If that's not too much work for a duke to handle. I find it rather calming and relaxing." He sends me a fond smile which I try to ignore.

"Well since you seem so fond of it I suppose I might give it a go sometime. I'll hold you to that offer." I give him a more strained smile.

"I look forward to it." Keeping up appearances so long, especially in this situation is starting to become tiring. I want to ask him outright if he remembers anything from that night at the ball. But that runs the risk of being counterproductive to my currant efforts of avoiding the topic abd pretending as if I have never seen him before in my life. Oh, the woes of me. If I had known matters of the head an heart could conflict so much I might not have amused his conversation or stolen his attention back then. How on earth do people manage to deal with this sort of thing all the time? Not knowing if he knows or not is slowly tearing me apart.

For now maybe it's safest to assume the he both does and doesnt know I was there. Assume he remembers the night clearly but doesn't know for sure it waa me and my sister. If I act like It maybe he will assume we really have never met if he doesn't already think that. Maybe I am over-thinking this a bit too much.

I pull out my pocket watch and check the time.

"My, it's time for lunch already. Whete did the time go?"

"Well, they say that time flies when you're having fun. And I have been having fun with you." I try to suppress the smile that struggles to slip onto my face.

"I was merely showing you around." His smile grows a little as he turns to fully face me.

"Yes, but you are wonderful company. You remind me of someone I met recently. You two would get along well. I could almost say you are like the same person in ways." He pats my shoulder before turning to walk back to the house. I follow after him contemplating what he just said over and over. Does he know or doesn't he?