The Heiress (Wattys2018) (Completed)

Ch.7 Troubled Duke

"Your Grace, I'm not a mind reader. You must tell me what's in your mind," says Sophia.

Bern has refused to write anything to her lately.

She doesn't know because he's ashamed of his bad writings, almost illegible to read.

"Okay, let's make signals. One grunt means yes. Two grunts mean no. Long growl means I will think about it. Got it?"

Bern is staring her coldly.

Sophia asks, "You must tell me something. Don't you see your act of silence is confusing to all of us?"

Bern is in very sour mood right now.

Yesterday he saw Sophia talking happily to a young gardener. The guy even gave her some roses from garden.

Last night he noticed some male servants were trying to flirt her.

Sophia asks, "Could you do it? For me?"

She is standing in front of him. He is still lying down on his bed.

Bern rises from his bed. He nearly grabs her hand, forcing her to join him in bed.

Sophia is a short petite woman. Cute, adorable bunny.

Bern is tall and muscular like a bear.

If he wasn't careful he could easily crush her. That's why he always tries to treat her with gentleness.

No sex with her.

She saved his life. He couldn't just rape her like a stupid barbarian.

Bern rubs his face to clear the lust from his mind. He grunts once. And it makes Sophia smiles widely.

"Thanks, Your Grace. Breakfast would be served soon. Would you like to dine here?"

Bern grunts twice.

Sophia says, "I'll tell the butler to arrange the meal in dining hall at once."

Bern claps his hands to catch her attention.

Sophia asks, "Yes, Your Grace?"

He points to her and then himself. And he makes gestures of eating.

"No, Your Grace. It would be impolite to dine..." declines her immediately.

Bern grabs his memo and writes Picnic.

Sophia smiles and says, "I'll arrange it immediately, Your Grace."

A picnic with her master in a fine morning. The prospect seems to cheer her up. It has been raining lately. It's the first time the sky is clear for days.

*****

Bern couldn't look away from her. She's so beautiful. Even when she's wearing a simple maid dress.

They are having a picnic in their  backyard. A vast garden was made by his mother's request many years ago.

A splendid park.

They have eaten ham sandwiches, boiled eggs, cheese and drank some wine.

Sophia says, "I felt I have done this before. A picnic in a park. With others. If I closed my eyes... there's a lake in the park. And ..."

She opens her eyes and suddenly looks blue.

Bern only stares her.

Sophia says, "I miss them. I still couldn't remember them very well. I only know I miss my family."

Bern holds her hand and she smiles a little.

Sophia says, "I'm good, Your Grace..."

She still looks very sad.

Bern holds her shoulders and kisses her lips. Sophia got frozen when his tongue plunders into her mouth. Dancing with her tongue.

She felt she has been kissed before. Not like this. A kiss that burned her.

One of his hands is holding her back. The other one is exploring lower and lower.

Suddenly she got released.

Bern rises and leaves the spot as if a hellhound is chasing him.

Sophia is still too shocked to react.

(First he kissed me. The best kiss of her life. Now he fled? Am I really a terrible kisser?)

The maid kept grumbling when she collects their picnic stuffs.

*****

Bern has gone back to his office. He could see her from a window.

(Am I crazy? I just kissed her. After vowing so much not to touch her. And I nearly deflowered her. In a garden. Where anyone could see us...)

Bern rubs his face. To clear his mind from lust.

Sophia must go. Before she lost her virginity.

(She mentioned a park with a lake. Must be Hyde Park. Maybe if I took her there... Someone would recognize her...)

Bern's heart felt heavy. But he knows he must release her.

The other option is to keep her as his mistress. Sophia saved his life. He couldn't repay her kindness that way.

Bern grunts when he sees Sophia's talking with a gardener again.

Burning with jealousy again.

(Sophia, your lips so sweet. I wanna kiss you again. Having you in my bed. Making you my woman. Only me. Only I could touch you).

Bern smiles back when Sophia looks upward and smiles to him.

If she has known what just crossed his mind earlier, she would have fled.

Bern walks toward his desk to continue reading reports from his estate managers.

He couldn't concentrate well.

Kept thinking about a certain maid in the garden.

Finally he gives up and tosses the reports away. He closes his eyes.

He kept kissing her sweet lips.

Suddenly he feels a cool hand on his forehead.

"Are you ill, Your Grace? Your face looks reddened..." asks Sophia.

(You don't even let me imagine you in my bed, Sophia...)

Bern holds her hand and kisses the back of her palm.

Her face reddened. She doesn't mean to touch his forehead. It's just she's worried about him.

She pulls her hand away from his grasp.

Sophia immediately says, "I'm sorry, Your Grace. I still have many works to do..."

She quickly leaves his office and closes the door.

(What is this feeling? I want him to touch me more...)

The puzzled maid leaves to do her cleaning chores.

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