The Duke's Unwanted Second Wife

After dinner, Eilika helped Freya wash the dishes. When she returned to the room, she saw Damian was sitting on the chair while the duvet was spread on the tiny bed.

”You didn’t go to bed,” Eilika said.

”I will sleep on the chair. You shall take the bed,” Damian replied.

”It is cold, Damian. The fire won’t stay the whole night. We can share the same bed,” Eilika suggested. ”It is not like anything is going to happen,” she murmured, already removing the hairpins from her hair bun.

Damian turned to look at her and saw her placing the pins onto the small table. ”Fine. I will sleep on the bed then,” he asserted.

He stood up and moved toward the narrow cot, his large frame making the piece of furniture look even smaller. Eilika finished shaking out her long hair, letting it fall over her shoulders, and climbed into the side nearest the wall.

The mattress was stuffed with straw and rustled loudly as Damian settled beside her. Despite the cramped space, he kept a respectful distance, his body rigid as he stared up at the dark rafters.

”Eilika?” he whispered, staring at her back.

”Hmm?”

”Why did you wash the dishes? You aren’t made for such work,” Damian said.

She could feel his warm breath fanning her nape. She stayed in that position, feeling that if she were to shift, their faces would come dangerously close in the cramped space of the small bed.

”Because it would be rude not to do so. And what do you mean by I am not made for such work?” she queried. ”Rank doesn’t matter. These basic chores are meant for everyone,” she asserted.

”I talked with the lady’s husband. I got a brief idea of what is wrong here. The water problem is something they have been facing for a long time,” he stated, his voice dropping into a more serious, contemplative tone. ”So, rainwater harvesting options need to be taught to them.”

Eilika finally turned to look at him. He was slightly startled seeing her face from such a close angle. In the dim, flickering light of the dying fire, the sharp lines of his face seemed to soften, and for a moment, the distance between the Duke and his wife felt non-existent.

”Do you think Roman may be missing us? He goes to bed only after hearing stories from me,” Eilika whispered, her eyes searching his in the shadows.

”Louis must be sleeping with him tonight,” Damian answered.

”You act like you don’t care,” Eilika huffed, a small frown deepening the lines of her forehead.

”Teach me then. I truly have no idea about my own son,” Damian mumbled, looking away for a fleeting second. ”Or maybe kids in general.”

Eilika reached out, bringing her hand to his cheek and gently turning his face so he had to meet her gaze. The warmth of her palm seemed to startle him. ”Damian, don’t you miss your son when you are away from him?”

”I do. But for some reason, I feel he would be doing better without my presence. I know I think wrong,” Damian stated.

”But recently, you have shown Roman a side he didn’t know ever existed in you. So, you are doing far better than before,” Eilika answered, her voice soft and encouraging.

Damian smiled, a genuine expression that reached his eyes. ”You taught me well.” He then grasped her hand, gently lowering it from his cheek, but he didn’t let go. ”Did you enjoy the day?”

”A lot,” Eilika replied with a bright smile. ”Then, we even got soaked in the rain.” She laughed a little. ”I bet you have never been soaked like this before.”

”You think because I am the duke, I never experienced such things. You know nothing about me, Eilika,” he murmured, his eyes not leaving hers.

The air between them seemed to shift, growing still and heavy with a different kind of tension than before. Eilika felt the heat of his hand against hers, and for a moment, the sound of the rain outside completely faded away.

Then, pulling her hand away, she turned herself toward the wall. Her heart began to race again in an unexpected way, a flutter in her chest that she couldn’t quite name. Damian, on the other hand, sat there confused as to why she had reacted in that manner. He didn’t utter a single word, simply watching her back for a long moment before his own eyes started shutting slowly.

’Every time I am with her, I feel sleepy and better,’ those were the thoughts that drifted through his mind before he finally drifted to a deep, peaceful sleep.

~~~~~

The next morning, Damian and Eilika dressed in their own clothes, preparing for the walk back. Eilika took the heavy pouch from Damian and pressed it into Freya’s hands.

”What is this?” Freya asked, her eyes widening as she felt the weight of the coins. She looked toward her husband, Walter, in confusion.

”A small token of appreciation for your hospitality,” Eilika told her.

”Please, we cannot take this,” Walter intervened, stepping forward to refuse. ”All we provided was a roof for a single night and a simple meal. This is far too much.”

”Keep it, Walter,” Damian said, his voice dropping into the firm tone of authority he usually reserved for the palace. ”You cannot refuse a gift from your Duke.”

The couple went pale. ”The Duke?” they whispered in unison, their gazes shifting between Damian’s cold, noble features and the expensive fabric of his coat. They stood frozen, stunned by the realization of who had been sleeping under their roof.

”We will meet soon, Walter. Thank you again for your warm hospitality. If not for you, we both would have been badly sick,” Damian asserted with a warm smile.

”Forgive me for lying to you,” Eilika added, apologizing to Freya for the story she had told about Damian’s profession the night before.

Freya and Walter stood at their door, still shell-shocked by the revelation of their guests’ true identities. Eilika took one last look at the small house, then turned to her husband. Together, they walked away from the cottage and back toward the tulip hills.