Kassidy's POV
She walked over to the refreshments table and tried to ignore all the staring faces, she wished she had a hood to hide under right now. She couldn't believe she'd just suggested he stop hiding his face. If he kept smiling like that in front of her she was going to have a hard time keeping their relationship a professional one, actually, he seemed to be very bad at that concept too… shouldn't a Duke be a little more serious? Maybe… but her father had been an Earl and a great warrior yet half the time he'd still acted like a kid.
She reached out to pick up a glass of white wine but he took it from her and placed it back on the table and called a waiter over instead. "You're still recovering from being sick, why don't you pick something a bit healthier tonight."
"I'm feeling much better now."
"I'm glad, let's keep it that way. I'm in no rush to see you so sick again."
She flushed at his words and hid her face behind a hand.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, everyone gets sick from time to time, I've seen hundreds of tough soldiers retch far worse than you."
"That is by far the strangest compliment I've ever heard," she said in bewilderment.
"Sorry, but did it make you feel any better?" she smiled and nodded, it had actually.
"So what would you like?"
"Chilled watermelon juice if they have it."
The wait staff nodded "Anything else miss?"
"No thank you."
"I'll have a water" the duke added and the waiter nodded and stepped away. They picked out some deserts and headed back to the table they'd sat at earlier.
"I wish I had a hood to hide under now, the weight of all the stares is overwhelming"
He placed a hand on hers and she drew her eyes back to him. "I'm sorry. It shouldn't always be quite this bad, but you've held up amazingly well. If you want, you can always feign exhaustion from being sick and leave early, I feel like you've dealt with more than enough etiquette for one day."
She smiled warmly, "Thanks, I may actually take you up on that, I actually do feel kind of tired and I'd rather be in my room reading than here."
"What are you reading?" and like that they had a normal conversation until their drinks arrived.
"I'm surprised you're not drinking," she said.
"I have a feeling I'm going to need to keep my wits about me whenever I'm dealing with you."
"Are you insinuating I'm accident-prone? Because I'm usually not…"
"I hope not, I'm very busy, and I can't spend all my time saving you from yourself."
"You just wait, one of these day's I'm going to return the favor."
As she was finishing her snacks she gave a big yawn from behind her hand and frained tiredness. He played the doting suiter, helped her to her feet, and led her away. Once in the empty halls she sighed in relief and thanked him for getting her out of there.
"Don't look now, but we have a tail" he whispered. She nodded and came up with something frivolous to say. When he dropped her off at her room they'd already figured out it was her aunt following. "Thank you for a wonderful evening and for escorting me to my room Duke Kasius," she said.
"Your welcome, my lady."
"I hope you have a good rest of your night your grace."
"Good night," he said with a bow and left. She closed the door behind leaning against it. She needed the moment to just breathe. That short walk shouldn't leave her breathless, maybe she still was a little under the weather.
The Main door opened just after she'd changed into her nightgown. "My dear Niece, are you all right?"
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"
"Well you've been sick and you left the ball rather early."
"Yes well, I might be feeling a lot better than yesterday, but I still feel tired and weak," she said with another yawn while ringing out a washcloth to wash her face, making it clear she was trying to get ready for bed.
"Did he tell you he was the one to help you yesterday?" she asked.
She thought about it, "Not specifically no, but I recognized his voice."
"Did he seem interested in courting you at all?"
"I think so, he did dance with me and we talked for a while," she said with a shrug.
"It's possible he was just being polite and making sure you were okay." though that doesn't sound like the Duke Kasius we know of... there have been a few rumors that he might be a fake..." she trailed off in a questioning manner likely hoping she'd confirm or deny the rumors.
There was a knock at the door and she let her aunt get it while she used the privy. When she was done she checked to see what it was about. "Another cup of tea has Arrived."
"But I just had one less than an hour ago," she said confused.
"He didn't even write a note? no well wishes to feel better soon or desire to see you again before he leaves. If it is the duke and he was willing to dance with you in public why bother hiding who it's from?" she said with a huff.
Kassidy just took the drink and took a sip, it tasted rather sweet for something before bed. It was nothing like the bitter herbal tea shed had all day or the strong medicine from the night before, thank the gods for that. Was there sugar in it to cover a bad taste? Usually it was left to the drinker to add sugar or milk. She set it back down feeling off about it but not sure why. "Well I'm already very tired so I think I'm just going to brush my teeth and go to bed," she said.
"Did he give you any compliments or ask to see you again?"
"He complimented me on my retching not being the worst he's ever seen does that count?"
"It does not!" her aunt said angrily as she shut herself in her room to go to bed.
Maybe it was Carma for lying about being sick but she went to bed with her stomach in knots and her dreams were filled with twisting shadows reaching for her but taking her loved ones instead.