Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Aletter arrived for you, Miss Nora.”
Nora closed the book she had been reading and set it aside as her maid approached her, holding out a small white envelope.
Quickly, she opened it to find a single note that said,
Meet me at noon. Dress comfortably.
G.M.
Nora felt a rush of heat flood her cheeks as she realized who sent the note and why. She had somewhat expected the duke to have forgotten her request, and after three days of not seeing or receiving any word from him, her assumption seemed to be a reasonable one.
But it would seem her impulsiveness had paid off more than she expected it to.
“Is it a gentleman caller, Miss? You seem rather excited,” the maid teased.
Nora snorted instinctively at the thought of Godric being one of her suitors, but then she couldn’t help but the sense of loss that threatened to overwhelm her.
“If only,” she muttered a tad to honestly. “I have an appointment with a friend shortly, so I will be leaving soon. Can you prepare me something comfortable to wear? I believe we will be moving around a lot, and I do not want to wear anything that might get torn or stained.”
“Of course, Miss,” the maid curtsied and wandered off.
Nora sighed as she held the note up to her face again, admiring the elegant writing and gentle gleam of blue ink on the piece of paper.
She was accepting that she felt… something for the duke. Most of it was because of how he touched her, how his words easily sank into her mind and freed her from the bothersome thoughts of her reality.
And a few nights ago, he had claimed her as his. His to protect. His to torture. His to punish.
Oh, how she wanted it all. It was growing increasingly difficult to get through her days without thinking of him, without spending countless hours daydreaming of the passionate moments they had shared.
She did not know what he thought of them — of her, even, but surely there had to be more to their relationship than spite and anger?
She had grown to miss him, to worry, even, when he was not there. She was getting increasingly frustrated with herself for utterly forgetting that he had been nothing but a nuisance to her.
But how could she recall her anger when he had touched her so gently that night was, he had staked his claim on her? How could she retain all the spite she had cultivated when the simple brush of his skin against hers reduced her insides to a puddle?
It was so easy for him to affect her greatly and more often than not, she had no way to stand against his moves. Or rather, she did not want to do so.
“Your clothes are ready, Miss,” the maid returned to inform her minutes later.
“All right,” Nora lifted her chin. “I might as well get ready to be on my way.”
After changing her clothes, she set out to meet him at her brother’s estate, a mix nervousness and anticipation rolling about within her.
She knocked at the door, and the butler let her in with his usual bemused expression, informing her that the duke was waiting for her in the sunroom.
As Nora approached the room, she realized that she had not thought about her brother recently and a pang of guilt struck her in the chest. She wondered how he was doing, if his travels were as enjoyable as he had hoped they would be when he planned them.
She missed him a lot, as he was her confidant and closest friend, but she was still somewhat grateful he had not been presented to witness all that had transpired between her and the duke.
When she reached the sunroom, she took a deep breath and knocked after she exhaled
“Come in,” Godric answered gruffly.
Nora turned the knob and pushed the door open, frowning as she noticed there was something different about the room almost immediately.
Godric stood right in the center of it, dressed more causally than she had ever seen him, yet he still looked quite handsome still. Nora blinked, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” she greeted, her voice sounding softer than she had intended it to be.
Godric watched her silently for a moment, then he beckoned her closer.
“Good afternoon. I did not expect you to come,” he admitted in the same tone she had used.
Nora started to step closer to him, but when she stumbled, her eyes darted downward, and her brows furrowed in confusion.
“Are these… blankets? And cushions?””
Godric nodded, spreading his arms out wide to gesture around the room.
“We will be practicing some defensive moves that might involve a lot of falling, so I requested for some padding to be put in place to keep you from getting hurt.”
“How thoughtful,” she mumbled, slipping off her shoes so she could walk on her stocking clad feet to him. “I actually did not think you still wanted to help me with this matter.”
“You were right to ask,” he said as she drew closer.
“It is quite necessary for you to have at least a fundamental set of skills to defend yourself, in the event of untoward occurrences. A lot of men do not know how to exercise patience or respect when it comes to women – much like Mr. Crane – and sometimes it will be up to you to remind them that you do not belong to them. It is vital that you are able to quickly escape when necessary and if you are cornered, find a way to weaken him. I do not expect it to be easy, but if you are quick and witty, you should be able to slip away. I will not chaperone you forever, and neither will your brother. At some point, your safety might be in your hands. And it will be up to you to do what is necessary for your well-being.”
Nora nodded and tried to calm herself as anticipation and dread began to mingle beneath her skin.
“So… what now?” she asked.
Godric tapped against his left cheek with a finger.
“Now, you try to hit me.”
She stared at him incredulously.
“Surely you jest.”
Godric smirked. “Why does it sound difficult? I am sure you envisioned doing worse to me. Much, much worse things, even.”
For some reason, his words sparked a flame within her stomach and the heat crawled up into her cheeks. Looking away, she sputtered,
“Yes, I have imagined pushing you into the well at the backyard, but I have never dreamed of acting out on that fantasy. I do not want to actually cause you harm.”
“That is a precious thought – that you could actually inflict any pain on me,” Godric scoffed, folding his hands behind him as he leaned forward and angled his left cheek towards her once more.
“I appreciate your concern, but perhaps you should land a hit first before you begin to worry about my well-being. I know you want to.”
Nora hated that he was absolutely right. He was graciously offering her a chance at retribution for all that he had done to offend her. Would it not be foolish to let such an opportunity pass her by?
She stepped back, feigning as though she was going to walk away, then she quickly swung at him, her open palm heading for his face. But before it could make contact, Godric grabbed her by the wrist, his eyes bearing a hint of amusement.
“I sensed a lot of aggression in that attack just now,” he remarked.
“Does that surprise you?” Nora huffed, her heart thundering in surprise at how easily he intercepted her.
“Not really. But I am quite impressed by how strong you are. That was a fine attempt, but you need to know that as dramatic as it is to slap a man, it is a well-known trick, and many know how to avoid them. You should find more cunning ways to reproach a man.” He used his grip on her wrist to pull her closer with a single tug.
“In the future, I recommend a swift kick between his legs. That will bring even the largest man to his knees.”
Nora quirked an eyebrow at him and he tutted playfully.
“Do not think about it. Now, if you find yourself in this sort of situation – your attempt to strike has been foiled and now you are being held hostage – the obvious next plan is to get yourself free. Struggling will not work, no matter how hard you try, and it will likely tire you out quicker. Instead, focus on attempting a second strike. Aim lower – his jaw, his torso, a kick to the shin or at the family jewels, like I said earlier. Make it quick and make sure it hurts. When his grip slackens, you then slip away and run as fast as you can. Do not stop, do not look back until you are certain you are safe.”
Nora could feel the heat of his skin find hers through her clothes and she willed her attention not to stray any further.
“W-Well, all of that sounds very complicated.”
“Because we have been theorizing until now,” Godric pointed out, letting her go. “A little bit of practicing should strengthen your understanding. Go on – hit me again.”
Nora flexed her wrist and paused thoughtfully, trying to think of a way to get close enough to actually strike him.
Pulling back her skirts, she lunged at him, bring her hand up as though she was going to hit him.
But when he reached for her, she drew back and kicked at his shin, managing to hit his knee.
He stumbled, then whirled around to face her properly.
“That was quite impressive. I did not think you had it in you,” he commended.
“Oh, is that because you are not in any way an engaging teacher?” she questioned, sticking her tongue out at him.
“My teaching abilities are just fine,” he sniffed, pointing at her legs. “Do you know those are made for more than running and kicking? With the right moves, you can bring your attacker down.”
Nora beamed eagerly, stepping closer to him.
“Show me.”
A laugh bubbled out of his throat, and he quickly attempted to disguise it as a cough, but she had already heard it.
“Did you just –”
“Focus, Nora. You might need to displace your attacker if they come at you from behind. I will do what I can to give you numerous situations and scenarios that will help you recognize that you need to be on guard at all times, but there is only so much I can do. Men are cunning, plotting creatures that will stop at nothing to get what they want.” Godric told her seriously.