The Duke's Bed Warmer-Chapter 20: Who Knows Austin Better?

The next morning, an invitation arrived for Alina. Audrey’s personal maid delivered it to her room.

Miss Alina Ashworth is cordially invited to tea with Her Highness Princess Audrey at four o’clock in her drawing room.

Alina stared at the note for a long time.

An invitation to a tea party with the ladies of the castle who looked at her as though she were something stuck to the bottom of their shoes.

She didn’t want to go. But she also didn’t want to hurt Audrey again. So she went.

Alina was walking to Audrey’s drawing room, when Lady Pemberton and Lady Hargrove intercepted her in the corridor. They stepped into her path, blocking her way.

"So the bed warmer is attending the princess’s tea now?" Lady Pemberton said, her sweet tone laced with venom. "Did you receive an invitation or did you just follow the scent of the pastries?"

Lady Hargrove laughed.

"Maybe she is confused," she said. "Not every room here is meant to be warmed."

Their laughter echoed in the corridor.

Alina walked straight between them, forcing them to step aside or be pushed.

"I’d stay and chat," she said calmly as she passed. "But I’m expected by the princess."

She paused to glance over her shoulder.

"She poured my tea last time," she added. "How does she pour yours?"

She then walked away, leaving them speechless in the corridor.

The moment she entered Audrey’s drawing room, conversation died. Twelve women sat inside based on their influence in the castle. Everyone turned to look at her.

Alina stopped near the door.

Where am I supposed to sit?

For a second, she just stood there, feeling unwelcome and unsure.

Then Audrey stood up. She crossed the room and took Alina’s hand.

"I’m so glad you came," she said, smiling. "Sit beside me."

She led Alina to the seat at her right. It was a position of honour.

The atmosphere of the room suddenly shifted.

Lady Pemberton, who was already in her seat, paused mid-sip and Lady Hargrove exchanged a glance with the woman beside her.

Alina sat and Audrey poured her tea herself.

"Milk? Sugar? I remember you don’t take lemon. You pushed it aside last time."

"Milk," she said. "One sugar."

Audrey poured and handed her the cup, smiling.

The conversation began again. In today’s tea party, each woman was supposed to share how she met her husband.

Lady Marchmont spoke first. She had an arranged marriage that was perfect with no complaints.

Lady Talbot went next. She had a love marriage with a merchant who had insulted her family. Her father disowned her but her mother secretly sent her money. Her husband then made a fortune and bought a house bigger than her childhood home.

"Revenge is best served in square feet." She said.

Laughter rippled through the room.

One by one, the stories continued. Then came Alina’s turn. This was the moment everyone in the room had been waiting for.

"Alina’s situation is unique, we don’t need to..." Audrey began.

"I came to the duke in a black carriage," Alina said, looking at every woman in the room.

Everyone fell silent.

"It was raining. I had only one trunk. I’d spent the morning scrubbing pots because we had no maids left."

Still nothing.

"And His Grace wasn’t even in the room when I arrived. I lay in his bed and stared at the ceiling for hours before he showed up. But still, he didn’t acknowledge me, as if I wasn’t there."

Everyone exchanged glances with each other, not knowing what to say.

"He falls asleep in under a minute." She picked up her pastry and took a bite.

"He also snores." She looked at Audrey. "But don’t tell him I said that."

Lady Talbot burst into laughter immediately. Then Lady Marguerite, and then another lady. The tension broke. In seconds, the entire room was laughing.

Alina smiled slightly.

She had taken the most humiliating moment of her life and turned it into something no one could use against her.

"He does snore," Audrey said. "But he’ll deny it to his grave."

The room erupted in laughter once again.

When the laughter faded, Lady Pemberton spoke.

"Since you share the duke’s bed, I’m sure you must have noticed some of his habits and preferences that the rest of us wouldn’t know."

It was a trap to make Alina look like just a body in his bed, and nothing more.

"She is right," Lady Hargrove added, smiling. Share something interesting."

The room waited for her response. Alina put down her pastry, wiped her fingers and looked at the circle of women watching her.

"He reads love poetry," she said.

Lady Pemberton’s smile faltered.

"He reads Harwick and Pellerin and has very strong opinions about both of them." She paused. "We argued about them for twenty minutes on our second night together."

Lady Talbot leaned in.

"Who won?"

"We agreed to disagree. But I was right."

Everyone laughed again.

"He doesn’t like vegetables," Alina continued. "He pushes them to the side of his plate every meal."

Everyone was now actually listening to her. She was giving them the actual information, something no one else knew.

"He also has a scar on his left shoulder. He doesn’t like anyone to see it." She continued. "When he smiles, his whole face changes. He doesn’t even know that. He always stops himself and puts the mask back. But I’ve seen it."

Audrey sat there frozen. Her hands were folded in her lap, and something flickered in her eyes. It wasn’t anger or jealousy but a surprise.

For the first time, Alina saw surprise in Audrey’s eyes. Because she knew things about Austin that Audrey, despite being his childhood friend, didn’t.

"How fascinating," Audrey said. "I’ve known Austin since we were children, and I didn’t know he reads love poetry. He never mentioned it."

Alina didn’t want to brag about it in front of Audrey but words just kept coming out of her without her even realizing it.

Alina didn’t know what to say, so she just drank her tea.

The gathering ended soon after. One by one, the women left. Lady Talbot caught Alina’s hand on her way out and squeezed it gently.

"You are very brave." She murmured and left.

Alina turned to thank Audrey but she was already standing behind her, closer than she expected.

"I didn’t know," Audrey said quietly. "About the poetry, and about the scar."

Alina lowered her gaze.

"I’m...sorry."

Audrey shook her head.

"Don’t be. It’s not your fault." She paused. "He has never let anyone know the real him. I’ve known him since we were children, and I thought I was the one who knew him best."

She smiled, but underneath it, Alina saw the crack.

"Maybe I was wrong."

Before Alina could respond, she left, looking sad for the first time since Alina had seen her.