— "It was splendid," the Duke remarked with a faint smile.
— "I'm sure you would say so regardless"
Alex felt compelled to repay the Duke for his hospitality and the chance to play the piano once more. This time, he overcame his shyness and allowed the Duke to listen as he played… from the garden. Alex could not fathom why his music so captivated the Duke's attention, but since he showed such interest, there was nothing left for him to do but grant his wish.
— "A modest answer," the Duke replied, smiling, "but I'm not so easily pleased as you might think."
For some reason, Alex felt even more flustered than after the compliment.
— "Which composer do you like best?" the Duke asked gently.
Alex, still caught in the rush of embarrassment, seized the opportunity to change the subject like a lifeline. Without a moment's hesitation, he answered.
— "I have a great admiration for Franz Liszt. His music is unlike anything I've ever heard. I hope one day to see him perform in person."
— "Where might one usually find him performing?"
— "Well… He resides in Hungary, though some of his concerts are in Austria or France. I expect he is going to perform with his Grandes Études de Paganini in France soon. I'd give almost anything to hear it live."
— "And why not make the journey, then? France is not so very far"
Alex lowered his eyes and awkwardly smiled.
— "I'm afraid our family's circumstances don't allow for such travel at present."
There was a pause. A flicker of discomfort passed across the Duke's face as he straightened slightly in his chair.
— "Forgive me," he said at once, his voice quieter. "That was thoughtless of me. I did not mean to offend."
— "It's quite all right," Alex replied, offering a small, composed smile. "Truly."
After a brief pause, the Young Lord inquired, "Did you happen to attend any concerts during your travels? Perhaps you had the chance to hear one of the great composers perform live?"
The Duke leaned back slightly, considering.
— "Not many, I must admit," he said. "I found myself more often in theatres or opera houses than concert halls. My journey was... less about music"
He paused, then added with a half-smile, "Though I imagine I would have appreciated it more, had I known someone who could explain to me what I was hearing."
— "Tell me about an adventure you've had," Alex blurted out, his genuine curiosity shining through.
— "An adventure? I'm afraid I haven't rescued any fair princesses wielding a sword yet," the Duke replied with a light chuckle.
— "Where did you acquire Altiva?"
— "I met Altiva in Morocco. I'm not sure if that counts as an adventure. As you might guess, I hadn't planned on buying a horse. But when I saw how harshly a local was trying to tame her, I simply couldn't walk away."
— "And what did you do then?" Alex asked.
— "Money can solve many problems in this world," the Duke answered with a smile.
The Young Lord was deeply moved by the story.
— "But how did Altiva get to London?"
— "While I continued my travels, she made her way to Paris under the care of trusted companions."
— "Even Altiva has traveled more than I have," Alex laughed, then, relaxing completely, added, "Nothing would have made me return home if I'd known I could go across the ocean after Paris. I can't imagine how you managed it."
The Duke laughed.
— "I'm afraid I realized it was time to move on."
Alex glanced at the Duke.
— "After all, I won't be young and handsome forever."
A strange twist settled again in Alex's stomach. He didn't laugh along with the Duke's joke and swiftly decided to change the subject.
—"Did you manage to finish the leaf carving for the chair back?"
The Duke seemed taken aback by the abrupt change of topic but quickly recovered.
— "Yes, would you like to see it?"
— "Yes, please."
As they left the workshop, the Young Lord's gaze fell upon a small wooden horse figurine. He couldn't resist picking it up without asking.
— "Wow! You've done a beautiful job," Alex said sincerely.
The Duke smiled kindly.
— "It's yours."
— "What?" Alex looked at him in surprise.
— "If it appeals to you so much, please, take it."
Alex hesitated, feeling he might be overstepping, but the desire to place the figurine on his desk won out.
— "Thank you," he said, beaming with happiness, and without taking his eyes off his new "toy," stepped outside.
***
The gentlemen's club where Alex often played cards was the very picture of exclusivity. Nestled in a discreet corner of Mayfair, the club was housed in a stately Georgian townhouse.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of aged leather, cigars, and polished mahogany. Portraits of stern-faced ancestors and former members watched silently from their gilded frames.
Heavy velvet curtains muffled the outside world, creating a private realm for politics, gossip, and sordid tales of dalliances with women. The card table was polished to a soft sheen. Around it, men dressed in tailored frock coats and starched cravats, discussed the latest news, teased one another, and found amusement in the game. Among them was the Young Lord.
— "We haven't seen you with us for quite some time"
— "I've been rather occupied lately, with family matters and such."
— "Ah, family matters… or perhaps matters of the ladies?"
— "Or maybe afraid you'll be outshone by our brilliant company?"
— "Come now, Alex, we'd never let you fade into the background. You just need to grace us with your presence more often."
— "Yes! Now tell us who has drawn your attention lately? I can bet that lady Burnell."
— "Could you please stop talking about Lady Burnell at least for a moment? Clearly, Alex is not the one who's in love with her."
— "Well… I saw you dancing with her at the last ball. What do you think of her? She is such a grace and beauty, I must say…"
Alex was taken aback by the barrage of questions and jabs aimed at him, so he chose to respond only to the last one.
— "Lady Burnell is indeed a great dance partner. But I have no deeper affection for her, so please, don't feel troubled. I didn't know about your feelings for her. I'm sorry. "
One of the gentlemen, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up:
— "So your affections now lie with the Duke of Blackthorn?"
Everyone present burst into laughter at such a blunt jab.
Inside, Alex felt the ground fall out from underneath his feet. With a trace of irritation, he replied.
— "And what is that supposed to mean?"
— "Come now, Alex," one of the gentlemen attempted to soften the blow, "all anyone can talk about is how you were seen sitting with him in the Covent Garden box. You've clearly struck up a friendship. Why don't you invite him to play with us sometime?"
Alex was stunned. He hadn't time to respond before Young Lord Pratt spoke up again.
— "William, are you out of your mind? Even if he is a Duke, he's rather peculiar. Have you heard what people say about him?"
— "What?" — all ears perked up.
— "They say he's one of those… gentlemen with rather unusual tastes."
Alex's cheeks flushed. He did not fully understand what Lord Pratt was implying, yet for some reason he felt a strong urge to know more. So for the moment, he remained silent and stunned.
— "Jacob, where on earth did you pick up such a scandal?"
— "Jacob, that's quite beyond even your usual limits."
— "I only speak what I've heard, and I consider my sources reliable," Jacob snapped back.
— "Good heavens, leave it be, or Alex will never come back to play cards with us."
— "Yes, you've riled him so much with your wild talk that he's actually flushed with anger. Mind your tongue and try to recall the manners."
— "Alex is far too restrained to challenge you to a duel, for now. But I daresay he'd give you quite the thrashing if he did. Now, do be so kind as to deal the next hand."
The company laughed once more and resumed their game.