Free Web NovelChapter 48: Of Debts, Displeasure, and Delayed Decency
Chapter 47: Of Debts, Displeasure, and Delayed Decency
For several moments after Thorncrest’s question, silence settled among them.
Duke Aurelgrave stood very still, his brows drawn together as he considered the matter with visible reluctance.
Aurelgrave frowned.
He folded his arms and cast a thoughtful glance toward the distant palace structures rising beyond the field.
"Well," he said slowly, "I must confess that I am not entirely certain."
Hawthorne brightened immediately.
"Oh! Then perhaps we might—"
Aurelgrave raised a hand sharply.
"Do not interrupt."
Hawthorne closed his mouth at once.
Aurelgrave exhaled through his nose.
"Whether or not it is technically possible," he continued with restrained patience, "it would certainly not be appropriate."
Thorncrest nodded once.
"Precisely."
Aurelgrave glanced back at him.
"And that," Thorncrest said calmly, "is the exact reason Hawthorne and I cannot simply return to the palace in wolf form."
Hawthorne nodded vigorously from where he stood.
"Yes, that was our conclusion as well," he said.
Aurelgrave looked between them.
For a moment he said nothing. Then he spoke again, his voice edged with irritation.
"Then perhaps you might explain another matter."
Thorncrest gestured lightly.
"By all means."
"Why," Aurelgrave asked, "did neither of you bring attendants with you?"
Hawthorne answered immediately.
"We did not believe we would require them."
Aurelgrave stared.
"You did not believe you would require them."
"Yes."
The duke closed his eyes briefly.
"You should have thought."
Hawthorne shifted his weight awkwardly.
"That is... becoming increasingly clear."
Aurelgrave pinched the bridge of his nose. He was attempting with great effort to maintain his patience in the presence of extraordinary foolishness.
Finally, he lowered his hand.
"Very well," he said.
Both men looked at him expectantly.
"I shall return to the palace and send servants your way."
Hawthorne’s face brightened instantly.
"Your Grace, you are most kind—"
"Do not thank me."
Hawthorne froze.
Aurelgrave fixed him with a look of cold displeasure.
"I am not doing this out of generosity," he told him.
Hawthorne blinked.
"Oh."
Aurelgrave straightened slightly.
"One day," he said evenly, "both you and Thorncrest will repay this favour."
Thorncrest chuckled softly.
"That seems only fair."
"Yes," Aurelgrave replied dryly. "I thought you might agree."
Hawthorne brightened again.
"Well! I am delighted to assist in any way I can."
Aurelgrave looked suspicious.
"And what precisely do you imagine you possess that might be of value to me?"
Hawthorne considered this question with surprising seriousness.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I must admit I have very little of importance."
Aurelgrave nodded once.
"That much is obvious."
"But," Hawthorne continued brightly, "one of my sisters has expressed an interest in you."
Aurelgrave blinked.
"And I believe," Hawthorne added helpfully, "that I could arrange a marriage."
Silence fell again as Thorncrest’s shoulders began to shake from the laughter he was trying to hold in.
Aurelgrave slowly turned his head.
"You would arrange a marriage," he repeated.
"Yes," Hawthorne said with a nod. "In the event that the princess does not choose you as her spouse. That way you would not be forced to return to your territory without a bride."
Thorncrest’s laughter finally escaped him.
Aurelgrave stared at Hawthorne as though he had just witnessed a particularly unfortunate accident.
The duke’s expression was one of complete and utter disgust.
"Hawthorne," he said very slowly, "has anyone ever advised you to stop speaking?"
Hawthorne nodded immediately.
"Oh yes. Quite frequently."
"But," Hawthorne added, "when I am fighting they do not say such things."
Aurelgrave’s expression remained flat.
"That," he replied, "is likely because you are not speaking while fighting."
Hawthorne considered that.
"Well," he said thoughtfully, "I do speak sometimes."
Behind them, Thorncrest had now abandoned all attempts at composure.
He was laughing openly.
Aurelgrave glanced at him with growing exasperation.
"Thorncrest."
The duke made no effort to stop laughing.
"Yes?"
"Control your friend."
Thorncrest wiped at the corner of one eye.
"My friend?"
"Yes."
Thorncrest chuckled again.
"I believe you misunderstand the nature of our acquaintance."
Aurelgrave frowned.
"We are not friends," Thorncrest said as he gestured lightly toward the earl. "We met only last evening during the ball."
Aurelgrave stared at them in disbelief. "You only just met?"
They nodded together.
Aurelgrave stood there for several seconds. He had truly believed both men were friends from the way they interacted.
He exhaled and shook his head. Without another word, he turned and began walking toward the palace.
His steps were swift and purposeful.
Neither Thorncrest nor Hawthorne attempted to stop him.
They watched his retreating figure in silence.
Eventually, the duke became a distant shape against the pale stone pathways of the palace grounds.
"I am not entirely certain he likes me," Hawthorne told Thorncrest, who laughed at that.
"Oh, I assure you he does not," he told him.
Hawthorne looked mildly troubled.
"Truly?"
"Quite."
Hawthorne considered this for a moment.
"Perhaps he will warm to me with time."
"That seems unlikely."
Hawthorne sighed.
"Well."
A moment passed.
Then Thorncrest turned toward him.
"Hawthorne."
"Yes?"
"What exactly were you thinking when you embraced him in that fashion?"
Hawthorne’s ears reddened slightly.
He shrugged his shoulders.
"I was excited... and grateful for encountering someone who might assist us," he said.
Thorncrest burst into laughter again.
"You chose an interesting method of expressing your gratitude."
Hawthorne shifted awkwardly.
"Well... I may have acted somewhat impulsively."
"Somewhat."
The earl scratched the back of his head.
"In retrospect, perhaps it was not the most appropriate greeting."
Thorncrest’s amusement showed no sign of fading.
"No," he said, "I would say it was not."
Fortunately for them both, they did not remain standing in the open field for long.
Before many minutes had passed, hurried footsteps approached from the direction of the palace.
Two figures approached, their eyes wide with shock. They held clothes in their hands, but one thing was certain from their expressions—they had not expected their masters to be standing naked amidst the tall grasses.
"Well... it seems your method worked," Thorncrest told Hawthorne. "We would not be without clothing for long."
"Aurelgrave was true to his word," Hawthorne said with a nod.
