How long had he been standing there? Amelia straightened. The ball nearly slipped from her hands. Why did the man have such a talent for making her nervous merely by existing? David noticed nothing. The dog remained thrilled by life. Only Amelia felt as though she had suddenly been placed under examination.
She tossed the ball back towards David and forced herself to smile. The lesson continued, though her concentration wavered beneath Gabriel’s watchful gaze. Every mistake suddenly felt larger. Every awkward moment seemed more noticeable. Yet when she risked another glance towards the doorway, the Duke had not moved.
He simply stood there, observing.
Like a hawk. Or perhaps a prison warden.
Amelia could not decide which comparison was less flattering. Either way, she had the distinct feeling that earning David’s trust might prove easier than earning Gabriel’s.
Chapter Seven
The following morning, Amelia entered the schoolroom armed with determination and a carefully structured lesson on the alphabet. She had prepared cards, practiced pronunciation, and even arranged a small reward system that she hoped would appeal to David’s unpredictable nature. Unfortunately, David had already decided that education was optional. He sat on the floor with Grover, pulling at the animal’s ears in a manner that made Amelia’s nerves twitch. Every time she gently attempted to redirect him, he simply rolled away as though gravity itself were a suggestion rather than a rule.
“David,” Amelia said patiently, holding up a wooden card painted with the letter A. “This is A. Can you say A?”
David glanced at her, then promptly ignored her in favor of rolling across the rug with Grover, who appeared delighted by the entire situation. The dog barked happily and joined in the chaos, chasing David in slow, lumbering circles around the room. Amelia watched them both for a long moment, trying to convince herself that this still counted as teaching. The alphabet,she reflected grimly, had never before felt like a battle of endurance. She lowered the card slowly.
“David,” she tried again, “if you learn your letters, you will be able to read stories.”
“I am busy,” David announced without pausing.
“Busy doing what exactly?”
“Playing.”
Grover barked in agreement. Amelia stared at the ceiling as if it might offer divine assistance. It did not. After several more failed attempts involving songs, storytelling, and what she suspected was an increasingly desperate impression of enthusiasm, she finally lowered herself onto a chair and exhaled. David continued racing around the room. Grover followed him faithfully like a particularly enthusiastic shadow.
“I give up,” Amelia announced at last.
David paused mid-run. “Already?”
“Yes.”
“That was fast.”
Amelia ignored the insult. “Tell me honestly, David. What changed? When we first met, you seemed to like me.”
David stopped completely, breathing slightly harder from his exertions. Grover sat beside him, tongue lolling, equally attentive. For a moment, Amelia thought she had reached him. Then the boy frowned.
“I do not want a new mother,” he said bluntly.
The words landed with unexpected force. Before Amelia could respond, David turned and ran from the room, Grover following, leaving her alone with scattered alphabet cards and a profound sense of defeat. Amelia stared at the empty space where the boy had been, slowly processing the simplicity and brutality of his statement.
A new mother. Of course. That was what he feared.
She pressed her fingers against her temple. “Well,” she murmured to herself, “that could have gone worse.”
Although she could not imagine how, a soft sound at the doorway made her glance up. Valerie stood there, as though she had materialized from thin air. The girl always had that unsettling habit of appearing silently, like a well-dressed ghost with impeccable posture. Her expression was composed, her hands folded neatly before her.
“You should give up,” Valerie said calmly.
Amelia blinked. “Pardon?”
“You do not belong here,” Valerie continued. “You will not succeed.”
Amelia slowly set down the alphabet cards. “That is a rather direct assessment.”
“It is accurate.”
