Page 46 of Trapped with the Beastly Duke
“Rose!” Alexander called louder as he gently shook her. “You are safe. Wake up!”
Something collided with the side of his head. The surprise, more than the force, caused him to stumble back and fall, grunting in pain. He hit the floor with a soft thunk.
Rose’s eyes flew open as she jerked awake, staring around wildly. One hand was raised, clenched into a fist.
Carefully, Alexander moved towards the bed on his knees, shifting in the moonlight to allow her to see him more clearly. “It is me. Alexander.”
“Alexander?” Rose’s voice was confused and thick with sleep. “What are you doing here? And why are you on the floor?”
“I heard screaming. I thought you were being attacked and came at once.” Alexander gestured to the small sword on the table, feeling his heart twist as he remembered the sound of her distress.
“I am sorry to have caused you such concern.” Rose’s face was half obscured by the shadows. “Yet, that does not explain how you came to be on the floor of my bedchamber.”
“Ah, well.” Alexander ran a hand through his hair, grateful that the dim light would hide the rising color in his cheeks. “I confess, I was prepared for danger because of intruders. I had not quite anticipated that you yourself would cause me harm.”
“I… What? I do not understand.” Rose sounded confused.
“When I tried to wake you, you… Well, you hit me.” Alexander rubbed the side of his face.
“I hit you so hard that you fell on the floor?” Rose’s voice held a hint of mirth. “Well, I must say, I am very impressed with the strength of my sleeping arm.”
“In truth, it was less the strength of the blow and more the surprise that made me fall.” Alexander paused thoughtfully. “Although, to say that your blow was powerless would not be wholly accurate.”
“My father will be pleased.”
“Your father?” Alexander cocked his head.
Rose nodded, though there was a sheepishness to her voice as she said, “Yes. He felt it was important we learn how to defend ourselves, in case of an emergency. Mother refused to allow him to teach us swordplay, so in the end, he taught us how to box.”
“Boxing is not a very ladylike pastime.” Alexander tried to imagine Rose and her sisters boxing, and found himself smiling at the image.
“Indeed, it is not. In truth, I am rather surprised Mother agreed to the lessons. Though I have never had to use them—at least not consciously.” Rose reached for the bedside table. “It feels rather silly, speaking in the dark like this. Let me light a candle.”
A moment later, candlelight filled the room, and Alexander found himself staring at Rose’s tear-streaked face. Rose smiled at him, though he could see the brittleness of it.
“Perhaps you could teach my sisters some of your skills. It is somewhat comforting to think that they may not be so vulnerable.” Alexander smiled gently.
“I am not very skilled. Though I would not mind sharing what I know with them.” Rose bit her lip, and he saw her eyes begin to fill with tears.
“You are crying.” Without thinking, he lifted his hand to her face, wiping a tear from her cheek. “Is it because you miss your family or something else?”
Rose shook her head. “I do miss my family. The dream… I… It has been many years since I last had it. I thought… Well, I hoped that perhaps I moved on.”
“You had this dream before?” Alexander realized his hand was still on her face, so he hastily withdrew it. “Would you share it with me? I would understand what has distressed you so.”
“It is only a silly thing.” Rose bit her lip. “Ridiculous, really, that after all these years, it still has such an effect on me.”
“Time may heal some wounds, yet that does not mean they do not still hurt on occasion.” Alexander paused. “If you would rather not share your dream with me, you do not have to. But if you choose to do so, I promise I shall not make light of it.”
For a moment, he thought that she would say no more, but then she began to speak.
“It always begins in the same way. I am running through a corridor. It is dark, and there are suits of armor all around me. Ican hear my mother’s voice telling me that I must not be late. My sisters laugh in the distance. I can hear them, but I cannot see them. A hand grabs me, holding me in place. I cannot see who it is. My sisters and mother are calling to me. I know that if I do not get to them, something terrible will happen.” Her voice broke. “But I cannot move. I am held in place.”
“And then my mother stands before me. She tells me that I have ruined everything. That I have brought scandal and shame upon them all. And still, I am restrained. I cannot run. I cannot hide.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “It is the disappointment on her face as she turns away from me. That she looks as though she had expected this and always knew I could do no better… And then… Well, then you woke me up.”
Alexander stared at her.
Even in her dreams, she cannot help but think of others.