ushernet Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Chapter 19: Like a Tempest
“You were a soldier, so I assume you’re reasonably coordinated. Alright, let’s begin. Left foot first. One-two-three, one-two... Ow!” Jacqueline winced. Windsor had just kicked her shin.
How is it even possible to kick someone’s shin while dancing? She looked at him incredulously. Windsor, noticing her gaze, frowned slightly. “My apologies.”
“It’s alright. It’s your first time. Shall we try again?” Jacqueline smiled encouragingly. She was a patient teacher, not easily discouraged.
“Relax your shoulders. One-two-three, one-two...Oof!” This time, Windsor bumped into her with his shoulder, sending her stumbling backwards. He quickly caught her.
Jacqueline straightened, forcing a smile as she looked up at him.
“...” He stared at her, his silence heavy with unspoken apology. “I apologize again, Miss Somerset.”
“Haa... It’s fine.” Jacqueline took a deep breath. Every student had potential, and a teacher’s role was to nurture that potential. Recalling her noble calling, she smiled again.
“You’re too stiff, Lord Preston. Try to move more fluidly. Left foot first. That’s it. One-two-three, one-... Ow!” Windsor’s elbow connected with her temple. This time, she didn’t even have the breath to cry out. It simply hurt too much.
Windsor’s expression turned genuinely apologetic.
“How... How did your elbow even...? Do you think I’m a pirate, not a lady? We’re dancing, not fighting, Lord Preston.”
“Hmm. My sincerest apologies.”
“...Right.” Jacqueline released his hand.
Windsor’s gaze fell upon his empty hand. She had taken his hand without hesitation, and now she released it just as readily.
He clenched his fist, then lowered his arm and clasped his hands behind his back, looking at her.
She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t. Even he could tell she was angry.@@@@
“Perhaps dancing at the ball is too ambitious a goal.” She raised her hands in surrender.
“I told you I didn’t need to learn.”
“We just need more time, Lord Preston. Don’t give up so easily. Let’s aim for the next ball, not this one.” Jacqueline curtseyed. “I’ll end the lesson here. It’s time for Benjamin’s afternoon lessons. Please excuse me.”
She turned and left the study without a backward glance. Only after the door closed did she stop and exhale, a long, shaky breath.
She looked down at her hands. They were burning, trembling slightly.
A sudden thirst, a deep, burning thirst that tea couldn’t quench, overwhelmed her. She pressed her hand against her flushed cheek and slowly walked away.
“...” Windsor, who had been listening to her retreating footsteps, slowly turned his gaze towards the table. Only the cold tea remained, its warmth long gone, along with the woman who had just moments ago filled the room with her chatter and instructions.
“Like a tempest.” Yes, she was like the wind.
For a sailor, the wind was a formidable foe. It tossed ships about, throwing sailors into chaos.
Tempests arrived without warning. Towering waves crashed against the ships, threatening to swallow them whole, then subsided just as quickly. The relief of surviving such a near-death experience, the tranquility of the calm sea bathed in golden sunlight, was a luxury only those who returned could appreciate.
“You waited outside my door?”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Since an hour ago.”
Good heavens. Jacqueline glanced at the window. The world, which had been dim just moments ago, was now bathed in sunlight. It was still before breakfast.
Benjamin, noticing her surprised expression, mumbled, “Um... did I come too early? You said this morning, but I didn’t know when morning started.”
Jacqueline smiled gently. “No. You must have been bored waiting. Why didn’t you knock?”
“Uncle said I shouldn’t disturb a lady’s morning.”
Jacqueline’s eyes widened in surprise. Then, she nodded. It was a very Windsor-like thing to say. He was more considerate than he appeared.
“Alright, we have some time before breakfast. Shall we begin our exploration?”
“Yes, Miss Somerset!” Benjamin nodded resolutely. They set off down the hallway, their steps in perfect sync, like soldiers on a mission.
“Good morning, Miss Somerset.”
Windsor, emerging from the morning room, greeted her. Jacqueline, who had been walking briskly, immediately adopted a more graceful demeanor, nodding politely.
“Good morning, Lord Preston.”
“Benjamin has been waiting outside your door for an hour.”
“So I’ve heard. He could have knocked.” Jacqueline looked down at Benjamin with a fond smile. He fidgeted, eager for their conversation to end.
“He woke the maids with his early morning preparations.”
Benjamin flinched, his eyes darting back and forth as he listened to his uncle’s subtle reprimand.
“Perhaps it would be wise to be more specific with your appointments in the future. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Somerset, that ambiguity only leads to unnecessary complications?”
“Are you always this punctual, Lord Preston?” A hint of sharpness entered Jacqueline’s voice, but Windsor didn’t seem to notice. He nodded calmly as Benjamin averted his gaze.
“Yes, I am.”
“Ah, yes. How... convenient for you.” Jacqueline, thinking of all the things she would have to tell Colin later, strode off down the hallway.
“Let’s go, Benjamin.”
“Benjamin,” Windsor’s voice called out from behind them.
“Yes, I haven’t forgotten that he’s the future Marquess of Preston. And I have no intention of forgetting,” Jacqueline replied without turning around. She opened the front door and stepped outside.
Windsor raised an eyebrow and headed towards his room. He couldn’t understand her sudden shift in mood.
But then again, tempests weren’t meant to be understood. And they couldn’t be avoided. He simply had to adapt.