I had settled into a wonderful groove given the circumstances. My best bet had been to remove myself as far as possible from Lucas and Luna and their rivalry that had nothing to do with me but kept reaching into my life. I'd found that Tosh was a proper wanker who couldn't be reasoned with but that Harrigan, though quiet and the more boring of the two, couldn't look away from a great idea. So far my system involved exchanging notes with Harrigan and banter with Tosh and speaking to suppliers myself to make sure everything went according to plan.

My system also involved conveniently leaving the room whenever Lucas walked in, only going to the office if I absolutely needed to and ordering lunch so I didn't have to go anywhere and risk bumping into him. When I had to speak to him I kept it at a five word maximum and always included a title; Sir or Boss never daddy, not in this life or the next. If I needed his input I sent his assistant Charlie notes or a presentation and asked that it be sent to my desk by x day if possible.

Everything was going swell and I estimated that we could go on like this for the next five months. I'd even started looking for office space for my firm. Things had gone like this for about two months, and then there I was, leaning against the wall of moss and ivy having a smoke when I felt a gaze on me. I turned towards it, expecting Terry. I almost drop the cig at the sight of the duke, blue eyes peering at me all intrigued. I was starting to think everyone and their grans knew about this cove!

"Hi." He says

I have to look around to make sure he was talking to me, that he was here. Wasn't he supposed to be confined to the manor by a witch's curse or something? Wasn't he supposed to be sparkling in the sunlight?

"Hiya." I choke back, sure I was the only person he could be talking to

"You oughtn't smoke." he offers, seemingly nervous now

Well, I quit every day my good lad. Scaring me into dropping a cig out my mouth hasn't been a method I've tried before though!

"Well you see how an oral fixation works is you gotta have something in your mouth innit? Better a smoke than a stranger's dick." I shrug stepping on the cigarette and picking it up

"Are those the only options?" He wonders with a soft bashful smile

Was there some rumour running about that I was a slag who specialized in sucking the dicks of royalty? I shrug and then pick up the butt of the cigarette, flicking it expertly into the air.

"I s'posse a lollipop could also do. Are you going to tattle?" I casually wonder, making my way out of the cove, round the corner and into the office, a place with lots of other people who can also see him and confirm I wasn't hallucinating

"Depends on what incentives I'm offered." He shrugs lightly, following me.

I open the door to the office and step in, checking over my shoulder for him almost as a second-thought. He smiles, I smile back and then we weave our way past curious stares to my desk. It was about time for my lunch break anyway and there was a spot I had seen on my bike ride to work that I was hoping to try today.

"You know... you have a reputation for being a nut job that's stuck to the main house... So when I offered you lunch... it was more of a meaningless gesture...like a curtsy or something." I'm saying to him as I pick up my bag and coat

He'd saved my life and I owed him a lunch at least. He also looked naughty and fun, and I could use that in my life right now.

"And yet somehow I managed to take you seriously." He chimes back

"You royals always take curtsies way too seriously." I sigh lightly, returning his bashful boyish smile

He chuckles softly at this. If he truly hadn't been out of the house in all that while, I was going to make this as pleasant a trip for him as possible.

"Do I have to shackle my hand through yours or can we walk like... normies..." I wonder up at him, my eyes fixed on his jewel blue mischievous orbs

"Normies?" He wonders, lifting an inquisitive brow at me

I've never met a duke before love, I don't know the protocol or whatever!

"the peasantry." I lightly state pointing at myself and the rest of the office dwellers.

I think I see Harry raise an imaginary tophat at him

"We can walk however you want to walk." He assures me, giving a small smile to someone behind me

My body stiffens at the implication. This invitation wasn't open to Whitlam at all! It was for Angelford and Angelford only!

"We're going for lunch." The duke announces to him as if to explain something.

There's a beat of silence that I refuse to fill. I knew who he was addressing, I knew I would not go for lunch if he was joining us.

"Where?" The familiar smooth voice asks as my gaze shifts to the floor, giving him air

"She's going to show me some place where the peasantry eat." The duke jokes, I chuckle softly at that.

I have a feeling the duke and I could be friends.

"You mean... outside?" Lucas wonders cautiously

I'm taken aback by the question until I realize... this would be the second occasion the duke had left the house, and I'd been at the crux of both. I hope Whitlam isn't about to use that as an excuse to come with us, I hope the duke isn't about to change his mind about lunch.

"Yes." the duke shrugs, extending a hand to me

"We don't need your supervision, Lucas." He adds as I take his hand

Ok, the duke was a good bloke and we were going to be good friends! I was even going to pretend to want to pay for lunch!

"Bye boss." I chime softly, hooking my hand through the duke's and pulling us out of an interaction that seemed to have caught the entire office's attention.

We walk a few blocks in this merry way, in a mutually beneficial silence as though we were marching to a beat only we could hear, when I remember that I didn't actually know his name.

"Two questions for you, What's your name or do you prefer that I continue to call you the duke and I hear you bashed me over the head and kidnapped me?" I offer brightly up at him

He smiles, chuckling a little at my questions

"Hervé, I prefer that very much to the duke, and yes. As a matter of fact I've heard that I did." He chimes happily

"I've heard you're a dastardly ghoul chained to the house by a powerful witch's curse and that you sparkle in sunlight, so you can imagine how disappointed I am by all this." I sigh brightly

"By god! You're absolutely right!" He chuckles back as I pat myself on the back

Lunch is pleasant, smoothly surprisingly pleasant, there's no bumps, no silences, no awkwardness just laughs. He's funny! He's bloody hilarious and I find myself wondering time and again how someone like this was friends...BEST friends with a devious conniving bastard like Lucas Roland. He doesn't seem to have any agendas either, he's just a really lonely guy who'd taken me up on an offer I didn't think he'd be arsed to! We chuckle all the way back to the office, he gives me a hug and tells me to take care of myself and that's it.

At least I thought that was it until he pops up at my desk the next day. He has a triumphant smile on his face as he hands me a pack of... lollipops

"Oh wow, did you actually go out of the house to buy me lollipops?" I cry in disbelief as he triumphantly place the packet in my hand

He was more serious about me quitting the smokes than I was!

"And they're all berry flavored just like you would prefer them." He adds

"Wow! You'd rather I was toothless then innit?" I chuckle softly, accepting the packet of lollipops and opening it.

I pick one and throw one at him, watching him catch it expertly mid-air.

"Just doing my part trying to help you quit." He shrugs bashfully at me