A Perfect Match

2

He was pleasantly surprised, the next morning when he found Nora sitting in the atrium enjoying the outside grounds he had never seen it as lovely as it did at this moment. The garden was something his grandmother had been very proud of. When, he came home it was one of his favorite places to break his fast. What was wrong with him why was he gushing over a female he had found the one he wanted and this girl was not her was she? She sensed his presences.

"It is lovely here I am not so fond of the rain, but this is England, so it is acceptable."

He chuckled he did not want to laugh he felt he was being disloyal to the Duchess, but he could not help himself. He was smiling like a bloody toddler.

"When the rain lets up and you are feeling better, I would suggest a walk of the grounds. It is trully magnificant."

"Only if you agree to show me."

"It would be my honor Lady Rutherford."

"Please just call me Nora. I am not big on formalities when I am a guest unless you are and then Lady Rutherford it is your grace."

He laughed again it was becoming a habit. He was a paid killer what was he smiling about like a bloody fool?

"I thought last night we moved past formalities. I will be honored to call you Nora, if you will call me Percival."

She did not say a word for a moment and smiled

"I think I shall call you Percy you seemed to be more of a Percy than a Percival maybe when you are working but here you should just be Percy."

He had never let anyone, but the Duchess call him Percy. His name was Percival but coming from this woman he was surprised it did not bother him like it did when others tried to shorten his name. He felt a twinge of guilt, but he enjoyed the sound of his name on her lips.

"Percy it is."

The Butler chose that moment to arrive with Nora's breakfast. He placed the tray in front of her and bowed to the Duke.

"Your grace would your food brought in here as well?"

"Yes, Jorgenson that would be nice thank you."

He turned his attention back to Nora.

"You have not told me who I am to protect you from?"

"Oh, that droll subject again? I was retrieving something from Andrew Cochrane-Johnstone's study, and I do not know if it was him or someone else sneaking into retrieve something who stabbed me. I was able to inflict a wound he limped away. But he was better with a knife than I was."

"Maybe we should go down and take a ride in the village and see if we see anyone supporting a limp."

"I would like that."

After their breakfast, the two of them took a carriage ride into the village. Nora realized it no different than how she found the poorer areas of London, but she at least this time she was close enough to smell the sea. She loved the ocean and had been thinking when she step down, she would settle somewhere by the sea.

"Would you mind if we went closer to the water? I love the ocean. When I retire from the crown, I think I will find a little cottage near the sea and live the rest of my like a hermit with my books and a glass of wine."

"What about a husband and a family."

"I am two and four and I have to live life in secret what kind of life would that be for a relationship. If I only spied that would be one thing but I am a killer I do not hesitate I do not ask questions I kill, then ask questions or just dispose of the bodies. I am not a genuinely nice person."