The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 8.

Nalini woke up with her head, throbbing with pain. She reached up and grabbed her head in an attempt to stop it from aching as her eyes adjusted to the dim-lit surroundings. Looking around, she was back in her room with the curtains closed with no one there but herself.

The scene of what had happened before she fainted, flooded into her mind and she groaned. She looked down at her body and scolded it; there wasn't any need to make a scene and faint!

As she pushed her body up to a sitting position, she rubbed the side of her forehead with a frown. It wasn't the greatest day she was having, especially since she somehow found herself in the year 1840.

Nalini scoffed; of course, it wasn't 2018. There wouldn't be Dukes or carriages during then.

She sighed, at her stupidity especially, and longed to be in the comfort of her room, even if it meant seeing her grandpa's face again. She hated it there - she had no one after what had happened to her parents, but...India was home.

Being in England, a completely foreign country, not only made her feel out of place, but she knew she didn't belong. The Duke, Agnes, that man Edward and even Richard at first made it clear every single time.

The thought of feeling out of place, yet again, caused a headache that was subtle at first, to increase.

Just as Nalini went to lie back down, the door opened and she gasped, her eyes snapping towards the now open door.

Richard stood in the door-way with a worried look on his face and Nalini's eyes widened at the expression. Worried? About her? To say she was shocked was an understatement.

"Miss, are you okay?!" he asked, bounding towards her figure.

"I-I'm fine, Richard. I just hit my head pretty hard, that's all," she said, smiling softly at him. He immediately smiled at the news and giggled, nodding his head.

"'M so glad you're okay!" He shuffled towards the bedside table and grabbed the glass of water, that she hadn't even realised was there, and struggled to give it to her.

He stuck his tongue out in concentration as he slowly moved towards her and handed it to her.

Nalini giggled at the sight and took it from him, thanking him. It was when she drank the water, that she realised just how parched her throat was.

Sighing with relief, she went to place the glass back on the table when Richard grabbed it from her.

"I'll do it!" he said, in excitement. After putting the glass down, he jumped on the bed and crossed his legs together, staring at her with unblinking eyes. "Daddy was sooooo worried that something happened to ya, ya know?"

Nalini froze at that. The Duke, of all people, was worried about her?

"He...was?"

Richard nodded his head frantically. "Yes! He was sooooo mad because the doctor said you hadn't been eating well and so that might be why you fainted!" he ended his rant by taking a huge, exaggerated breath before shooting her an innocent smile.

She blinked. "Oh," she whispered.

He was mad? She didn't know what she was supposed to do with the information.

Nalini opened her mouth to ask why, when the man himself, calmly strode into the room, his face set like stone.

She gulped; he was definitely mad. The clench of his jaw and the familiar tick in his jaw made that very clear.

His eyes then shot towards Richard who turned around and waved at his father. "Hi, daddy! She's awake, just like you wanted!"

"Mhm." The Duke made a grunt and nodded at Richard. "Thank you, son, for keeping the lady company. I shall take over; your big man job here is done."