The Duke's Forbidden Lover (Forbidden #1)

Chapter 16.

"Miss, can we please go fishin'!? Daddy and I used to fish all the time when I was a babe!"

"It's fishing, Richard, and you remember the times when you were just a baby?" Nalini asked him incredulously as they ate a little snack outside in the front garden.

Richard nodded enthusiastically as he bounced up and down in his chair, his blond hair flopping everywhere.

"Of course I do, Miss! Don't you?"

Nalini regarded with kind eyes as she giggled.

"You must have a superpower then, Richard! I, unfortunately, don't remember much from when I was a baby."

Richard tilted his head at her, his piercing blue eyes closely resembling his fathers. She looked away, suddenly intimidated.

"You don't remember your parents?" he inquired, cutely, unbeknownst to the sudden fall in Nalini's expression.

She hadn't thought about her parents in a while. Of course, there used to be a time when she used to wish for them to come back and to save her from grandpa, but as she got older and realised that that would never happen, she gave up wishing and praying.

This was the first time in years and it didn't hurt as badly as she thought. The thought caused a slight ache and numbness in her heart but it wasn't pain.

"Miss?"

Richard's soft voice broke into her thoughts and she managed a shaky smile as she looked at him.

Letting out a big breath she nodded, "I do remember them, Richard. They're not here right now, but they'll always be in my heart."

With a tender smile, Nalini got up, hurriedly trying to change the subject.

"Let's go fishing, shall we?"

Richard beamed. "Yay! I'll be right back, Miss!"

Nalini waited for a couple of minutes as he raced away inside and came back as empty handed as he had been when he went in. She looked at him with furrowed brows, glancing behind him.

"Everything okay?"

Richard nodded excitedly and tugged at her hand forcefully.

"Let's go, let's go!" he squealed, leading her away.

As they ran down the side of the mansion and cut through a bushy area, they managed to come to a clearing.

They walked a little more and down a small path and passed by some more trees when a large, glistening river came to view.

It was peaceful as it was devoid of any people and she couldn't help but smile.

"Wow, this is beautiful!"

"Come, Miss!" Richard urged her towards the dock, ignoring the fact that she was too busy gaping at their surroundings.

It was when Richard began to clap and chant 'let's fish!' that Nalini came back to her senses.

She looked around again, but this time not at the surroundings, but at the fact that they didn't have the efficient equipment.

"Um, maybe this was a very bad idea," Nalini whispered to herself.

The realisation that no one but the two of them was the only ones there scared her. She had a great responsibility, plus she knew nothing about fishing.

She turned to Richard, her heart sinking at the thought of ruining the giddy smile that he was wearing.

"Maybe...maybe we should go ba—"