The duke put a hand on her back to lead her through the halls, which she doesn't appreciate. They have left the other a while ago; seriously they have walked for at least five minutes.
Sakura have since before started to doubt if he really will be polite and show her to her room or if he plots something, it's hard to believe that he doesn't. But this time will be different; this time she'll figure it out before he sets his plan in motion.
They turn once again and walk a little longer before they stand in front of a door. This door doesn't look like a bedroom door; this one is much larger and has double doors. He opens it and lightly pushes her in. Like Sakura thought this room wasn't a bedroom, it was a study room.
It's rather dark in there, not because it's night but the walls are a much darker color than any of the other rooms she's been in. He motions for her to sit in one of the armchairs opposite the desk. He sits himself on the other side of the desk. Silence falls upon them for a couple of moments, until His Grace finally speaks up.
"There's something I wish to discuss with you."
"And what might that be Your Grace." Sakura replies quickly. She really wants to get out of this room, because last time they were alone it didn't quite go her way.
"You probably already know the past between the Senju and Uchiha families?" he questions with a hidden emotion in his eye. You could see the disgust in his face when he mentioned Senju.
"Yes I know, Your Grace." Sakura thinks she has figured out where this is leading.
"Good, then I don't have to explain that part too." He studies her face for a moment before he continues. "My family and the Senju once wanted to buy a piece of land from your grandfather…"
"Your Grace, you don't have to fill me in I know the story. Your father passed away under the process and now you want to fulfill your promise to him and buy a piece of land." Sakura's satisfied hoping to end the conversation but His Grace looks disappointed.
"I should have known that Mito would tell you the story. But this version is different; I don't want a piece of land, I want at least 30% of your father's company." Sakura looks shocked by his statement, but only for a moment.
"So this is what you planned to do all this time. You wanted to come on my good side so that I would persuade my father to accept the offer." snarky and not at all impressed but rather she feels used and embarrassed.
"You are correct, but not totally."
"Then fill me in, Your Grace."
Madara merely smirks at her
"That is the reason why I began to show interest in you, now it's for another reason."
"What reason may that be?"
"You have a very short memory span, don't you remember what I said the night at the ball?" she hates it but she can't remember, he sighs in response. "You intrigue me in a way no other woman has ever done."
"Intrigue isn't strong enough to stand behind a kiss." Sakura states fiercely. She really wants to have an answer, this past week has been like a whirlwind and the worst is she doesn't know why, well until now.
"Is love more correct than?" Sakura blushed immediately after those words had left his mouth. He still smirks at her, but to her chagrin he rises and strides towards her. In his hand holds a couple of papers she hasn't noticed before.
He stops when he stands at her left side and lay down the papers so that she can read them. "This is the contract I will give your father tomorrow when I meet him." She looks up at him in disbelief.
"Tomorrow?" Sakura's quite surprised. 'He's visiting my father tomorrow?!' That's the reason why he asked when I would return home. She thought to herself. Occupied in her thoughts she didn't notice his left hand playing with a few curls at the side of her face.
"Yes tomorrow. You can come along if you want, then it will only be the both of us." he responded. His look is something she never wished to see, it's filled with love and adoration. Something that should disgust her but instead she feels the opposite.
"Why did you tell me?" quietly she questions.
"Because I don't want to be on your bad side; it's even more important when I become co-owner, which means we will see each other more."
"That's only if my father accepts." She retorts. She does hope that father will decline, but she still doesn't want him to. The doctor told her father that he shouldn't work and that he should retire and have a peaceful life. But she still doesn't trust Madara to take care of the business as good as they did, or rather be as kind as them.
He smiles at her and gives her a kiss on the top of her head. "Well I hope he does."
He take her hand leads her to the door. "Now it's time for you to sleep and think about it." He closes the door behind them and they begin to walk in the endless halls.
Not a single word exchanges between them until they reach her bedroom door. He again opens it for her, but before he lets her go in he gives her a chaste kiss and whispers in her ear: "If you want to come with me, be at my office before breakfast." afterwards they part. Sakura goes into her room and closes the door.
The pinkette is exhausted from the day's activities. First they arrived at the palace, then they talked and she and the duke went out riding. Where to her misfortune they kissed,well he kissed her. When they return she got to know a story about her grandfather she didn't know since before. And then found out that Lady Mito isn't as nice as she looks and behaves. On the cream of the cake, she gets to know what Madara planned all this time and he kissed her two more times.
She is absolutely drained out of energy. She rings a bell to call a maid, and the time passes fast to she is ready for bed. She doesn't waste a second more and jump under the covers.
Sakura doesn't recall falling asleep, but isn't too surprised. She was very tired after all. She looks out the window from her bed and realizes that it isn't breakfast time yet. She steps out of bed and doesn't bother to call a maid. It's not that hard to put on a dress if you have the right techniques. Sakura awakes quite early, so early that not even the servants are awake. She doesn't want to wake them up and it's too boring to lay in the bed and wait, so she would often dress herself and walk to the library.
She opens the door out to the hallway and checks so that no one else is around. She walk with as quiet steps as possible to Madara's office. She knocks softly and she hear a voice, so she opens the door. He sits there looking at her from his desk which by the way has the same papers as yesterday.
"I thought you wouldn't come." He gesture with his hand to one of the chairs. Sakura walked slowly to the chair but didn't sit down.
"I want to come with you."
"If it wasn't because of your father I would have loved to hear those words, but either way they make me quite satisfied." he stands up and walk towards her. When he reaches her he tries to kiss her but fails because Sakura turns her head before he can. "You let me kiss you yesterday?"
"Because I was tired and in shock, which means I was too tired to care." he wasn't smirking by her statement but instead looked very serious. She on the other hand smiled, because she made him displeased. "Now I have said my statement, so I shall take my leave." She felt a hand grip her wrist and she turned to look at him, still serious but kindness showed in his eyes.
"We go directly after breakfast and don't worry, I have already talked to Mr. Might about it and he will take care of your bags." Sakura looks at him in shock, when had he done this. 'Probably when I was asleep.' but she needs confirmation.
"When did you do this?"
"When you had gone to bed." he smirks triumphantly and now it's her turn to look displeased.
"And what exactly did you say?"
"Only that you were tired of them and that you wanted to go home." Sakura look even more than displeased and he grins now in triumph. And quicker than the eye can blink, she feels his lips on hers. She tries to push him off but he was to strong.
They finally part and he says "Got you". She stares at him for a moment but then leaves the room for breakfast.
Before Sakura knew it they were already sitting in the carriage only ten minutes away from her hometown. She and the duke had only exchange a couple of words but she had felt his eyes on her more than five times.
"So this is your hometown." says he when they enter the village.
"Is it something about it?" asks she little too arrogant.
"No, but I had pictured myself of a more rustic place."
"If you didn't know most people that pass by here say this is the most rustic town in the whole England."
"Then they haven't seen all." in that exact same moment they come up to Sakura's house.
The carriage stopped and the duke stepped out first and helped her out.
"Your grace, it's a pleasure to meet you." says Kizashi, not noticing Sakura until turns his head to her. "My dear, why are you here? You weren't supposed to come until Wednesday."
"Well the plan changed when I heard about this from, His Grace. Plus aren't you happy to see me?" answered Sakura.
"Of course I'm happy only a bit surprised. But come in Your Grace." the duke walked first in and Kizashi after, Sakura's mother welcomed Sakura after she had said hello to the duke.
Kizashi and the duke had gone straight into his office to discuss the business, Mebuki and Sakura went to the social room.
"When did you know about the business contract?"
"Yesterday evening and why didn't you tell me anything?"
"Because you would've opposed the idea with every fiber of your body."
"Of course I would. You have always told me to stand up against the aristocrats, and now you do the opposite."
"I know that, but we have to understand the situation."
"What situation?"
"That your father is old. He isn't getting any younger and the doctor has said he should retire."
"But why the duke of Oxfordshire, I think Naruto can do the job exactly as well."
"Do you really think so? And who was it that forgot where he laid my new expensive necklace?"
"Okay, Naruto would do it worse. But why not choose one of father's colleagues?"
"Because they are all in the same age or just a couple of years apart, plus the duke did actually seek us up, we didn't come to him."
Sakura sighs in response. She doesn't know if this is for the best or not, she rather prefers someone she knows to take over the business than an unknown relative. The doors open and in come her father and the duke. Sakura and her mother stand up immediately and wonder what is to come.
"We have come to a conclusion." Kizashi begins and his wife and daughter are eager to hear. "Your Grace will own 90% of the firm until my death he will get everything."
"But, you said you would only buy 30%." Sakura shoots this question towards the duke, and she too upset to talk formal.
"Yes I did, because I thought I wouldn't get offered more." he bluntly answers. He can hide his smirk perfectly.
"Since that is decided I hope you stay for dinner or even perhaps a couple of days?" Mebuki asks the duke.
"I can stay for dinner but I have already booked one night at the tavern, and tomorrow I travel to London to talk with my lawyer." He politely responds and turns to Kizashi and expects him to say something more.
"I will accompany His Grace." Kizashi looks rather nervous "And one more thing, His Grace has requested your company on this journey Sakura." Sakura looks shocked at her father and then turns to the duke who in turn smirks towards her.
"If it is what you want father then I can't decline."
Here is chapter number 11. It went faster to write it than I thought, and thank you all that follow my story and a special thanks to my editor.