Avoid

I met the male lead last week right after my concert. Since then I am feeling under the weather. I didn't leave my bedroom under any circumstances. My friends and parents started to feel worried. Last time I excused myself by telling them I need to prepare for the concert. But know? I feel sick to my stomach whenever I even think of that guys lips touching my hand.
Why am I like this? The book I dreamed about could be just a dream nothing real, moreover just by meeting the duke doesn't mean will automatically get married or something. He didn't really had the time to take an interest in me so rationally speaking I shouldn't be so anxious. But, for the short moment I saw his eyes, I just got that hunch. If he catches me, he won't ever let me go. 

Reasonably speaking I shouldn't be so warry around him. Christopher could be completely different from the book, but is my life and I don't want to gamble with it. Maybe he's actually a decent human being, a sincere gentleman that I just happened to meet through my father, but I won't risk it.

Knock, knock
"You may enter"
"Miss Elenore, sorry for the intrusion, a letter came for you."

On the silver plate there was this navy blue envelope with a faint scent of lavender. Sylvia leaves the room as I check the content.

Dear miss Ambrose,
Even though our meeting was short, I must tell you truthfully that you left a deep impression apon me.
I must congratulate you  first for the gentle and skillful performance from last week. I will never be able to forget that elegant sight of yours. Music must be really precious to you, I could feel it with all my might, all those powerful emotions. It almost brought me to tears.
Nonetheless I would be more then delighted if you would join me for dinner tomorrow evening as I would like to get to know you better.
May you have a peaceful day, I shall wait for your response.
Christopher Napier

I see I am running out of time. 

"Miss Elenore you have a visitor, should I led them to the drawing room?"
That startled me, it couldn't be him, right? He wouldn't have come to get the response in person, no way.
"Wh-who is it?"
A few seconds of silence that are eating me from the inside. This is too much for my mental health. 
" Miss Janet Barclay, the second daughter of count Barclay."
Janet, yes she will hear me out. My dear friend, in the book after Elenore cuts all ties with the violin, Janet would often come to visit and console her. She understood and loved deeply the poor protagonist, but unfortunately for her the duke also sensed this relation between the two girls. Soon after, Janet had a carriage accident on a rainy day on her way to a dresses shop. As if she would go there personally to buy them.  That was the last time Elenore had contact with a friend, she was too scared of something like this to happen ever again.
"No, bring her to my chambers, we have a lot talk about. Bring some tea and cake as well"
"Certainly miss." 

I quickly jump out of bed and approached the sofa. Janet as she entered the room, she started crying and hugged me.
"Elenore, I thought something happened to you, everyone was worried. You didn't answer to any of our letters or invitations, what is going on? How are you feeling? You look a bit pale." 
"Janet, you don't even know...you don't know what I've been trough..."
I show her the letter I received.
"Duke Napier?! O Elenore, congratulations, this is wonderful...a marquises daughter and a duke, what a novel story!"  
"Right, and what a novel..."
"Why would you were such a bitter expression? Love, what is going on?"
I spilled the beans. Anxiously and scarred that she'll think I'm gone bonkers, I tell her everything.
"I-I have no idea what I should do from now on, I am so scared, even if nothing happened yet, even if there are high chances for nothing to happen at all. I just...I don't want to end like that, helpless and alone..."

Janet was crying hard while holding me. We cried together for a long time, sobbing and drinking tea like some toddlers and it was the best time I had in the past week.
"What about your parents? Can't they help somehow? If you told them what you told me, maybe they'll resolve something."
"At the moment my parents fully love him and want me to marry him. They are always bringing him up, duke Napier did this and that, so gentle and handsome but tall and manly, such good hands for leading a household. They won't stop praising this psychopath. Also, in the novel when the parents find out about his doings and try to take some measurements, they both suddenly get killed." 
"No external force would work, you avoided him as best as you could but the duke still didn't give up. The only way for this to stop is for the idea to come from within him. Lose interest or find a new form of obsession."
"This maniac...I can't even decline his invitation..."
"How about faking an illness? If you don't meet for some time, maybe he will turn his attention to something else."
"It doesn't hurt to try, I shall write the response at once."

That was what I originally said, but it does hurt. 
"Darken more around the eyes, I should look almost like a corpse..."
"A corpse!? My lady, please, don't use such frightening words. The duke would also be sadden by such an appearance, isn't it to much?"
"Do as I say Sylvia, is important for it to be like this."
My life is at stake, if that psychopath will find out I lied I will totally be done for. Who knows how will he take revenge, make my family go bankrupt, kill Sylvia for helping me with the make up, lock me somewhere where not even the daylight would find me. Too scarry to even imagine it.
Let's start this performance. After getting the message that I've fallen ill after the concert, he suddenly called doctors from the imperial palace to my house and also said he will visit to see the state the marquises daughter is in. It my look like a concerned lover on the outside, but I just know he doesn't believe my excuse one bit and just wants to confirm it. He's winning points so easily, this sly ogre.

"Miss, duke Napier is waiting in the drawing room."
"I see, thank you for telling me."
With one last look in the mirror I walk slowly to meet this maniac. I have a thin blanket over my fluttery light white dress. My face is paler then usual, maybe I actually  have a chance to pull this off. Seeing him right in front of me with no one around is actually scarier then I initially thought. Tall and refined, quite the imposing stature. So deadly handsome while looking at those book titles. Christopher is wearing the same shade of navy blue that I've seen on the envelope. Stylish and definitely expensive attire and a bouquet of forget me nots in his hands. 

"Good afternoon, duke Christopher Napier, thank you for making time to visit even in your excessively busy schedule. I am Elenore Amboise, daughter of marquise Amboise, we briefly met last week after my violin duet."
Just stay home, why did you come, why torment me?
"Yes, please call me Christopher, we already know each other and it feels a bit to formal using such a polite addressing. Thank you for accepting my sudden request of seeing you, after reading your response I got overly concerned with your well being. Here, I saw them and I was remembered of you, I hope you enjoy flowers."
If you knew it was sudden and inappropriate... just why?
"Thank you for thinking of me, even if our meeting was so rushed. Also, thank you for the attention you showed to my health. The doctors you send over reassured me and my parents regarding my recovery."
Please leave, I am in good health I just do not wish to be around you.

"Aa, yes, excuse me?"
"We talked about it Elenore didn't we?" He came closer, so close that there are only a few steps between us.
"Call me Christopher." Huh? So intimidating but with such a handsome face, so not fare.
"My Name, Elenore, do not make me repeat myself, mhm?"
"W-well, well yes, my bad. Have you ever encountered something like that? Christopher."
"What do you think?"
"Who would dare trick the only duke of the empire? Impossible, haha."
"That's what I told myself as well. Who would be so brazen to lie to me ?" He laughs at me, he knows, there is no doubt about it. All this games that he's pulling are exhausting, too much is too much some times. Why over-egg the pudding?
"Nonetheless, who would fake an illness to reject me, right? Is maybe there a better option then me? Maybe someone like the pianist you had a duet with?"
Was he as aggressive in the beginning of the novel? But at first he made Elenore trust him. He was gentle and understanding, of course it was just a persona, but still. Did he ever openly threaten her in the beginning?
" N-no, no way. Something like that s-simply does not make sense."
"Indeed", sly ogre is smiling now?, "I'm glad we are on the same page. Then, when do you think you'll get better?"
"Huh ? I mean, excuse me ? I mean, yes, I will get better."
"Yes love, but do tell me, when would you estimate to be healthier? You know, we have a dinner to recuperate"
"Yes, yes, dinner. Well yes you know when I will get better I will surely write you. Yes, I will make sure of that, haha."
"Next Tuesday, have dinner with me next Tuesday. You will get better until then right?"
"There is no doubt about it", my voice became more like a whispers. I am so tired, is there really no other way then running away?
"Until then, think of an appropriate response for this." That navy blue envelope. "Your parents will receive one as well." My parents ? It can't be, so fast as well, in the book it took at least two years. What happened, why so fast? No way, no, it can't be.
"My parent's, don't tell me, y-you don't actually mean..."
"We can talk about it next time over dinner." Flashes a smile, this madman. He thinks is funny. "See you next time, Elenore. " He kisses my hand and leaves the room. Such an unwelcomed development, isn't it?