"Do you think he would like it more with vanilla or chocolate?" I asked Clara, staring at the cookbook with furrowed brows. Baking a cake for Alaric's birthday seemed like a simple enough idea when we first discussed it, but now, faced with actual recipes, I felt overwhelmed.
Clara smiled patiently. "According to Thomas, the Duke has always preferred chocolate since childhood."
I nodded, making a mental note. Chocolate it would be. "I want everything to be perfect for his birthday. He deserves nothing less."
We were huddled in the sitting room, surrounded by notes and sketches for Alaric's surprise birthday celebration. I'd never planned anything like this before—my own birthdays had passed with barely any acknowledgment during my years at my father's estate.
"The cake is a wonderful idea, my lady," Clara said encouragingly. "Though I still think the portrait would be quite... memorable." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
