Page 23 of Her Bear of a Duke

"It is so nice to meet you!" the maid said brightly. "I will be your lady's maid, as His Grace informed me that you would not be bringing your own."

"How did he know that?" Dorothy asked, without thinking.

"I do not know, for he did not explain, but in any case I shall take care of you. You are in capable hands, I assure you."

Her new housekeeper scoffed, and Dorothy turned to her in surprise. She did not expect to be worshipped by her staff, but she knew that there was a certain respect owed to her as Duchess.

"Francine is very young," Mrs. Herrington explained with a sigh. "She does not know very much at all, and so I shall be assisting her while she learns what to do."

Francine's face turned pink, and Dorothy pitied her greatly. She knew how it felt to be spoken so lowly of, and she hated that her staff seemed to have issues with one another. Fortunately, she knew that with time she would be able to show them how to communicate with one another, for they would have to show her respect in time.

"I thank you for that," she replied gently. "I shall not pretend that I am prepared for what life as a duchess shall bring, but I am more than willing to learn. We can all learn together."

Again, Mrs. Herrington looked at her strangely.

"I am uncertain of what I might learn from a young lady forty years younger than me," she smirked. "But if you think of anything, do tell me."

The butler did not say a word. He simply watched the three ladies, and Dorothy was unsettled by that. She wanted him to say something, so that she might at least understand who he was and what he thought of her, but he did not give her anything.

After their brief interaction, she was taken to her room. The butler disappeared, and so it was only the three ladies that remained. When they arrived, Mrs. Herrington wordlessly disappeared. Fortunately, Francine remained with her and they entered her bedchambers together. Dorothy looked around her room, the walls papered in a pale yellow, and sighed. She could not seem to escape the wretched color.

"If you do not like it," Francine explained quickly, "I am certain that His Grace will allow you to change it. It was how the late Duchess had it, and it has never been changed."

"I do not know if he will like that. I do not know if he wants to see me at all. Actually, yes I do, for he does not want to. If he did, he would not have left me alone so soon."

"His Grace can behave strangely at times, but believe me when I tell you that he is not a bad man. I believe he is simply wary of the fact that you are here now, for he has not been prepared for it at all."

Dorothy raised an eyebrow, and took a seat in one of the armchairs, motioning for Francine to take the other one.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked. "He has proposed and we have had a very brief courtship. He knew that I would arrive after our wedding."

"Yes, but that does not mean that he is ready. He has only taken a wife because it is his duty. He needs an heir, after all."

Dorothy crumbled, and Francine knew at once that she had misspoken.

"He did tell you this, did he not?"

"He… well, yes, he did. I simply thought that I might have changed his mind. I thought that he liked me."

"He may well do! It is as Mrs. Herrington said, I do not know very much. That is why she shall be helping you for the first while and I will be more of a friend. I apologize for that, as I wish I could be of more assistance than this, but it is my hope that we will learn together."

Dorothy looked at her lady's maid and could not help but smile in spite of everything. She had been concerned about losing her friends, and she had already begun to miss their advice, but at least she had someone that seemed to like her.

They remained in her bedchambers for a while, and then Dorothy decided that she no longer wished to look at the stark yellow that the room was bathed in and so they left to explore.

"Mrs. Herrington shall be furious, I suppose," Dorothy noted as they wandered. "She seems to prefer doing things correctly, and it is proper that she gives me the tour."

"And yet, you are following me still," Francine joked. "Besides, I cannot give you a real tour, as I am only just becomingaccustomed to the place myself. Mrs. Herrington can show you everything properly in the coming days."

Dorothy enjoyed wandering the household, but as they continued on she felt a sense of dread rising within her. It was the largest house she had ever seen, larger even than 'Emma's, which she had stayed in the year before during the party. It seemed endless, and she did not know how she would ever be able to navigate it, which would hinder her ability to do her duty, which was something her husband had pressed was of the utmost importance.

The mansion was well-kept and clean, likely thanks to her housekeeper being so knowledgeable, and the walls were thick and sturdy, but she could not help but notice how dark and gloomy it was in spite of how well-lit it had been made.

It did not make any sense at all. Dorothy had thought that she had met a man that was willing to bend the rules of society, who wanted to enjoy his life and would therefore lead to her feeling much the same. It had been her expectation that she would be happy there, even if it had not been the match that she had dreamed of.

Instead, she was alone.

Francine dressed her for dinner, a beautiful green gown, and she steadied herself as she looked in the mirror. She turned to the side, frowning at her figure, and then left the room.

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