Page 17 of His Highland Duchess
Lysander frowned. “And when did you see her to make this assessment?”
Even in the dark, he could see her eyes widen. “I did not mean it,” she said. “I was… I saw her by accident. And we only spoke for a second! I swear it.”
Lysander sighed, unable to get upset. Although he had wanted Margaret to avoid his daughters, he had also sensed it was a fool’s errand to even try. In a house like this, and for the entire Season, there was little chance of them avoiding one another. Additionally, he was unsure whether it was a good idea to command them to stay away.What would that say about me? What would they think if they could not speak to my wife?
“What did she say?” he asked.
“She is very nice,” Aurelia said. “I liked her.”
“You… you did?”
She nodded. “Very much. I was hoping we might see her more often. If that is fine with you?”
“Yes please,” Lenora spoke up. “I want to see her too!”
He laughed at their enthusiasm, for it was rare to see them both so happy and excited. He liked to think that he was a good father, but he was also strict, and the girls were often careful to act that way around him. Perhaps in that way, Margaret might be a better influence than he had thought.
“We will see,” he agreed.
“Tomorrow?” Aurelia said. “Please, Father. Please.”
“Please,” Lenora joined in. “Please.”
He sighed. “I will invite her to supper. How is that?”
“What of breakfast?”
He opened his mouth to agree, as breakfast made more sense. Only then did an idea come to mind. One he had been toyingwith all day but had not settled on because he did not wish to give the wrong impression. Now, however, he realized that this marriage wasn’t going to be a flash in the pan that he could ignore. And where it would be short-lived, the least he could do was make it bearable for both parties involved.
“Supper,” he said. “Her Grace will be busy in the morning.”
“Doing what?”
“Good night, girls,” he laughed, stepping out of the room and closing the door.
Once the door was shut, he turned and strode toward his office. The hour was still early, but if he wished for tomorrow morning to go as he now envisioned, he would need to write his summons quickly and send it at once.
And as he walked, a rare smile crossed his face at the thought of seeing Margaret tomorrow, surprised and possibly even happy. A small thing, but it gave him hope. Hope that this marriage might not be the calamity he had assumed it would be.
CHAPTER SIX
Margaret’s second morning as the Duchess of Windermoor brought with it noticeable changes from the first. Changes which she was most appreciative of.
She woke to find a maid in her room, waiting for her command. “Good morning,” the young maid said. “How did we sleep, Your Grace?”
“Wonderfully,” Margaret said, meaning it. She smiled as she rose, pleased to see that her conversation with Mr. Jeffries had the desired effect. “I do nae think I have ever slept so well.”
“That is good to hear, Your Grace. Shall you be requiring a bath before you break your fast?”
“That sounds perfect.” Margaret climbed from her bed and was led down the hallway to a washroom where a tub was already filled with steaming hot water.
She sank into the tub with a moan, feeling her muscles relax. And as she bathed, the young maid brought in two more girls to scrub her clean and wash her hair. Margaret wasn’t used to such luxury as this, for even though her father was a respected laird, this went above and beyond anything she had experienced growing up. Nonetheless, she wasn’t about to complain either.Truly, I cuid get used to this…
With her dressing gown wrapped around her moist body, she floated back to her bedroom, expecting to pick an outfit and then break her fast. Only, when she entered her bedroom, she found it to be a hive of activity beyond anything she could have predicted.
“There she is!” In the centre of the room, waiting for her, it seemed, was a middle-aged woman dressed in loud colors; the outfit itself was a multi-layered pelisse with a broad muslin collar and adorned with frills. She clapped her hands together to see Margaret arrive, at which point she swept forward and took the bewildered duchess by the hands, pulling her into the room. “They said you would be back shortly. But you know how these things go, dear. An hour? Five? What is time when you have the world waiting on your beck and call?”
“Ah… excuse me?” Margaret blinked.
