Page 4 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
Chapter Two
“Would you like some more cheese, Jack?” Luke asked, handing a chunk to the man who had rescued them from the streets.
They lived in a two-room hut—a large room with a small kitchen and living area, plus beds for both he and Jack. The second room was small but private, and as Jenny had turned from child to adult, it had become her personal space. It was a simple place, with enough amenities to keep them safe and secure, but to Luke, it was home and for that, he loved it.
“No, thank you, Lad. I’ve eaten quite enough for one day.”
“Nonsense,” Jenny said, rebuking him with a matronly look. “You are nothing but skin and bone these days. You must keep your strength up.”
“Ach,” Jack said, waving away Jenny’s concerns. “Stop your worrying. You sound like my mother did when I was a boy. I need no such thing as strength these days. I do nothing but potter around the hut.”
“But—”
“Jenny,” Luke warned, not wanting Jack to become overwhelmed by her henpecking. “Leave him be.”
Jenny threw him an annoyed look, but she obeyed as she always did. He knew she only pestered because she cared, but Jack was old enough to ask for help when he needed it.
Luke Jones, at six-and-twenty, had become the newest head groom at Salsbury Manor, having recently taken over from Jack as he reached old age. He was a handsome man, with raven-black hair and skin tanned from hours spent at the stables. His warm brown eyes spoke of his pride in his position, his place in life, and he would talk to anyone he could about the kind-hearted man who had saved him from a life of misery.
He was a tall man and, thanks to hard work and dedication, his body was hard with muscle and strength. He was solid and taut, raw with the curves of a life spent using his body to its full potential. But with it, he was gentle and caring, a man who knew what it was to be brave and kindly, to love and protect.
Now, as he tore into his crust of bread, he looked around at his unusual little family. Jack had discovered them wandering the streets at the tender age of eight, and Luke remembered little before that time. He remembered being scared of Jack at first, but being persuaded by the promise of food, and now, at least once a day, he thanked the Lord he did not choose to run away.
“I hear there’s a party here later on,” Jack said.
“Yes,” Jenny nodded, “to celebrate the anniversary of their reunion with the Duchess of Lentingdale.”
“That was a sorry affair, all right,” Jack said, his eyes downcast. “I remember the day she went missing. Awful it was. We searched for days, all over London. I would have sworn she was dead, but the Mistress never gave up hope that she would be found.”
Jack Jones, fifty years old and in failing health, had taken Luke and Jenny in, a year after his wife and child had died during childbirth. After losing his beloved Lucy, he had vowed he would never marry again, but a life without children had proven too much for him. And so, when he saw the twins begging for a little food, he decided on impulse to take them in. Now, he knew, it was the best decision he had ever made.
He told them often about the day he had found them eighteen years ago, and in turn they remembered a little, offering their own insight, but Luke sometimes wondered if he was remembering the telling rather than remembering the day. What Jack did not tell them was that after a year or so, he had sought out the truth about their beginnings. He guarded that secret closely, although he knew in time, he would have to tell them everything of where they came from and what became of their real family.
He had taught Luke everything there was to know about being a groom, and he had watched with welling pride as the boy became the best the Salsburys had ever had. Now that he had taken a step back, and after years of looking after them, it was time for Luke and Jenny to look after him, and that is just what they did.
“And then there was all that business with the imposter,” Jenny said with shiver. “She was a right terror.”
“Can you believe someone would behave like that?” Luke asked. “Such dishonesty.”
“I am not at all surprised, Son,” Jack said, his voice tired and raspy. “Folks will do anything for wealth.”
“Not me,” Luke said, firmly shaking his head. “I would rather work hard for what I have than be a fraud.”
“Is she in prison now?” Jenny asked. “The one who pretended to be the Duchess?”
“Yes,” Jack said with a firm nod of the head, “and good riddance. Even when we were all convinced she was their real daughter, I did not much like her. She had a way of talking to the staff that made them feel small and insignificant.”
“I remember it well,” Jenny said, shivering again. “I am so glad they discovered the truth.”
It was true, someone had indeed pretended to be Teresa for many years. Tina Reynolds, now imprisoned, had not only been involved in Teresa’s original disappearance, but she had also convinced the Salsburys that she was their missing daughter after a number of years.
“She is gone now, though,” Luke said firmly, wanting to change the subject. “And both the Salsbury daughters are a delight to work with.”
“One in particular, I suspect,” Jenny said, raising an eyebrow to Luke. Luke felt his cheeks gently flush, his lips trying to force themselves into a smile. “I have seen the way you look at her.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said. Jenny rolled her eyes.
“Honestly? Lady Alison has not caught your eye, then? I’ve seen you spending enough time together, that’s for sure, always claiming to be ‘friends.’”
