Page 10 of A Bride for the Beastly Duke
“Anyone who wants a job as a maid or a footman should present themselves this afternoon for an interview.”
Drake immediately grinned, “Right away, Ma’am. My brother, Aubrey, and my cousin, Robert, both recently returned from the wars and could use the work ma’am if you would consider them.”
“Tell them to please come. I shall certainly consider them on your recommendation.”
Drake bowed repeatedly, “Thank you, Ma’am. My mother was terrified that my brother might fall into drink and decay from not finding work. This will be a relief to her and his family. Thank you so much.”
Ava swallowed the lump in her throat. “Of course.”
She suddenly felt better about everything. If all that came from her marriage was that lives were improved, that had to be worth it. Ava looked around the room again with increased determination. She would do what she could to better the lives of Edward’s constituents but also, of the family. She got to her feet; “right then,” she clapped her hands rubbing them together, “a paper and a pen—let’s start there.”
Suddenly, the door swung open, and the Dowager came in. She looked around the room and then gave Ava a piercing glance. “I see you have already started to make your mark on the house, Your Grace. You know that your husband prefers to break his fast without the sun piercing his eyes?”
Ava cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t that funny? He said nothing tome.”
Lady Lanton narrowed her eyes in annoyance. “Yes, well, he may pity you, but that does not mean you should take advantage of his good nature.”
However, Ava decided that she had had quite enough and moved toward the door. “If you will excuse me, I have a busy day ahead.” She brushed past the Dowager without another word and walked away with her head held high; she did not, however, fail to hear the disgruntled humph that the Dowager Marchioness sent her way.
Hurrying back to her room, she took a deep breath, sat on the bed, and stared out of the small window with her hands in her lap. She looked around her, studying her surroundings for thefirst time in daylight and noticed the adjoining door between her chambers and the one next door. Frowning in curiosity, she got to her feet and walked to the door. She tested whether it was locked by turning the knob, and it was not.
She pushed open the door and peered into the next room. To her surprise, she saw that it was a bedroom, and on the bed was a man, naked from the waist up and sprawled on the bed like a starfish. He was snoring gently, and Ava dithered, debating whether to walk in or step back, close the door, and pretend nothing had occurred. Curiosity got the better of her, and she stepped forward, creeping toward the bed then staring down at her new husband.
Even asleep, he emanated raw power, the muscles of his back taut even in the relaxation of sleep. This was the first time she’d had a chance to look at him unobserved, and she let her eyes feast. His long dark hair covered his face so that his deformity was invisible to her eye. Ava’s fingers itched with the desire to trace the musculature of his back from his impossibly broad shoulders trailing down to his slim waist. Her mouth watered with the need to feel, to touch, to know if his flesh was as hard as it looked, if his skin might feel silky soft and smooth as she thought.
Then he moved, shifting his head from one side to the other, and she froze, suddenly terrified of being caught staring at him. She crept away as fast as she could, closing the door that adjoined their chambers as softly as possible before leaning against it with a sigh.
“What are you doing, Ava?” she asked herself, bosom heaving.
Once her body had calmed down, she crossed the room and sat on her bed, staring at nothing. Her mind was still in the other room, ruminating on what she’d seen. She wished for a moment that she had moved his hair out of the way and just had a good look at his scarring. She knew it was the bane of his existence and suspected it would be the bane of hers as well.
He hides from me because of it.
Thinking of his strong body and her reaction to it, she regretted that she might never have the opportunity to explore both his body and her feelings toward him more fully. Slowly she got to her feet and crossed the room, pressing her ear toward the door, wondering if he was stirring or still sleeping peacefully. The temptation to open the door and stare at him again was strong.
“Don’t push your luck,” she whispered to herself. “Focus on what you can change.”
She straightened up from the door and moved to her closet. Choosing a butter yellow gown to wear, she put it on the bed before tying her hair up in a loose ponytail. Lucky for her, the gown had buttons on the front, and so she did not need help to slip it on and button it up. She had no desire for anyone to see her in her currently flustered state, especially one of the servants.
Wearing a silver bracelet on her wrist, she added silver earbobs in her ears before grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. She had given herself a task, and she was determined to complete it.
Afterward, she summoned Notley to her side, and they went floor by floor, noting which areas needed cleaning, which ones simply required dusting, and which required a complete overhaul.
“Clearly we will begin with the common areas when it comes to cleaning, but truly, I need as many women as possible to come in and give the house a thorough spring clean,” she said.
“Of course, Your Grace. Mrs. Sutton can make arrangements for that. Which day would suit you?”
“Tomorrow if possible. The sooner we have done that, the sooner we can proceed with other items on my list.”
“Yes, Ma’am. I shall let her know right away.” He walked away to do just that, and Ava appreciated him so much for not insisting that she speak with Mrs. Sutton herself. She knew that sooner or later, she would have to contend with the housekeeper, but she wanted to work on the butler first since the housekeeper seemed quite easygoing and friendly.
“Mama!” a voice screeched from down the corridor, and she turned just in time to see Lily hurtling toward her. She was only able to drop her notes a moment before her daughter hurled herself into Ava’s arms.
They hugged for a long while, not used to being separated, even for just a night.
“I missed you, Mama,” Lily murmured.
“What is that screeching?” a new voice inquired, sounding quite put out. Ava straightened up to see the Dowager Marchioness peering out from the parlor, a sour look on her face. She had announced that she had a card game planned for early afternoon and that everyone should keep out of the parlor.
