Page 11 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
Who was the Duke when he wasn’t barging into people’s houses and accusing them of deplorable crimes? The way his servants had stood like statues, awaiting his orders, had led her to believe that he governed them with an iron fist. Yet, the way his housekeeper spoke of him hinted at respect and admiration rather than fear.
Clearing her throat, Aurelia decided to abandon caution and find out who her new husband really was. If she had to live in this house as a captive, she needed to know more about the Duke.
“Mrs. Jarrow, you mentioned His Grace’s grandfather. Is His Grace a family man?”
Mrs. Jarrow took a deep breath and composed herself before continuing. “I am afraid that I am not the right person to be answering your question, Your Grace. I suggest that you allow His Grace to address it when the time is right.”
She cleared her throat in turn and walked off before Aurelia could protest.
As she watched her walk down the hall, Aurelia was baffled by the housekeeper’s curt dismissal.
I suppose I will have to find my own way to my chambers.
She looked around the empty hall and wondered what she had done wrong. If she had harbored any notions of gaining an ally in Mrs. Jarrow, they had quickly been quashed in the space of one brief conversation. It was clear that the housekeeper would only be loyal to the man who paid her wages, and not to some newcomer who fished for information.
What do I do now?
Aurelia looked around the spacious entrance hall as footmen and maids entered in a flurry, their arms loaded with her trunks and bags. They made their way up the stairs and disappeared from her sight before she could ask them where she should go.
I will just follow the throng to my chambers.
She lifted the hem of her gown and made her way up the stairs, wondering what life would be like in her new home without a soul on her side.
Chapter Five
“What is it?” Aurelia called out groggily, her voice thick from sleep.
She opened her eyes to her strange new surroundings.
The night hadn’t been kind to her as she’d worriedly tossed and turned in grim anticipation of the Duke entering her bedchamber to consummate their marriage. As the wolf’s captive, Aurelia knew she had to keep up her guard, but she was exhausted by the effort it had taken.
“It is your lady’s maid, Your Grace. I am here to get you ready for breakfast,” a sweet voice called through the wooden door.
“You may come in.” Aurelia flung the sheets off her legs just as the door swung open.
A short young girl with a freckled face and bright red hair bounced into the room with a tray of tea in her hands. “I amsorry if I woke you, Your Grace. We were unsure sure what hour you wished to have breakfast. I am your maid, Eilidh and will attend to your needs..”
She placed the tray on the small table by the window and turned to Aurelia with a polite curtsy.
Aurelia swung her legs over the mattress, reached for her night robe, and fastened the belt around her waist. “Eilidh… are you Scottish? You certainly do not sound like a Scot.”
The girl’s freckled cheeks flushed red. “I am not, Your Grace. My father fancied himself a traveler, even though he only ever worked the farmlands on this estate. He never set foot in Scotland, but when God saw fit to bless him with a red-headed daughter, he jumped at the opportunity to give me a Scottish name.”
Aurelia smiled at the young girl’s tale. “Fathers can certainly be interesting creatures at the best of times.”
Her heart suddenly ached as she recalled her own father, whom she had left at the altar the day before.
Eilidh began to hum as she tidied the room, placing some of the clothes in the wardrobe.
“Eilidh, have any letters arrived this morning? More specifically, any letters that are addressed to me?”
Aurelia crossed the room and glanced at the plate of toast, eggs and fruit on the tea tray.
A full breakfast.
She wondered if her husband would also be having his breakfast in bed.
Eilidh paused and chewed the inside of her cheek. “I do not think so, Your Grace. Mrs. Jarrow sorts the mail in the mornings. If there had been any she would have placed it on your tray this morning before I brought it up. Would you like me to go and check with her?”
