Page 52 of Her Duke By Accident
“It does,” she mused, “doesn’t it?”
Ms. Crawford watched her. “What happened to wanting things to change for Lady Lucy?”
“I tried, Ms. Crawford. Renfield can gossip all he wants about that night in the garden,” she said, “but he will never get it right. I tried to reason with the duke. I have tried and tried again to ask him to open up to me, to trust me, and he has refused. What else can I do for her that won’t make matters worse?”
The housekeeper sighed. “I would be lying if I told you I knew what to do, Your Grace.”
“You could tell me.”
“I just said?—”
“Not what to do, Ms. Crawford,” Alicia muttered. “You can tell me the truth of Garvey. The secrets that have made the duke such a closed off man. That is what you can do to help me.”
“That is not my story to tell.”
Alicia sighed. “Then I don’t know what else there is for me to do.”
“There is no mother for Lady Lucy, Your Grace,” Ms. Crawford softly said. “Can you imagine doing all this without one?”
“No,” she whispered, “I cannot.”
“Do not fracture the bond you have already forged with the young lady,” she said.
Alicia scoffed. “I am in no way the girl’s mother.”
“I know this, but you can at least be that kind of a figure for her. Why would you let your troubles with the duke disrupt the growth of this young lady?”
Alicia exhaled, lowering her head into her hands. “Because I can’t stop thinking of him,” she whispered.
“I can’t quite hear you, Your Grace,” Ms. Crawford said with a chuckle.
“I cannot,” Alicia repeated, lifting her head, “I cannot stop thinking of him.”
Ms. Crawford grinned at her. “I’m surprised it took this long.”
“What?”
“Well,” the housekeeper began to gather up the papers, “he has always been handsome. Ever since he was a boy, I knew the duke would grow up to be something of a charmer.”
Alicia grew red. “That–that isn’t what I meant, Ms. Crawford.”
“Really?”
“Of course not!” Alicia fumbled as she stood, the chair almost falling over. “I only meant that our continuous squabbling has left me confused and unsure of where to turn. I am supposed to spend the rest of my life in these halls, and I don’t think my husband will ever be able to truly look me in the eye.”
“Have you considerednotsquabbling?”
“Ms. Crawford,” Alicia sternly snapped, “I thought I told you I didn’t approve of the sarcasm.”
The housekeeper laughed. “I promise it wasn’t sarcasm, Your Grace. I mean it quite honestly.”
“How can I not argue with him?” Alicia crossed her arms and paced around the small room. “He is insufferable and rude. He does not care for Lucy’s feelings, he does not care for my feelings, and he doesn’t bother to stay around long enough for us to have a civilized conversation!”
“But what about the day in the drawing room?”
“What about it?”
“I overheard Lady Lucy talking of your dance,” Ms. Crawford said. “She had said it was better than any book she had ever read.”
