Intriguing the Duke Read online

  Intriguing the Duke

  ©2019 by Sophia Wilson

  All rights reserved. No part of this may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission.

  These stories are works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, locales or actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

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  Chapter One

  April 1817

  Trew Cottage

  Westhampshire

  England

  Darkness fell over the simple cottage at the end of the street in Westhampshire, but the moon overhead provided the much-needed light to guide Maria Trew to her childhood home, although she was more than able to find her way with both her eyes shut. She had walked this same path many times, day and night, and the familiarity of it all was what made her feel safe. It was her home, the heart of her being. Maria had resided in the cottage since the beginning of her life three-and-twenty years ago, and she could not envision any other place to call home.

  From inside the cottage, a flame flickered from the window, casting the long shadows of two people from inside the cottage. The hearty sound of her two younger sisters’ laughter sounded, cheerfully filling her ears as a smile formed on her lips.

  Maria walked along the short footpath which led to the front door, her body tired and weary. She would truly appreciate the short rest from her duties, although it would only be for one day, and spend time with her sisters and father.

  She opened the door and her two sisters, Jenny and Sally, turned towards her. Their young faces lit up and they scrambled to their feet. In the corner, where they had been huddled together, the fire burned, adding warmth to the cottage. Although it was spring, that very evening was rather chilly, and Maria welcomed the warmth, as well as her overzealous sisters, with open arms.

  “Maria!”

  Their voices were filled with excitement as Maria embraced them tightly.

  “Good evening, my sisters,” Maria greeted them happily, although she was exhausted from the walk, as well as from being on her feet the entire day.

  “We were not expecting you this evening,” Sally pointed out.

  “Did His Grace relieve you of your duties earlier than expected?” Jenny asked in a very theatrical tone, her chin raised to impersonate the nobles who employed Maria.

  “That is hardly the case, sisters,” Maria chuckled and kissed her sisters on their foreheads. “His Grace has not an inkling of how the shifts work, even in his own home.”

  “That does not surprise me in the least,” Jenny muttered.

  Maria glanced at her sixteen-year-old sister, and cocked her head. Jenny was a lovely young girl, with the same golden curls as Maria, but darker eyes like their late mother. Sally, who was nearly twenty, on the other hand, resembled their father, with thick dark brown hair and light green eyes. Maria was a mixture of both her parents, golden hair, light green eyes; petite like her mother, but strong-willed and fierce in personality much like her father.

  Ever since their mother had passed after a terribly long bout with influenza, Maria had taken care of the household. She raised her two sisters, as they were merely young children at the time. When her sisters were old enough, Maria had taken it upon herself to provide another income, and had found work as a maid at a lavish estate.

  Maria worked long hours, and was paid the bare minimum, but she enjoyed her work. The maids who she worked alongside were kind and helpful. She could most certainly not complain. Her father and sisters were taken care of, and that was the most important thing to her.

  Maria glanced around and noticed her father’s chair was unoccupied, and his physician’s bag was not in its usual place. “Where is Father?” Maria asked.

  “Father was called upon urgently. Mrs. Baker is having her baby,” Jenny answered as the two younger siblings took their place in front of the hearth again, and Maria sat beside them.

  “That is wonderful news,” Maria smiled. “Although it may be too soon for the baby’s birth.”

  “That was why Father left immediately,” Jenny stated.

  “I hope the baby is all right,” Sally sighed.

  “I am certain it will be. We must pray everything is fine with both the mother and infant,” Maria answered.

  Sally glanced at her older sister. “You sound like them.”

  Maria was well aware who Sally was referring to. The nobles Maria worked for spoke differently than Maria and her family. Maria admired the manner in which they spoke, and had even begun to enunciate her words in a more proper manner while at the estate. It had happened without her even noticing it, but now that Sally had pointed it out, it would be difficult to defer from it.

  “I have been working at the estate for nearly two years, my dear sister. I spend nearly every day in their company, interacting with them—albeit minimally. It is only natural to adapt my manner of speaking to theirs, is it not?” Maria inquired.

  “Perhaps, but the other simple folks living around us will accuse you of thinking you are better than they are,” Sally answered with a scoff and turned away.

  Maria sighed, knowing her sister spoke the truth, and nodded. “You are right, my dear sister. Only you and Sally understand.”

  “Maria,” Sally asked, and turned towards her, “is there any chance perhaps that there is another space for a maid at the estate?”

  “Sally, we agreed that I would be the one who works. Father needs both of you here,” Maria answered firmly.

  “Father does not need both of us to be here, Maria. You and I both know Father is not entirely useless,” Sally defended.

  “I simply do not think it is a very good idea for you to work at the estate as well.”

  “And why not? Would you rather not tell anyone that I am your sister?” Sally asked incredulously.

  “Do not be absurd, Sally—”

  “Then what?”

  Maria sighed and stood. She ran her fingers through her golden hair and tiredly glanced at her sister. “I am your older sister. I am the one who must work. I wish for you and Jenny to have a normal life and find a young man who makes you happy and who can take care of you. Who will treat you as you deserve.”

  “I do not wish to marry,” Jenny muttered.

  Maria glanced at Jenny and her brow furrowed. “That is not the point I am attempting to make. When Mother passed away, I promised I would take care of you and Father. I promised her that I would ensure you had good clothes and never went to sleep hungry. I promised her those things and I refuse to break that promise.”

  A long silence filled the cottage, Jenny and Sally avoiding Maria’s gaze, but was interrupted by the loud opening of the front door.

  Herbert Trew, the town physician, stood in the doorway, his face flushed and his brow damp of sweat. Despite the chill in the air, Herbert was flustered as he placed his physician’s bag on the table beside the door.

  “Maria, my dear!”

  Herbert embraced his daughter. “I am so happy to have you home.”

  “It is lovely to be home, Father,” Maria beamed, her mood lightening slightly from her father’s presence.

  His brow furrowed, and he raked his fingers through his disheveled hair. “I did not know you were going to be coming home today. Did something happen?” His eyes widened suddenly. “Please do not tell me you were dismissed.”

  Maria chuckled and embraced her father onc
e more. “Do not be silly. I am merely on leave for the evening, as well as the entirety of tomorrow.”

  “That is wonderful,” Herbert beamed.

  ***

  Maria spent the rest of the evening, as well as the following day, with her father and two sisters. She enjoyed their company, as she had not been able to spend as much time with them as she wished. She worked long hours at the estate, but she did not mind in the least. As long as her father and sisters were taken care of, that was what mattered most.

  As the day grew to a close, Maria lay on her narrow cot in the bedroom she shared with her two sisters and stared at the dark ceiling. In a few hours, she would make her way back to the estate she worked at. As much as she enjoyed spending time with her family, the maidservants, footmen, and other staff at the estate had become like another kind of family to her, and she missed them while she was away.

  There was also another reason why she enjoyed working at the estate, but she would never disclose that information to anyone. Not even her sisters.

  Especially not her sisters.

  The man whom she worked for, the Duke of Westhampshire, was very handsome. His features were undeniable, and Maria could not help but stare at the duke when no one was watching. Of course, Maria was well aware that the duke did not even know she existed.

  Maria knew how society operated, and there was no possible way in which she could entertain the idea of herself with the duke. He was a nobleman, from a family of notable reputation and excellent stature. The late Duke of Westhampshire had been a generous man, a true philanthropist, or so Maria had heard the staff speak of him. Never was a bad word uttered about the late duke, and Maria wondered what it would have felt like to meet the man.

  The duke had passed away ten years ago, only a year after his wife. This had devastated the family, especially the present duke, who had a wonderful relationship with his parents. The duke was an only child, and did not have any siblings. He did however have a cousin, Lord Kenilworth, who frequented the estate.

  Maria was also aware of another reason why she would not go anywhere near the duke. He was known to be a rake, and a ruthless, heartless one at that. The handsome duke had courted many women, both young and slightly older, but never for very long. Women were nothing more than playthings to the duke, and Maria despised that about him. She did not approve the manner in which he disposed of women when they no longer interested him.

  Though she pretended not to notice, she had witnessed many mornings where a young woman was escorted into the duke’s coach. It was not her place to speak of it, and she turned a blind eye, but her discomfort still lingered long after the dust settled.

  Maria wondered whether the duke would ever leave his childish and rakish manners behind, but she did not count on it. It should not bother her in the first place, and her feelings of agitation towards the duke were odd to her. She was merely his employee, an invisible maid who did not even exist in his mind.

  ***

  After Maria hugged her sisters and father goodbye the next day, she made her way to the estate with the baker’s carriage, which was the only carriage which went in that direction. The baker, Ernst Willis, was a good friend of her father’s, and he did not mind taking Maria along, as the estate was on his way to the mill.

  Maria climbed off the carriage, waved a friendly and grateful hand at Ernst as he left, and walked down the pathway which led to the manor house of Beltham Hall, the home of the duke. It was a very large and lavish estate, with lush green grass and trees surrounding the entire estate, as well as ivy which covered nearly the entire stone exterior of the manor house. It created an ethereal atmosphere, especially right before dawn.

  The crushed stones cracked under Maria’s shoes as she made her way along the pathway, and as she glanced up at the manor house, she was not surprised to see a carriage. A driver already sat in the front seat right behind the horses, waiting.

  For a young woman to exit the manor house and be taken home, no doubt. Discarded by the duke.

  Maria’s jaw clenched and her lips pursed as the front door opened and a young woman, who appeared even younger than Maria, rushed out onto the crushed stones. Even from afar, Maria noticed the anguish and pained expression on the young woman’s face as she approached the carriage.

  In the doorway, the duke appeared, but he did not step out onto the pathway. He remained perfectly still and stoic, not appearing interested or concerned in the anguish of the young woman. This did not shock Maria as much as it annoyed her, but she did not display any means of outward emotion. It was not her place to reprimand the duke.

  Maria quickened her pace and walked in the direction of the servants’ quarters, located on the side of the manor house. The entrance to the quarters was surrounded by a thick hedge, which grew wild and unruly, separating the two classes from one another. The lower classes had no place in the company of the nobles, but if every noble was as abrasive and rude as the duke, Maria much preferred the company of people who were like her.

  Maria had been kind to everyone she had encountered in her life, whether they deserved her kindness or not, but she would most certainly not wish to surround herself with the cruelty of a man who thought of women as disposable and replaceable.

  She would not stand for that.

  Her brow furrowed as she wondered why it bothered her as much as it was. She certainly thought the duke was handsome, but that was the end of it. She did not dream of what it would be like if the duke fell hopelessly in love with her, strolling beside him in the lush gardens of his estate.

  No, she did not dream of such things, as she could not fathom being with a man as heartless as he.

  Maria quickened her pace even more, as she did not wish to be spotted by the duke, and accused of sticking her nose where it did not belong. She approached the door of the quarters, opened it, and as she stepped inside, she saw one of the maids with whom she had formed a bond, Trisha, holding a large bundle of bedding.

  “Good morning, Trisha.”

  “Good morning, Maria. Good to see you,” Trisha greeted in return. “How was your leave?”

  “It was wonderful. Thank you,” Maria beamed. “Do you need help with that?”

  “No, thank you. You would not wish to have them on your hands,” Trisha scoffed.

  “And why is that?”

  “These are His Grace’s bedsheets. He requests them to be removed after he has a visitor,” Trisha answered.

  Maria cringed and shook her head in disgust. “It most certainly is good to be back,” she retorted with a sardonic tone and reached for her apron.

  ***

  The day went by at a steady speed, and Maria busied herself with her tasks for the day. There was plenty to do, as always.

  It was after dinnertime when the maids were seated in the quarters around a large wooden table, enjoying their own dinner. The staff was not allowed to eat the same food as the duke, but since the duke had dined alone that evening, the maids had secretly brought the leftover food to the quarters. Without the duke’s knowledge, of course. Loaves of bread were passed around the group and each maid tore off a piece.

  “Did you hear that Trudy is leaving?” one of the maids asked.

  “Why?”

  “Her mother is deathly ill and there is no one to care for her.”

  “That is tragic.”

  “Trudy is a hard worker, and she will be missed.”

  “Will they send for a replacement?”

  “I am not certain,” Trisha said and glanced at Maria. “Maria, you have a younger sister. Does she not wish to—”

  “No,” Maria answered firmly, before Trisha could even complete her sentence.

  There was a moment of awkward silence in the quarters, and the other maids seemed too afraid to utter a word.

  Maria lowered her gaze and said apologetically, “Pardon my tone, ladies. I did not mean to sound rude. My sister is still young and I prefer her to be at home with my father. Ever since our mother passe
d, my father has not been himself and with my sisters being at home, I know he will be taken care of.”

  Trisha nodded knowingly and held out what was left of the loaf of bread towards Maria.

  “Thank you,” Maria uttered gratefully.

  Maria felt guilty for snapping at Trisha in the way she had, but her reaction was entirely justified.

  She didn’t want her sisters to work the long hours she was currently working, and she wanted her father to be taken care of well. She listened to the maids talking and laughing for a while, before she excused herself. She stepped outside and made her way to the edge of the small courtyard. The moon shone brightly in the sky and a sudden calmness washed over Maria.

  The estate was as much her home as it was the duke’s, although she wasn’t privileged enough to say those words aloud.

  She inhaled slowly through her nose, allowing the cool air to fill her lungs, and as she turned her head to the side, she noticed the silhouette of the duke from his study window. Maria froze for a moment, afraid that she would be reprimanded for being out of bounds, which technically she was not, but the duke did not move at all. She wondered whether he recognized her, or noticed her at all, and as she took a few steps back, she realized that he was looking directly at her, his gaze following her as she moved. She lowered her head, as maids were not allowed to glance directly at the duke, and hurried back inside the quarters.

  Chapter Two

  April 1817

  Beltham Hall

  Westhampshire

  England

  The sun peered over the horizon, but the duke had been awake for a while now. He was seated comfortably in his leather chair, gazing out the study window. His eyes rested on the same spot he had seen the maid earlier, but now it was merely vacant space. When he had seen her standing in the moonlight, a strange feeling had stirred up inside him, and the sight of her had intrigued him. He had never noticed her before, but perhaps he had not paid any attention. She was a maid after all, and there was no possible way that he would fraternize with those in a lower class, but there was something about her, standing in the moonlight, which caught his attention.