《The Devil is The Duke》


 CHAPTER 1 — A STRANGE OFFER

    Emeera woke up that morning with an excitement she had not felt in weeks because for the first time, the service agency that recruited her finally had a job for her. Emeera¡¯s t mate, Nancy, was at the dining table, already awake and writing the article she had started the night before.


    ¡°Good morning, Emeera,¡± Nancy said with the softest voice. Emeera always thought Nancy¡¯s voice sounded like soft rain.


    ¡°Good morning Nancy,¡± Emeera answered as she walked into the kitchen. She poured their favourite Arabian tea into two cups and took one to Nancy who was still in her nightdress. Nancy removed her sses and slowly wiped her eyes as though to get rid of her fatigue.


    ¡°Thanks my darling,¡± she cooed. It reminded Emeera strongly of an older aunt. Nancy growing up around a lot of grown-ups made her exhibit their mannerisms.


    ¡°I asked what you are doing today,¡± Emeera asked again as she sat at the table.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°Babe!¡± Nancy drew out the word as she wore her sses again. ¡°I was invited for the bookunch in honour of His Grace, Alfred, our Duke of Savoy duchy.  My family is going but I¡¯m not interested in all these old people¡¯s gatherings and boring biographies¡­¡±


    ¡°But Nancy you muste. I was just called by my agencyst night to wait tables there as one of the girls they had arranged has the flu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great news. Congrattions Emee. I told you they¡¯ll call one day. I wish I coulde with you but unfortunately or fortunately, I have better things to do than watch these so called nobles coo over a book some ghostwriter wrote for the duke.¡±


    ¡°Are these things really boring?¡± Emeera asked.


    ¡°Last time I attended a Duke¡¯s function, it took all day and went into the night. Boring speeches and old titled men trying to lobby favours. But my cousin said thest time was different. You know this  Duke is young and modern. He schooled in the US.¡± Nancy knew all about that world.


    ¡°Oh wow. Nancy please you have toe with me,¡± Emeera begged till Nancy agreed.


    At the party, Nancy went to greet some family friends while Emeera arranged sets of champagne flutes in her tray to serve arriving guests at the door. Just as a woman in a green dress picked one, Nancy went over to Emeera and took a ss. ¡°Babe how¡¯s it going?¡± She asked after taking a sip. Before Emeera could answer, another couple entered. A tall woman in a silver beaded dress and her date in blue velvet tuxedo. They were talking passionately about something. Emeera recognized the woman as Kate ¨C a movie star, hence,  decided to be extra polite. As the couple came close to the girls, Emeera excitedly greeted the woman but as Kate turned to answer, she missed her footing and smashed facedown, tumbling Emeera¡¯s tray with the sses. The wrecking of the sses brought the hall to a silent halt. Many people rushed to the scene, from the head usher to the cleaner with a mop. Kate struggled to her feet with the assistance of her date. As she straightened, her dress which was pressed by one of her stilettos, tore loudly and Kate gasped. She turned to Emeera who was already ruining her mascara with tears.


    ¡°You fool! You little fool. You deserve to be fired! You did that on purpose,¡± Kate fumed. Nancy wanted to ask what exactly Emeera did as all she did wrong was greet Kate but she knew that outburst would only make Emeera¡¯s position worse.


    ¡°No, I did not,¡± Emeera answered, but the head waitress apologized to Kate who went away rapping words in Italian. The head waitress dragged Emeera to the waitresses¡¯ room, berating her all the way.


    ¡°How could you be so careless Emeera? You should have told the agency you were butterfingered in your application letter.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Emeera¡¯s eyes were down. A tear started pushing against her eyshes. ¡°I am very sorry.¡± The worst part was knowing she did nothing wrong yet her job was jeopardized.


    ¡°This is the Duke¡¯s party. And thatdy you embarrassed is not just anyone but the Hollywood star: Kate De Luca.  I¡¯m sorry but apologies cannot fix this one. You have done enough damage for one night. You have to remove your uniform and leave quietly,¡± the older woman said, her grey eyes ice-cold.


    Emeera slowly unzipped her dress, praying every second that the head waitress would see her trembling lips and forgive her. But the woman¡¯s eyes were set. The dress fell to the floor, leaving her in just her brassiere and panties. The head waitress looked away. Emeera tried herst attempt. ¡°It was not my fault I swear.¡±


    ¡°Everyone wants to see that our agency did something. If nobody is punished for a Tarantino custom dress getting ruined, we will suffer for it. So you may not be at fault but you can no longer work for us.¡±


    ¡°But you can work for me,¡± a man said. Emeera turned sharply to see nobody else but the Duke of Savoy. Her skin burned where he looked at her. She dived for her uniform and pulled it over her body. The older woman scampered in front to shield Emeera¡¯s body from the Duke¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Your Grace, we¡­ we¡­ were not expecting you,¡± she stuttered, her former self-assuredness was gone.


    ¡°I know. But it is my party. I made some enquiries from people who actually witnessed the infamous fall. Turns out that Ms. De Luca¡¯s ident was not caused in anyway by this waitress. I can understand you sacking her as people can be very feebleminded. Fortunately, I am not one of those, and since I desperately need a capable house manager¡­,¡± he let his voice trail off with his eyes twinkling. He took out a card from his breast pocket and dropped on the table. ¡°Call me,¡±  he said and left.


    All the way back to her t, Emeera was in a daze. Nothing that happened that night made sense to her. But she could not wait to tell Nancy.


    Nancy came back the next morning and the moment she had her tea, Emeera gave her the gist. Her eyes popped as Emeera talked about the Duke offering her a job.


    ¡°Can you even believe it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m amazed. I mean, I gave him an eyewitness ount of what happened. But still, he offered a job? I¡¯m surprised.¡±


    ¡°And he saw me naked,¡± Emeera said. Nancy¡¯s teacup fell on the rug.


    ¡°Oh now I understand. He is a libertine. Through and through. Trust me, you don¡¯t want to be involved with the Duke. He has slept with all your high society women from duchesses to actresses to the rest of them. Trust me, if he gave you a job because he saw you naked, it only means one thing: he will sleep with you and when he tires of you, he will relieve you of the job. No exnations.¡±


    After that conversation, Emeera weighed her options. She needed a job fast. Nancy was a great friend who kindly amodated her but since Emeera got her certifications in hospitality, she was yet to earn money from them. After her trainings, she had applied to many ces but never received a positive response. Managing a Duke¡¯s estate was an experience any of her old ssmates would kill to have. Especially Dorothy. Dorothy with the bad attitude that was covered by fake niceness. She could see the envy in Dorothy¡¯s face if she heard Emeera was managing the estate. The next day, after Nancy had gone to work, Emeera dialed the number. It was one of the few times she enjoyed the luxury of living with a girl who had a telephone at home.


    ¡°Hello, you have reached the Duke of Savoy¡¯s residence¡­¡± a voice said. Emeera knew then a new chapter in her life had begun.

 CHAPTER 2 — THE DOOR BETWEEN

    Nancy drove up to the imposing manor and packed in front. She turned off the engine and turned to Emeera. ¡°Emeera I know you are in desperate need of a job but are you sure you want this particr job? It¡¯s not toote to turn back and run.¡± The girlsughed.


    ¡°I am sure I want this job. But thanks for the advice.¡±


    ¡°If you run now I promise not to judge and nobody will know.¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I want to work, Nancy. I am certain I have to start here,¡± Emeera said and hugged her friend. ¡°See you at home. I¡¯lle back with stories every night and I will be fine,¡± Emeera said. Nancy shrugged like she did not believe a word of that.


    Once Emeera stepped in, she was led to the ground floor dining hall. Everyone sat around the dining table ¨C Alfred, the Duke of Savoy, Emeera and Mr. George, the Duke¡¯s attorney. She was passed her contract of employment to sign. Emeera¡¯s hands shook a bit as she signed, but she was done before anyone noticed. After signing, thewyer shook hands with them and withdraw.


    ¡°Ms. Charles, I formally wee you to my home.¡± He extended his hand and Emeera shook it. His grip was tight. Then slowly, he released her hand. She kept her eyes steady on his brown eyes. ¡°My long time head maid, Mrs. Fletcher will show you¡­¡±  as if she knew she was being summoned, Mrs. Fletcher, a thin woman with grey hair, entered the room and stood at the other end of the massive table. She gave a little curtsy to Alfred and threw a thin smile in Emeera¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Mrs. Fletcher, this is Ms. Emeera Charles, our new manor manager. She is in charge of the staff and contractors,¡± The Duke said.  ¡°Ms. Charles, meet the efficient Mrs. Fletcher who has dexterously manned the Savoy Manor since my father¡¯s time,¡± the Duke dered.


    ¡°You tter me your grace,¡± Mrs. Fletcher said with another little curtsey; she was obviously happy with thepliments. Emeera could swear she saw a tinge of pink on the wrinkled cheeks.


    ¡°So please show her to her rooms and guide her till she has familiarized herself at least with all that is needed to run this ce.¡±


    ¡°I shall do that, your grace,¡± she responded. It was all still strange to Emeera who was not used to being in constant close proximity with the gentry. She could not imagine calling this man your Grace and curtseying at every point she ran into him. With her ancestors from the middle East, she was still a stranger to the European culture of the gentry. But everyone in the duchy of Savoy made it look so natural. Plus, the duke had an awe-inspiring physique; tall and muscr, his bearingmanded respect. Emeera thought if respect was all he would want from her, she would dly give that to him. She shuddered to think of him demanding more.


    Mrs. Fletcher took her up to the second floor, talking as she went. ¡°All the servants sleep on the ground floor. But you are the house manager so you get to sleep up here with the family. But it was not always so, when the Duke¡¯s father was alive,  the house manager had to sleep in a room on the ground floor with the other servants. His Grace thought it better to have the house manager up here in order to have him at his beck and call at all times and for other kinds of emergency.¡±


    ¡°Was thest manor manager a man?¡±


    ¡°They have always been. You are the first female manager in the Savoy Manor.¡±


    ¡°So What happened? where did thest one go?¡±


    ¡°I cannot say. But this I can say, if you want tost here, you have to learn to mind your business.¡±


    They arrived at a door which Mrs. Fletcher opened with a beautiful key. Together, they entered the room and Emeera gasped. The room was not a room at all but a suite with the fanciest bedroom Emeera had ever seen. Everything was pure luxury. The bed wasid with shiny white silk, the curtains were made of white linens. The whole room was immacte white like nobody had been there before. Surely this was a mistake, Emeera thought. Or maybe they were here to do something before going to her room. She could not bring herself to think, she could not dare hope that this suite that overlooked a beautiful pond and gardens could be her room. Surely, this was not where any house manager slept in. Not that majestic looking bed and the soft, white, Arabian rug.


    ¡°Mrs. Fletcher, what about my room?¡± Emeera asked in a tiny voice she did not recognize as hers.


    ¡°This is the room,¡± Mrs. Fletcher said as she rearranged throw pillows that looked perfectly arranged to Emeera. Even the couch that held all the throw pillows was white.


    ¡°But this looks like¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Is this the room the previous housekeeper slept in?¡± Mrs. Fletcher turned.


    ¡°Ms. Charles I think it is imperative that I warn you again to mind your business if you want to meet a good end in this house,¡± she said sharply. But softened immediately after saying that. ¡°If you must know, thest manager did not sleep here. He slept on this floor, but the room is the first after the staircase. This used to be the Duke¡¯s wife¡¯s room.¡±


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Emeera asked before she could stop herself.


    ¡°She died. Nobody used it for many years. One day, His Grace opened the doors and said the room must be upied to preserve it. Since then, we have cleaned it everyday andid a new bedsheet every other day.¡±


    ¡°Then why give it to me? When he remarries-¡±


    Mrs. Fletcher scoffed. ¡°Marry? His Grace has sworn off matrimony. The grief from losing his wife took his mind. Anyway, it is done now. The mistress suite is finally open to the public.¡± She looked at Emeera like she was unfit to even stand in the room. ¡°I shall be down overseeing dinner. Send for me if you need anything.¡± She swept out of the room, leaving Emeera there.


    Emeera did not know how long she stood by the window watching birds by the pond. She thought of home far away in the deserts; home that looked like another world ago. Thest time she saw those Middle Eastern sand dunes, she was a child and her mother had just died. She could not remember much, not even her mother¡¯s face. She snapped out of the depressing thoughts and focused her eyes on the birds. She needed to return to Nancy. This strange house did not feel like home. And she had no clothes as she had assumed she was going to be a day worker.


    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± a voice asked, causing Emeera to jump. But it was only the Duke.


    ¡°Your Grace. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t hear youe in.¡± she curtseyed and kept her face down to hide her tears.


    ¡°Do you like the room?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course my Lord. Sorry, your Grace. I like it very much.¡±


    He looked around and walked to the balcony with Emeera following closely behind him. ¡°Mrs. Fletcher must have told you this once belonged to the Lady of Savoy,¡± he said. His eyes shut tightly for a second like he wanted to hide his pain.


    ¡°She did.¡±


    They were back in the room. Emeera closed the sliding ss doors that led to the balcony. Alfred walked to the head of the bed. ¡°I wanted you to know who this room belonged to, so this door wouldn¡¯t seem strange to you.¡± He tapped on the ss wall and pushed it. To her surprise, what she thought was an opaque ss wall was actually a door. The door glided open to reveal arge master bedroom. His room and her room was divided by a ss door. The master bedroom was a sharp contrast to her feminine room. Everything there was ck and gold and masculine. Even the fragrance smelled like a jungle. The room was dark with heavy ck and gold curtains covering every window while her own room was the sunniest room in the house. In her room, the floor to ceiling ss windows were barely covered. Her room looked like it would allow even the moonlight in at night. She could imagine the silver moonlight on all the white in her room. Suddenly she felt so exposed. It was obvious the upant of the master bedroom preferred the night and dark.


    Then a thought struck. Nancy had told her the man was a yboy, and now he wanted her in a room that was separated from his own by only a ss. The entire household must be agog with stories.


    ¡°Your Grace, how many of your servants know of this door?¡±


    ¡°None. I had it fixed by a discreetpany during the my first general renovations. The servants were all gone the week we did it. It was some months before my wedding,¡± he said.


    ¡°Mrs. Fletcher doesn¡¯t know?¡± Emeera asked.


    ¡°Nobody knows. Your chastity will not be questioned on my ount, dear Ms. Charles,¡± he said as he sauntered into the room. Emeera felt blood rush to her face.


    ¡°I have a request, your Grace. May I continue to live at home while working here?¡±


    ¡°No, you may not. I have a manor that needs round the clock attention. If I need your services at midnight, I expect you to make yourself -body, mind and soul, avable to me¡­¡± thest statement caused a reaction in Emeera that the Duke caught. ¡°And why do you look horrified? Trust me Ms. Charles, if I meant that kind of service, you would be thest woman on my mind. I hired you because you are not my type,¡± he said and closed the ss door from his room, leaving Emeera staring at her reflection in the ss, too stunned to speak.

 Chapter 3 — HIS RIGHT-HAND WOMAN

    Emeera finally slept after midnight, having spent the previous hours tossing in bed, wondering how she would cope with the man that was just a ss door away. Around six o¡¯clock the next morning, a knock on her door woke up. It was Mrs. Fletcher with a long menu. ¡°Good morning Ms. Charles.¡±


    ¡°Please just call me Emeera,¡± Emeera said and sat up.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Very well then. Good morning Emeera. I am here for the week¡¯s menu.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m to decide this when you are the head maid.¡±


    ¡°You run the manor now. Everything has to meet your approval as you represent his Grace.¡±


    ¡°How do I speak for a man I barely know? You have known this man his whole life, yet I¡¯m expected to speak to you on his behalf? Definitely, you are better than me in this.¡±


    Mrs. Fletcher smiled for the first time. ¡°I could help you if you wish.¡±


    ¡°By all means, please,¡± Emeera answered as she covered herself more properly in her night dress.


    ¡°First, his Grace is allergic to shellfish and dairy. So nobody eats shellfish in the manor,¡± Mrs. Fletcher said while making herselffortable in the couch. It seems the plea for help made her think she was allowed a seat.


    ¡°Why does his own dietary restrictions have to affect everyone else?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because he is Alfred, the Duke of Savoy and master of the manor. Actually, dairy products can be eaten by anyone as long as his Grace does not taste it. I shall leave this with you so you approve the menu Ms. Charles.¡±


    ¡°Please just call me Emeera.¡±


    ¡°Alright Emeera. I¡¯lle back for the menu and the shopping money. Isabel, the new maid will do the shopping this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Money? Which money?¡±


    ¡°As the manor manager, his Grace keeps you in charge of everything including financial administration. You get money from the ountant every week and keep a record of funds disbursement. You are even in charge of payrolls. You have to set up a meeting with his Grace¡¯s ountant. All the phone numbers you need are on your dresser. I thought you saw that. Also, you have a private briefing with the Duke every other day. Your first is this morning. The next one is for Thursday, if he is home.  Briefing is usually in the evening but he is traveling this evening so you have to meet him in some minutes.¡± Mrs. Fletcher was speaking too fast that Emeera could not keep up but she knew she had to meet the Duke in his home office in twenty minutes. The moment Mrs. Fletcher went out, Emeera ran to shower. She had called Nancy previous night and asked her to bring suitcases of Emeera¡¯s clothes but Nancy was yet to arrive. Emeera covered her hair with one of the white towels embroidered A. D. S. As she went into the bedroom, there was a soft knock on the door. Her heart racing as thoughts of the Duke shed through, she opened to find a beautiful girl in a maid¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Lucille, your chambermaid,¡± the girl said.


    ¡°My room is cleaned already,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°Yes I did that before you moved in. I¡¯m here to remove the towels if that is alright by you.¡± Emeera said it was and stood aside for the girl to pass. She still marveled at how they treated her like thedy of the manor. Lucille worked swiftly and in minutes she was gone. Emeera went to the dresser and found a hairbrush. Same initials were on the white brushes. She guessed it meant Alfred, Duke of Savoy.


    After her quick hair brushing, she took the map of the property and found her way to the Duke¡¯s office on the first floor. Two knocks and the butler opened.


    ¡°Good morning ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Good morning Luis. I am here to see his Grace.¡±


    ¡°Come this way please,¡± Luis said and took her through an anteroom with beautiful couches and elegant wallpaper. The couches and armchairs were all different shades of purple and lc. The cream floor matched the wallpaper. The butler knocked on a wooden door on the right and entered before ushering Emeera in. She entered to see the Duke seated, scribbling a letter at his desk. Without looking up, he murmured in response to her greetings and waved her to a seat. She looked around the room. The chandelier looked like it could pay her five years rent.  Like his bedroom, the office was kept dark. The only source of light being the tablemp and anothermp in a corner. There were two bookshelves that disyed some of her favourite authors¡¯ works.  She quietly went up to the shelves and opened a copy of Pride and Prejudice. She was at the first page, only to hear the duke read ¡°It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.¡± Emeera turned around, surprised. This was the third time the man had crept up on her. Was she deaf or was he just very quiet? She wondered as she shut the book and returned it to its position.


    ¡°The best part of that line was how some people of Jane Austen¡¯s time did not even realize she was being sarcastic.¡±


    ¡°You speak sarcastically too. I daresay you don¡¯t believe in marriage or is it remarriage?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say I have no intention of getting a wife,¡± he said and went back to his seat at the desk. Emeera sat in hers. His wife¡¯s death must have really traumatized him, she thought. It felt ufortable that she got to sleep in the woman¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°When you pass, who inherits this estate?¡± she asked after a moment of silence.


    ¡°I have a younger brother,¡± he said as he signed a document. Then he turned to her. ¡°You know you must see me every other day, right? I am travelling today but once I get back, we will be having these regr meetings.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    ¡°You can leave as there¡¯s nothing to discuss yet. The ountant is surely waiting for you in the dining. Ask him to give you some money for your personal shopping too. I don¡¯t want my manager to make a habit of repeating worn clothes,¡± he said. Under her breath, Emeera cursed Nancy for not bringing her clothes on time which had caused her to wear the same thing.


    The ountant, Mr. Phillip was a jolly fellow in his fifties. He showed her the books and how the budgets were made. Seeing that much money made her feel dizzy. The weekly cost of running the manor was shocking. The meeting was shorter than she had anticipated. The ountant was done within thirty minutes and left her with a chequebook for the estate.


    After her meeting with the ountant, Emeera decided to see the gardens, to take it all in. The greenhouse was filled with exotic flowers that only an expert gardener could manage. She made a mental note to ask for fresh flowers to be sent regrly to the home office and Master bedroom. Those two ces looked like they could do with some vibrant flowers. Shortly after she left the greenhouse, Nancy arrived with the suitcases. Two footmen took the suitcases to Emeera¡¯s rooms while Nancy waited in the car. After everything was kept in ce, Emeera and Nancy went shopping. All through the drive, Nancy kept asking questions. ¡°Are you saying the duke gave you all that money just to look good?¡±


    ¡°He did not give me money directly,¡± Emeera responded.


    ¡°Approved the funds. Give you money. They are the same thing. He gave you money. Emeera are you sure this is good?¡± they had driven up to the Manor¡¯srge gate and Nancy honked. The gatekeeper opened it and they drove out. ¡°I thought you would be spending nights at home but now that is off the table. You will be with this man at all times. Even if you are not in his room, you will be under his roof. My onlyfort, which is not enough, is that he won¡¯t go all the way down to a worker¡¯s room. He is a proud man and that can cause a scandal. Your rooms are on different floors, right?¡±


    ¡°Nancy, can we stop? The man is not attracted to me in anyway and has said so himself. Please let¡¯s stop bringing him up so I can focus on my job.¡±


    ¡°What? He said he¡¯s not attracted to you? That¡¯s a lie! Someone who has dated all of Savoy is not interested in you? Has he seen you?¡±


    ¡°All of Savoy are beautiful white women while I¡¯m -¡±


    ¡°An intoxicating Arabian magic. You are a ravishing beauty. I mean, I wish I had your olive skin andrge eyes. I tan to be your shade but tan doesn¡¯t even make me look like you.¡±


    ¡°A Nancy. You are beautiful. But I just feel no matter how long I live in Europe, I will always be the outsider. Just looking at the shade of my skin and my eyes and everyone just move away.¡±


    ¡°I did not move away. Nobody did. Your ex is still begging for your love. The Duke did not move away. About being an outsider, aren¡¯t we all? Being with you is the first time I feel like I have family yet I have family right here in Savoy. Emeera you are gorgeous! I think that¡¯s why that Kate De Luca was so upset. She felt intimidated by your beauty because even after wearing  Alexander Vitali and professional makeup, you, in a waitress¡¯ uniform still looked better.¡±


    ¡°Oh please stop. I¡¯m ttered though,¡± Emeera admitted. Nancy smiled and parked her car. The girls went into the store the ountant had instructed her to go and shopped for an hour. Nancy loved shopping but Emeera did not see the point, she just sat watching Nancy select the clothes for her.


    ¡°You want to keep it elegant and chic but not sexy seeing you are living with hmmm,¡± Nancy said to Emeera¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°Nancy you need to pick something more casual. These are daily home wears, you know.¡±


    ¡°You are the most important domestic worker of our duke! You cannot receive guests looking like a peasant,¡± Nancy said.


    After their shopping, Emeera went back to the Manor. It was just 3p. m. but the kitchen staff had already started dinner. Mrs. Fletcher took her into therge kitchen to introduce her to the staff. The staffprised of very tired looking women and a few men. If there were any young girls, the stress made them look years older. Emeera had to taste all they cooked. As she was yet to create a menu, they had cooked ording to Mrs.  Fletcher¡¯s instructions. Dinner was roastmb and vegetables. After tasting and approving the meal, Emeera went upstairs to prepare the monthly menu. She sat at the coffee table in her bedroom for an hour working on the menu. For the first time in her life, she had to think of what arge household would eat for a full month and realized how that could be such a chore. When she was done with it, she handed it to Mrs. Fletcher, who took it to the kitchen without even looking at it.


    Her dinner was served in the bedroom as usual and Emeera ate slowly, thinking of the task thaty ahead. She still had to meet with the gardeners who told her they needed money to buy a new kind of fertilizer for the garden. The job was not as easy as Nancy had predicted. After her meal, Emeera went down to meet with the gardeners and they drew a three month budget they would work with. After the meeting, she had a long bath and retired to thefort of her soft bed.

 CHAPTER 4 — A SCANDAL TO COVER

    It was the day of the Duke¡¯s return so the manor was buzzing with activities. Nobody dared put a foot out of line. Emeera was called in several directions to oversee the work done. The Duke got in that evening with a little girl in tow. He looked quite unhappy as though he had been saddled with an unpleasant task. After his bath, he sent his butler for Emeera.


    ¡°Is he in his office?¡± she asked the butler as they hurried away from the kitchen.


    ¡°No. He said you should meet him in his room,¡± the butler, Luis, answered and turned away to run other errands for the duke. Emeera was left alone to meet Alfred who was already in a foul mood. First, she stepped into her room and quickly brushed her hair, then she knocked on the ss door that divided the rooms and the duke opened it gently.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±  he demanded.


    ¡°Luis told me you wanted to see me, sir,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°And you thought it wise to try to enter my bedroom through this door? What kind of guts do you possess? Are you my wife?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry your grace. But you showed me this door¡­.¡±


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you to discover it one day as a surprise. I only informed you this exist. If you want to see me in my room, you knock on the outside door like every other worker. The fact that I let you sleep in this room does not mean you can barge in on me at anytime. Emeera, I am your boss,¡± he said. Emeera experienced mixed feelings at this. She liked the fact that the man considered her as just an employee. That dispelled everything Nancy had said about him wanting her for sex. But being talked to like that did not make her feel good. She swallowed.


    ¡°I understand that, your grace. It will not happen again,¡± she said. His face softened as though he knew he was being too harsh on the young woman.


    ¡°You can go. What I want to say can wait till after dinner,¡± he murmured.  Emeera withdrew.


    Few minutester, the Duke knocked on her bedroom door and Emeera opened. ¡°You have to n a ball. I have not thrown one since I lost my wife.¡± He grimaced like it was painful to think of. ¡°But now I have a proper woman to y hostess. Mrs. Fletcher will assist you in this task and if you need any more assistance-¡±


    ¡°Can I hire a consultant?¡± Emeera said, thinking of Nancy. The Duke shrugged.


    ¡°If that helps, of course. Just let the ountant know how much you will need. Oh. And make it a masquerade ball. Also get yourself a costume as you will be attending too,¡± he said and stepped out of the room. Emeera wondered why he did not seem it fit to mention the child he had brought home. He had handed the child to Mrs. Fletcher who took her away.


    Emeera usually had her dinner in her bedroom same time the Duke had dinner in the dining room, waited upon by the butler. Mrs. Fletcher had mentioned that most times, he had guests over for dinner but other times, he ate alone. This was one of those days. That evening, after dinner, she went to the servants¡¯ dining room to inform them they had a ball to n. It was also a chance to familiarize herself with the domestic staff. It had urred to her that the only maids she knew were Mrs. Fletcher, Lucille the chambermaid and Isabel. She met all the servants eating dinner downstairs. As she entered the room, everyone fell silent. Mrs. Fletcher got up and went to her. Emeera was surprised to see she ate with the other servants. It meant that apart from the butler, she was the only employee who had her meals served separately. She nced at the faces that all stared back at her. Isabel was not in the room. Lucille too.


    ¡°Emeera, do you want anything? Did his grace send you down here?¡± Mrs. Fletcher spoke in a whisper. Emeera shook her head but took the olderdy out of the room. As they left, everyone began to talk again.


    ¡°We have a ball to n. It ising up in six weeks-¡±


    ¡°Six weeks?! We need like six months.¡±


    ¡°We do not have six months. His Grace wants it done quickly and gotten over with,¡± Emeera said and Mrs. Fletcher nodded. Emeera wanted to ask after the strange child but decided to take Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s advice and mind her business.


    ¡°Do you need any maid to work with specially on this?¡± Mrs. Fletcher asked.


    ¡°Yes I think so. Now that you have mentioned it, I think I need Isabel.¡±


    ¡°She is new. Why not go for Lucille, the chambermaid?¡± Mrs. Fletcher asked. Emeera immediately agreed. Lucille was always in her room anyway. After that conversation, Emeera decided on getting some fresh air and went into the garden. As she walked into the orchard, she heard rustling and stopped, scared. The fruity fragrance from the cashew blossoms no longer appealed to her. She just wanted to go back to the warmth and safety of the house. But the voices she heard next assured her there was nothing to fear.


    ¡°Isabel you must listen to me. My affections for you remain unchanged,¡± a gruff voice said.  Emeera knew she had heard that voice before. She needed to clear the mental cobwebs to remember where she recognized the voice from. There were so many things to think at once. First, it felt bad to listen in on such an intimate moment even when she argued she was not eavesdropping on purpose. Then Isabel was fairly new. How a man could make such derations of affections to someone he probably knew in a short while surprised Emeera. She heard Isabel crying. The gruff voiceforted her. Instantly, the cobwebs cleared and she recognized the voice as Luis the butler. Sneaking away, she vowed to keep what she had just witnessed to herself. As she walked back towards the house, she saw someone else scurrying away in the cover of the darkness. It was Lucille the chambermaid. The Duke¡¯s household was indeed interesting.


    After her evening bath, Emeera sent for Lucille. It had been established that apart from her duties, Lucille was Emeera¡¯s personal go-to maid.  Lucille entered the suite with lowered eyes that confirmed she was the one from the scene at the orchard. Emeera sat in bed, her back propped against the pillows, watching Lucille¡¯s difort.


    ¡°You sent for me, ma,¡± Lucille finally mumbled after an awkward silence.


    ¡°I saw you, you know? But that¡¯s not why I called you. I just wanted to get that out before we look into the business of the night.¡±


    ¡°What business?¡±  Lucille casted a fleeting gaze before turning back to study her fingers.


    ¡°First, the ball. We have a ball to n and being that you¡¯ve been here since the days of thest Lady Albert, I know you can teach me a lot of things. Please sit.¡± Lucille shifted some pillows and fell into  the couch. Emeera got out of bed and went to the dresser. ¡°How long has Isabel been here?¡±


    ¡°About eight months.¡± Emeera was surprised that after eight months, Isabel was still considered as the new maid. It only meant it could take years before they ept Emeera as one of them.


    ¡°And how long have you known about them?¡±


    ¡°I think six months. I¡¯m not so sure.¡±


    ¡°I find that hard to believe seeing how you keep up with them. I noticed you were not even present for dinner today,¡± Emeera looked at the girl. She guessed Lucille was twenty-two years old if not less, yet she was already wise in the ways of the world. While Emeera at twenty-eight was quite naive.


    ¡°No please I don¡¯t keep up with them. I went today because Isabel is ¡­. emm.. ¡±


    ¡°Isabel is what?¡± Emeera asked. Lucille wanted to disengage from the conversation but one look at her manager and she knew she could not fool around.


    ¡°Pregnant. Isabel is pregnant for Luis, the butler.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    The revtion drove away all thoughts of the ball. The scandal blowing up would cast a shadow, not just on the ball, but the Duke and his household. Emeera knew she had to do something straight away but did not know what to do. Her new job was proving to be such a handful. She did not know if she should act on her own discretion or report to the Duke to handle it. Lucille told her thest time a maid brought disgrace to the family, she was sacked by the manor manager but, the circumstances had been different. That was between a maid and an unknown butcher. But this was the duke¡¯s butler- his highest ranking domestic worker; second to none but Emeera. And even though Emeera was the overall manager, Luis¡¯ role in the duke¡¯s life was so high and so unique that Emeera never had to tell him what to do. Luis was more than an employee. He was on a somewhat personal level with the Duke. There was no way the Duke  expected her to sack his butler. She had to report. Despite her constant eavesdropping, Lucille did not even know how far along the pregnancy was.  Emeera finally decided to let sleeping dogs lie. After all pregnancy could not be such a scandal in the twentieth century; not when they had seen the inventions of cars and telephones. Uneasily, she finally fell asleep.

 Who Stroke My Fire?

    Emeera woke up at midnight, her thoughts raging about the butler¡¯s situation. No hospitality course had prepared her for an unwanted pregnancy situation. The night was unusually chilly which made her curl up to sleep. Her thoughts were so troubled she waved in and out of consciousness that at dawn it seemed she had dreamt the whole thing. That maybe it was all a dream and the butler had not been with the maid. Maybe the conversation with Lucille were figments of her overstressed mind. The morning house was asleep but she wanted to use the bathroom so badly. The air was no longer as chilly as it had been at midnight. As this thought shed through she sat up. The room was warm because the firece was lit and as she watched fire lick the dry woods she wondered who had set the fire for her. The woods had been there since the day she moved in but she was certain there was no fire the night before. She was perplexed at the sight of the ming logs as her bedroom door had been locked from the inside. Only one possible exnation remained but instead of pleasing her it made her fume. How dare he? She thought. How dare he enter her bedroom at night after he reprimanded her for overstepping her boundary? It did not matter how chivalrous his intentions were. The fact remained unchanged ¨C the duke had overstepped his boundary. She could feel her blood boil and her head pound. Jumping out of bed, she quickly wore her nightclothes with another embarrassing thought that the duke had seen her in that state of undress. It made her worse. That was the second time the man had invaded her privacy but it was definitely going to be hisst.  She marched to the ss barricade and flounced into the master bedroom, her hands akimbo and breathing fire through her nose.


    Alfred stood in the middle of the room before a giant mirror. Her crashed entry did not leave him time to cover so she found him there, with nothing on. Emeera could not have reacted worse had she been stunned by magic. Albert was clearly not embarrassed neither did he make any effort to dive somewhere for the decency of his clothes. The man slowly turned, like he was incapable of grasping the bizarreness of the situation. Emeera tried to scamper out of room but his drawl stopped her at the ss door. ¡°I am sure you did note crashing in here for nothing, Emeera. Why not skip the show of modesty and state your purpose?¡± His voice contained silentughter. But Emeera was astounded. He could not possibly expect her to say it like that. But when she turned, he had worn a lose robe. The initial blow was gone but the full difort remained.


    ¡°Emeera what do you want?¡± The duke asked. Emeera swallowed, with eyes blinking rapidly, she tried to speak, knowing that her litted firece was unimportantpared to how she barged into his room.


    ¡°I.. I am sorry. Uhmm. My firece¡­ Someone¡­¡± She coughed. The duke did not try to make it easier for her. He stood there like a statue, hand in his pockets whole she struggled with saying simple words. All she could think of was the body beneath the robe. The chiseled torso, the strong thighs and well shaped¡­.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°Honey who is this?¡± A voice asked and Emeera was dragged out of her trance. It was Kate De fucking Luca! The superstar sashayed to the middle of the room stark naked Except for the towel she tied around her head. Her wet hair tendrils curled around her ears. The woman was gorgeous with or without clothes and she had evidently spent the night, keeping the dukepany in his warm bed. Emeera¡¯s cheeks burned with embarrassment. How stupid of her to think the duke had given any thought to her during his night of passion. She could not visualize any reasonable man leaving De Luca¡¯s bed to tend to a servant¡¯s firece. It was quite absurd to even think it. Kate De Luca whose dress she had inadvertently ruined the night they met, the night the duke offered her the job. She thought unpleasantly of how terrible things happened to her whenever De Luca showed up. Maybe this time she would lose her job for good. Fortunately the ss door was closed so Kate never guessed there was a door there or Emeera had entered through that.


    ¡°Kate, this is my estate manager, Emeera. She oversees the manor and all my other houses.¡± As he talked, Kate poured champagne from a half-empty bottle into a champagne flute. It was 6a. m but Kate had no intention of letting that leftover champagne from the steamy night go to waste.


    It was the first time Emeera was hearing she had to care for the Duke¡¯s other properties. It was the first time she knew he even had other houses but it made sense. He was a Duke. There was definitely a country house somewhere and maybe other houses too. It was Kate¡¯s turn to speak. Emeera held her breath. Thest time she had had an encounter with the celebrity, the woman had strongly suggested Emeera be fired without pay. She waited now for Kate to re up and ask her lover why on Earth he would hire the same girl who ruined her night. But Kate only looked at her for some seconds, then broke intoughter.


    ¡°I am so sorry you had to find me like this,¡± she said as she sipped champagne. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind.¡± She gave Emeera the empty flute like she was a maid and strode into the closet. It dawned on her that Kate had not even remembered her. Instead of relief, she felt insulted. Kate had called for her head on the stake but she did not remember her. She wondered how many lives sexy Kate had ruined by simply hissing ¡°fire her¡± then moved in like it meant nothing. It must bring her immense satisfaction to know she was powerful enough to could break a person just by speaking two words. Emeera nced at the Duke and left, with no knowledge of who lit her fire. She felt unreasonable anger at the duke. Kate De Luca was the most unsuitable woman for him.


    ¡°So who is?¡± Her heart sang. Nobody, she thought. Kate and Albert deserved each other, shey in bed till Lucille knocked to clean her bedroom.

 A Chivalrous Lover

    Emeera went into the study for the weekly meeting, prepared to nod to everything and then leave. After seeing him with De Luca, she did not want to be in his presence. She sat with mutinous thoughts. It was puzzling to her that he sent for her when he was busy. Why oh why, could he not send for her when he was ready to meet with her? Why did she have to wait, ying with her thumb while he busied himself with a damn letter. When he was done scribbling, he sealed the letter and looked up at her.


    ¡°I hope you know our little sessions are the most important part of your job.¡± She nodded without a word. She knew he would notice after three nods but she she did not care. ¡°So why do you have to wait for the butler to remind you of these conferences?¡± She had to show she was not mute but tried as she may, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Fortunately he did not wait for a response. ¡°Before I go into my briefing, I want to ask you if there is any development at all you think I should be made aware of concerning this estate and its staff.¡± Now he needed an answer. She shook her head slightly but knowing how that could be seen as rude, quickly kept a meek face to show she meant no disrespect. He lifted an eyebrow but did not say anything about her quirky behaviour. A little tug at the table Bell and Lois, the butler opened the door for a maid with tea. The maid set it down on the table and left. Emeera noticed there were two cups. Maybe the duke was expecting another naked guest, she thought. The butler closed the door behind him. The duke spoke as he poured his tea. ¡°Since there is nothing you would like to report, I have to ask if you need anything for the ball.¡±


    Again, Emeera shook her head.


    ¡°Damn it Emeera, why don¡¯t you speak?¡± He struck the table and some tea poured out of his cup. She rushed over to wipe it. The moment her hand touched the table he grabbed her arm and gazed into her eyes, searchingly. ¡°Have I done something?¡± He did not sound like an employer. He sounded like a lover who wanted to make amends.


    Emeera had a great deal to say but all she could blurt out was ¡°who lit my fire?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± He asked, befuddled.


    ¡°The fire in my room. Someone lit it while I was asleep,¡± she said.


    ¡°Who do you think?¡± He breathed.


    ¡°You? But your grace-¡±


    ¡°It was nothing, trust me. I had a fire and¡­ and someone yet I was so cold. Then I remembered you were also exposed to the cold and probably without a fire or heater so I did the natural thing.¡±


    She held his intense gaze. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. He slowly released her arm and cold blew wherever he left. His eyes were still fixed on hers.


    ¡°We need to go to the country house. You need to see what you will be working with.¡±


    ¡°But shouldn¡¯t you already have a staff there?¡±


    ¡°I do have a few maids and a housekeeper. But you¡¯re the manager now so you need to see the ce.¡± He rattled on her being manager in name as the housekeeper handled everything there.


    ¡°So when are we going?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Today,¡± he replied.


    ***


    Since it was a two hour drive, they started out at noon hoping to get to back to the town house before nightfall. By the time they pulled up at the gate of the country home, it began to rain without warning. The atmosphere darkened instantly and a storm started. The driver honked twice but nobody opened the gates. He took the umbre and ran through the wicket gate to unlock the main gate but the key was with the gatekeeper. The duke noticed Emeera was shivering uncontrobly.


    ¡°Emeera are you okay?¡± He asked. She nodded but her mouth was mped shut to reduce the chattering of her teeth. ¡°Do you feel well?¡± He asked and she nodded again but he was not convinced. He took off his trenchcoat and covered her with it. If not for her aversion to the rain, he would have taken her inside the estate himself. She looked positively unwell. But all he could do while they waited for the gatekeeper was to give her a pat on the back and pray they got into the house. Ten minutester and she was trembling like a leaf.


    ¡°Emeera look at me. Please look at me,¡± he pleaded. ¡°We¡¯ll get you inside and you will be warm, okay? I would have taken you in but there is no umbre and you will be drenched which will make your condition worse. We shall soon get in and will be warm.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her eyes searched his for answers to questions he did not know. It made him feel naked. Her lips quivered and all he could think of was pressing his own lips roughly against the softness of her lips.


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He looked out of the window to hide how badly he wanted to hold her close andfort her. It was inappropriate to even think it. She was his estate manager for God¡¯s sake. She was innocent and young. He knew he was going to be stuck with her overnight in that house because of the rain storm and he could not think of how he would avoid looking at her face all that time. He had never felt that amount of desire for the girl. Maybe he was just a man with issues who was attracted to girls in distress.


    They stayed in the car in silence. About twenty minutester, the driver returned with the gatekeeper. He drove into therge estate and managed to park right at the front door, then whipped out the umbre for them to huddle together into the house. But the Duke bent and carried Emeera in with the driver running after him with the umbre.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Dr. Stevenson’s observation

    His Grace ced Emeera in a seat near a fire and screamed for nkets. He was cursing in a manner Emeera had never witnessed but her head felt light so she missed most of the words. Someone forced rum into her mouth. Emeera remembered how Nancy had always teased her as the middle Eastern warm-blooded girl whenever she said cold made her sick. She knew it was another bout of pneumonia but she felt incapable of stopping it.


    His grace immediately sent for his doctor but while they waited, he knew what to do. In a minute, the maid was out with tea leaves, mint and eucalyptus oil. The oils were added to a bowl and bubbly boiling water poured into the mix. Albert stirred it and ced the bowl under her face. The maid covered a thick nket over Emeera, trapping inside with the steam. She inhaled the hot herbs for some minutes before the nket was removed. The maid added some dried mint and thyme to the fire while Albert held Emeera.


    ¡°Emeera, how are you feeling now?¡±


    She answered in such a small voice he could not hear her amidst the rainstorm. A tree branch chose that moment toe crashing down near one of the windows of the great Hall where Emeera sat. The rain was so heavy it seemed the doctor would not be able to make it before nightfall. The butler stood around helplessly as the Duke swung Emeera across his arms like a baby and trotted up the stairs. The butler had offered to carry her but the Duke said no. She believed he felt guilty for bringing her out to the country thought it was his responsibility to help her.


    A bright fire was already burning the bedroom which she suspected was the mistress room, and the whiff of aromatic herbs was present. The Duke gently ced her on a couch and gave her a change of clothes. She did not know if she was supposed to change while he stood there like a bodyguard but one look at him and he grudgingly withdrew. The kindly maid who had brought her the herbs earlier was in almost immediately. She had run a hot scented bath and Emeera just had to soak in for some minutes. The heat thawed her cold feet and in some minutes, she even felt hot. After the bath, the maid reappeared with thick clothes.


    ¡°Emeera, we have to get you into warm clothes,¡± she said. Emeera nodded. After she dressed, the maid stepped out of the room with the wet clothes, stopping only to talk to the duke at the door  before she left. The Duke re-entered the bedroom.


    ¡°Emeera I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t know you¡­¡± He stopped. For the first time since Emeera knew him, he was at a loss for words. The next thing he did was bend and lift her out of the chair, and took her to bed. He squatted beside her bed as shey. His look made her shiver but he mistook it for the cold and covered her with the duvet.


    ¡°You should get some rest,¡± he said, stroking her hair.


    ¡°I will. Thank you.¡±


    He nodded in silence, then handed her a small vial with liquid contents. ¡°Rub this on your chest and back. It will drive away the cold.¡± She nodded, took the vial and kept on her bedside drawer. He looked at her. ¡°Are you not going to use it?¡±


    ¡°Now? That you¡¯re here?¡± Herrge eyes were round and made her look scandalized.


    His lips moved like he was going to say something. But instead he said ¡°Do itter then. Good night,¡± and left.


    Doctor Stevenson arrived that night and was ushered into the bedroom. Emeera noted the duke kept a friendly disposition around the Stevenson and the other man simply called him Albert.


    ¡°Emeera can you hear me?¡± The doctor asked. She nodded weakly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to wake up. I just want you to be aware of my presence so you do not panic if you wake up. I will do some bodily examinations and give you some medication. Can you hear me?¡± He asked and she nodded. But it was thest thing she remembered as she was lulled back to sleep by the sound of rain.


    When Dr. Stevenson was done, he turned to the duke. ¡°She is not in danger.¡± That simple statement had Albert exhale in relief. Stevenson looked at him again. ¡°I thought you said she¡¯s the estate manager,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Of course she is,¡± the Duke said. Dr. Stevenson nodded in a knowing manner as he closed his box. The two men stepped out of the room.


    Stevenson turned to Albert. ¡°Your¡­ uhmm¡­ estate manager needs at least forty-eight hours of rest and she will be fine.¡± The Duke chuckled. It was the first time he hadughed in a long while.


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    ¡°Albert I¡¯ve known you since the days we yed in the sand as boys. You mean to tell me that you have absolutely no interest whatsoever in that beautiful woman lying in your mistress suite yet she has you all worked up? I know you longer than anyone and I find it hard to believe that, your grace,¡± he said withughter filled eyes.


    ¡°Honestly, all my interest in my manager is purely professional.¡±


    ¡°I hear you.¡± The men walked inside to the porch. It was still raining cats and dogs. Apart from the lighting in the driveway, the estate was dark. A footman appeared with arge umbre for Stevenson.


    ¡°Greet the wife and children for me,¡± Albert said.


    ¡°I will.¡± But Stevenson did not move to the car. ¡°You have changed from the man who did not even care to know the maid¡¯s name to one who now nurses one at her bedside.¡±


    ¡°Stevenson that was twenty years ago. We were young and carefree. Again, I apologize for not knowing your lover¡¯s name,¡± Albert snickered.


    ¡°Albert you know she was not my lover,¡± every word Stevenson said was punctuated withughter. The duke smiled.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°So howe you still talk about my mother¡¯s maid twenty yearster?¡± The duke probed. Stevenson had no answer. He had fallen for Mary, thedy Savoy¡¯s maid. But after all his mates teasings, he had given her up. Like Albert said, they were young. But he was a married man now and could not let anyone fancy that he still had any sentiment for the woman.


    ¡°Good night mate. Take proper care of Emeera. d to see you know this one¡¯s name,¡± Stevenson said with a mischievous wink and dashed to the car. His driver drove off.

 ANOTHER LOVE

    That night, Albert pondered on his friend¡¯s words, wondering if Stevenson was right about him and Emeera. After his hot evening bath, he went back for the final check on the girl and found her fast asleep, her robe, opened to reveal a fair voluptuous breast that rose up and down with her every breath. He looked away and turned to leave the room but the girl stirred.


    ¡°Your grace,¡± she said in almost inaudible tone. He turned to her bedside. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me.¡± She pleaded. Albert knew the right thing was to fetch the maid and have her sit beside the girl. He knew tongues would wag if he stayed overnight at her side. He knew he had a reputation to uphold, but Emeera¡¯srge brown eyes drew him in.


    ¡°Alright. I shall remain,¡± he said and she slept shortly after. He sat in the couch the whole night, reassuring her every time she woke.


    Around midnight, as he sat reading the novel ¨C Les Mis¨¦rables, the bedroom door opened and Mary entered. She curtsied as she found the duke seated there. If she was surprised at that, she did not show.


    ¡°Your grace, I came to check on the fire,¡± she said. He nodded. Dutiful, loyal Mary. No wonder Stevenson was infatuated. He watched as she went about her business in silence. It was twenty yearster. Mary, who was then but ass of eighteen was now a beautiful woman of thirty-eight and still unmarried. Albert wondered how she coped with seeing Stevenson¡¯s wife in the vige.


    When she was about to leave the room, he said ¡°Dr. Stevenson came. Did you see him?¡± He asked kindly.


    ¡°I did not, your grace,¡± she said quietly and left the room, but not before Albert saw her cheeks turn pink. It urred to him he never saw Mary as a woman in over twenty years, even when she had been thedy¡¯s maid of his dear sister. He had teased Stevenson when he showed affections for Mary and since then, till when Mary went over to be headmaid of the country estate, he had not given her much thought nor wondered why she was never married.


    At dawn, the duke quietly left the mistress suite for his bedroom. It had been years since he tarried all night. He gave instructions that nobody should wake him and slept the moment his body touched his bed.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Dr. Stevenson arrived at 10 o¡¯clock and the butler received him. He was quickly shown to the drawing room. The duke who had just woken, was informed of Dr. Stevenson¡¯s presence and he gave orders for breakfast to be served while he got dressed to meet with his friend. Breakfast wasid out in the dining and the two friends went in to eat. A servant poured two sses of freshly squeezed juice for the men. As they ate, an idea urred to the duke. It was a naughty thought but the conversation of the previous night had brought back memories from years ago. Also, he needed to take his mind off Emeera.


    ¡°Everyone leave us. And someone ask Mary toe with my mail.¡± he said aloud and the servants filed out. The duke received only a few mails at his country estate but he thought seeing his friend¡¯s countenance around Mary was worth it. It took almost twenty minutes for Mary to appear with the letters on a silver tter. She went straight to the Duke with the mails.


    ¡°Your Grace, Lord Stevenson¡± she gave a little curtsey and kept the silver tter on the table. Stevenson nodded and became absorbed with buttering his toast. This surprised and amused his host who was watching for signs of embarrassment.


    ¡°Mary could you please pour Lord Stevenson coffee?¡±


    ¡°I can manage, thank you,¡± the man answered sharply. He met Mary¡¯s eyes and immediately looked away. The young woman blushed crimson, making Albert wonder if they had ended their hanky panky. He sat back and watched. ¡°Mary could you show Dr. Stevenson to the patient¡¯s bedroom?¡± The Duke asked sweetly. They exchanged nces and Mary looked away. In a few minutes, Mary led the doctor to the mistress suite while the duke busied himself with his letters.


    ¡°Mary, long time,¡± Stevenson started with a shaky voice. He coughed, hating himself for showing vulnerability.


    ¡°No see,¡± she replied with stiffened lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for putting you in this awkward position,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Lord Stevenson, sorry, it¡¯s now Dr. Stevenson. You did nothing of the sort,¡± Mary replied. ¡°How is the missus and children?¡± She tried to make her voice sound as conversational as possible so he could not detect a trace of old love. They were alone on the second floor corridor where the family rooms were. There were no servants around. Mary walked pointedly like she was on a deadly mission.


    ¡°I think they are fine, Mary. Mary,¡± he desperately needed to see her face but she looked straight ahead, not answering. ¡°Mary can you please look at me?¡± He said in a choked voice. She looked at him. He paused and she leaned against the walls, with Stevenson almost leaning on her body. It was inappropriate and anyone walking by would know exactly what they were up to.


    ¡°I may not be of high birth but I won¡¯t jump into bed with a married man just because he is a Lord. I need to tend to my patient,¡± she said and left him standing there, lost in thoughts. Stevenson turned to see the Duke watching him with an opened envelope in his hand and charged at his friend.


    ¡°Albert! You set this up. I thought you were my friend. Why?¡±


    ¡°Set what up? Thought we were going to see the patient,¡± the Duke was the very picture of innocence. ¡°I thought you said there were nothing there anymore. Or am I missing something?¡± Albert added as the men walked into the mistress suite.

 THE QUESTION

    They entered the room just in time as a maid was taking Emeera¡¯s breakfast tray. The invalid looked better than she had been the previous night. She could even sit up with the help of pillows propped against her back. The doctor examined her for some minutes then dered she was going to be fine.


    ¡°His grace can go back to town,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I know duty calls. Your manager will be fine. She just needs an extra day of uninterrupted rest. I¡¯m sure you can manage for a day or two without your manager,¡± the doctor added, his eyes fixed on the Duke¡¯s as though they shared an inside joke.


    ¡°Thanks so much for your medical advice and the extra concern but I am not in a rush to head back to the busy town life. The country air will do me some good I believe. Maybe I can even get to know a thing or two about my own house, like the workers¡¯ names, perhaps?¡±


    It was Dr. Stevenson¡¯s turn to speak but he was flustered and could not rejoin the banter. He smiled tightly and nced at Mary who was setting out clothes for Emeera.


    The men walked outside to the driveway where the doctor¡¯s car was parked. The full night of rain had made the nts look healthier and greener. The wet patches on the ground added beauty to the garden. As they shook hands, the duke said ¡°Stevenson you are a married man.¡±


    ¡°I think I am aware of that.¡± Stevenson¡¯s tone seemed braced for a battle of words. But Albert was not one for lecture.


    ¡°Alright. That¡¯s all I ask.¡±


    Stevenson wanted to open his car door but paused and turned to the duke. ¡°Do you think I could have done it? Do you think I made a mistake?¡± His blue eyes searched Albert¡¯s, looking for a helpful response.


    ¡°No. You are a titled man. You married from the right family.¡±


    Stevenson scoffed. ¡°Titles. Family names. Is that why you will rather employ her than marry the woman you clearly love?¡±


    ¡°I do not love Emeera.¡±


    ¡°Funny how I didn¡¯t have to tell you who I was referring to. Keep telling yourself whatever helps you sleep at night,¡± Stevenson said and left in his car.


    Back in the room, Mary helped Emeera with her toilet. She was quite friendly in a way that was unusual for other servants. ¡°Mary thank you so much,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°You should thank his grace. He stayed by your side all night. He nursed you better than anyone could,¡± she said. Emeera smile. Mary adjusted her dress. ¡°He likes you,¡± she added in a low voice.


    ¡°He does not!¡±


    ¡°Trust me, he does. But you should not take it seriously.¡± Thedies went back to the bedroom and sat together on the couch. ¡°These noble men, they have feelings too. But they cannot pursue them. From experience, they will always marry their ss and leave your heart shattered on the floor.¡±


    Emeera realized Mary was talking about Stevenson. She had seen the looks between the two of them but did not think they actually had something. She wanted to know more. Especially how they broke up but it was not her business. Instead she held Mary¡¯s hand and stiffened her lips in a tight smile.


    ¡°Sorry. I know I should not be bothering you with my problems when you have your situation to worry about-¡±


    ¡°Oh no it¡¯s totally fine. I appreciate that you told me this,¡± Emeera said.


    That evening, Emeera and the duke went out into the estate gardens as the man believed the air would hasten her recuperation. A footman ced two seats under an apple tree at the edge of the garden and they both sat there.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Will you be able to return to town tomorrow?¡± He asked. Emeera nodded.


    ¡°Certainly. I am fully recovered I believe,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Emeera, I have something to ask. Is there anything happening at the townhouse that you think I should be intimated?¡± He asked, his eyes boring into her. She blinked, trying as much as possible to hold his gaze. It was important he did not see her shaky lips or catch her falter.


    ¡°What exactly are you making reference to, your grace?¡±


    ¡°I do not know. That is why I am asking you. I rely on you for all information about my estates, so if there is anything you believe that rightfully, I should be made aware of, this is the time to tell me whatever it is.¡±


    Emeera thought of the butler and the pregnancy scandal she had been hiding for days. She wondered if he already knew about it. If this was just test of her loyalty and transparency. But his nk face revealed no suspicion or covered doubts. He was a frank man. If he knew anything, he would straightaway ask Emeera why she failed to mention the story that could smear the estate¡¯s stainless reputation  instead of giving her an opportunity to lie to him. ¡°Nothing your grace. l¡­ I am certain there¡¯s nothing to be concerned about.¡± She knew if she did not make any sound, he would hear her guilty heart beat like it was about to tear out of her chest and spill the truth to the duke, so she coughed repeatedly till he bent over her to pay her back.


    ¡°I believe you,¡± he said and smiled wryly.


    ¡°May I inquire as to why his grace asked this question?¡± She said in a meek tone that he had not heard from her before. Maybe it was still the cold. He made a mental note to send for Stevenson before they left the vige. Albert cleared his throat to answer her question but he was cut short by two servants who was quickly approaching them. Emeera recognized the one behind as a footman from the manor. She wondered what was so important that they could not wait for his return.


    The Duke who was wondering the same thing and having several ideas, received the men.


    ¡°His grace, something serious has happened in the Manor,¡± the footman said. The duke beckoned to him and he approached and whispered in his ear. The duke looked at him in bewilderment before extending his hand. The footman, at once produced a letter from his clothes and handed over to the duke. The man got up from his seat and went into the house with no exnations, leaving Emeera to wonder what the hell was in that letter.

 RUNNING AWAY

    Emeera  returned to the town with the Duke but all through the ride, the man sat like a statue. She made several attempts at polite conversation but finally gave up. It seemed the duke was bent on silence. The few hours drive felt like a day but atst it was over. As soon as the driver parked, Emeera ran up to her room for a long bath. After her bath, she was summoned to the Duke¡¯s study.


    She went in and saw the man with Mrs. Fletcher, standing together in an intense conversation. The door separating the study from its reception was open so Emeera coughed to announce her presence. Mrs. Fletcher sharply turned.


    ¡°Hello Emeera, wee. I heard the country air was good for you,¡± she said sarcastically. Something in her voice warned Emeera that everything was about to go wrong.


    ¡°Thank you Mrs. Fletcher,¡± she answered and turned to the duke. ¡°Your grace¡­¡± She said with a small curtsey, inviting him to speak. She stood still, scared of the scandal he was about to mention.


    ¡°Ms. Charles, we have some issues we must fix. My brother-inw who is also my business partner is dead. I do not know why they could not reach us by telephone but this letter got in today from America where he was based. He did not put his affairs in order so this may cause us great difort. Also, my sister who is his widow is already on her way with her two daughters. The daughters are returning to Savoy to settle here and probably wed. So you must prepare this house for their arrival.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I will move out of the mistress room-¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± He asked.


    ¡°Your sister ising and this is still her home.¡±


    ¡°My sister would prefer to live in the country house and retain Mary as her maid. She will be here for only a short visit and she has her suite. She does not need you to move out for her. Mrs. Fletcher will prepare her rooms. And note that they will be here just in time for the ball so please have that in mind,¡± he said briskly. If he felt any emotions over the death, he did not show.


    ¡°Your grace, I have one other thing,¡± Mrs. Fletcher said sweetly.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± He asked.


    ¡°What will you do about the butler?¡± The older woman asked, causing Emeera to copse into a nearby chair.


    ¡°Please get to the point. You know I do not like endless chatter,¡± he said. His eyes were filled with concern and fixed on Emeera. Maybe he thought her slump was as a result of the cold she had suffered.


    Mrs. Fletcher who looked like she was enjoying taking her sweet time said with false surprise ¡°About the pregnancy, your grace. One of the maids is with child and the butler is the father. I thought Emeera had told you,¡± she added thest sentence in a mischievous tone.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    The duke took the news better than Emeera had thought he would. ¡°Ms. Charles did not tell me because this is news to her too,¡± He said calmly. Emeera looked at Mrs. Fletcher, imploring her not to say what she knew the woman was dying to say. But like Emeera already knew, her silent pleas were in vain. There was always something  about the way Mrs. Fletcher looked at her that told her she was not supposed to be there, lording it over them. Even when she hid it well, it was still there. Always there.


    ¡°But Emeera knew and has known for a long time. Her maid, Lucille, told me with all certainty that Emeera knew and even instructed the maid to hide it from the rest of the household. She probably wanted to decide on the matter herself instead of informing you. I am surprised she did not tell you. I only brought it up because I thought you were in the know.¡±


    The duke red at Emeera. ¡°Why?¡± He asked. One word, spoken so quietly she would have sworn he had not said it. She twirled her dress between her fingers, wondering what to say.


    ¡°I wanted to tell you but it was not the right time.¡±


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°In the country home but I was ill and¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try cheap emotional ckmail. You knew before we went to Davinshire.¡±


    ¡°I apologize for not bringing it up earlier,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°To think that I actually asked you. Ms. Charles, I asked you to tell me if there was anything at all I was supposed to know but you withheld the information from me.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± she said with demured eyes.


    ¡°Mrs. Fletcher please leave us,¡± he said. Looking like a baby whose sweets had been taken away, Mrs. Fletcher left. The duke turned to Emeera. ¡°I am disappointed in you. And I don¡¯t know if I can trust you again.¡±


    Emeera knew she had not been honest with him but she thought his reaction was an overkill. She had not connived with the enemy to take over his  Davinshire estate or the Savoy Manor. ¡°I did not think it was so important. It was a matter I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Charles I didn¡¯t pay you to think and decide what to tell me and what to keep. I paid you to manage my estates in my name and on my behalf. I asked you to be my eyes and ears. I don¡¯t brook liars.¡±


    ¡°But I am not a liar!¡± She screamed before she could restrain herself.


    ¡°You are whatever I say you are,¡± he responded in a cold voice that sent shivers down her spine. There was something wrong with him. It showed in his icy eyes and the hissing breath. Emeera had never seen him like that before. It was as if he was not only addressing her but demons from his past. ¡°You are a lying, conniving wench. All what women do is lie and lie and lie unprovoked. Get out of my sight.¡± He said it like she was filth.


    Emeera blindly ran out of the study and charged to her bedroom. On getting there she met a crestfallen looking Lucille. ¡°Madam I am so sorry, I did not know Mrs. Fletcher asked me in order to report. Please forgive me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± she said. ¡°Please help me pack my bags. It is clear I have overstayed my wee in the Savoy Manor.¡±

 THE ATHELSTAN CASTLE

    Nancy¡¯s car pulled up in the driveway and Emeera realized it had been so long since shest saw that car or Nancy. A footman helped carry her bags to the boot of the car. The second he mmed it shut, Nancy drove out. When the small car went through the gate, Emeera started crying. Even though she had wanted so badly to get away, she still grieved the unexpected end of the life she hade to enjoyed. Yes, she had actually enjoyed it, however short-lived it had been. Nancy patted her back gently but kept her eyes fixed on the road ahead.


    ¡°Can you tell what happened?¡± She asked kindly. Emeera did. She told her how she found out about the pregnancy and how she had decided to tell the duketer. When she was done, Nancy gave her a tight squeeze with one hand. ¡°You did not know what to do. I do not think his reaction ismensurate with the crime. Stop crying. We¡¯ll get you another offer somewhere,¡± she said and made a turn into her parents¡¯ street. Few minutester they were at the gate of Nancy¡¯s parents¡¯ estate ¨C one of the grandest estates in Savoy. Every time Emeera saw the house, she wondered why Nancy or anyone at all would prefer to have her own home than live here especially in the upper society where daughters were not allowed to leave their parents¡¯ protection until they were married. Nancy was the rebel daughter in her family. Her sisters had married men their parents chose for them, bingdies in fancy homes who threw balls and had tea parties with otherdies. But Nancy preferred to get a University degree and earn some ie. The gatekeeper opened the gate and Nancy drove in. It was well known that her parents did not approve of her driving but she did not care.


    As she parked the car, Emeera noticed many other cars had been parked too and their drivers were waiting. Nancy stepped out of the car but Emeera remained inside.


    ¡°Nancy please make haste so we get home on time. I don¡¯t feel too well,¡± Emeera pled.


    ¡°Home? We¡¯re staying here. At least endure it for the week. The cottage is getting renovated. I had tried to argue that the house was perfectly fine but the roof was almost falling on my head and papa insisted on the renovations,¡± she sighed. Emeera knew Nancy¡¯s father ¨C Lord Athelstan, was right. The roof of the cottage had been crying for repairs for as long as she could remember. She stepped out, feeling dread at the prospect of living in the Athelstan¡¯s family estate for a week. If only Nancy had told her of the living arrangements, she would have thought twice about moving out.


    A footman appeared and hauled the bags upstairs to Nancy¡¯s rooms.


    ¡°What am I going to do here for a days and days?¡± Emeera asked.


    ¡°Join mydy mother in all her boring teas so she won¡¯t think you made me abandon my family.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha very funny. She hates me anyway and no tea can purge me of those alleged sins.¡±


    ¡°Mama does not hate you-¡±


    ¡°She mistakenly sent cayenne pepper and chilli incense to my roomst time I was here. Who uses cayenne pepper incense please?¡±


    ¡°An oversight. A mistake anyone can make.¡± They were on the second floornding where Nancy had her bedroom.


    ¡°She told your family and friends I look like a creature from the tombs she saw in Egypt.¡±


    ¡°She was trying to say you are exotic but mama has never been able to correctly phrase her descriptions.¡± Nancy opened the room and they entered. Nancy¡¯s room in the castle was the size of both their bedrooms in the cottage.


    ¡°She almost drowned Mrs. Peters in the pool.¡± Mrs. Peters had been Emeera¡¯s cat. The cat had been missing for months before the Duke¡¯s party.


    ¡°But, did it die?¡± Nancy asked, pulling off her shoes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. So, since it did not die, I should apud her for the attempt? Andst time I checked, Mrs. Peters is still missing. We don¡¯t know if she finally drowned.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying, it¡¯s only a week. You have nowhere else to go in Savoy. We should make the best out of it and try to get on Mama¡¯s good side.¡±


    ¡°Does that include dressing up for dinners, pretending tough at her jokes and tolerating her snobbishdy friends at these incessant parties?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And you will do so gracefully. Maybe one of them will even rmend you for another position somewhere else.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need their charity,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°It¡¯s not charity if you will be working for your ie,¡± Nancy replied. Emeera secretly agreed with her.


    After unpacking, she showered and slept. Nancy went to the garden to exin to her mother that Emeera was going to be their guest for some days. Lady Athelstan already knew of Emeera¡¯s visit as she was there when the telephone rang for Nancy and she had rushed to go get her friend.  But Lady Athelstan never understood Nancy¡¯s friendship with that girl who seemed like bad influence but like a properdy, she was going to endure Emeera with a smile on her face.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Asdy Athelstan hugged herst guest goodbye, Nancy went to her. ¡°You know I hate it when you wear shorts,¡± her mother said in the same tone she said her sweet farewells.


    ¡°It¡¯s airy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not something a well-breddy should wear.¡±


    ¡°I thought the jury had decided that I am not well-bred,¡± Nancy said as she bit into some cookies. The servants clearing the table left the tter that contained the cookies Nancy was having.


    ¡°And youngdy, you eat too loudly,¡±dy Athelstan said.


    ¡°Mama you already have the prim and proper daughters you want. Please just let me breathe,¡± Nancy said. Her mother wanted to say something but she bit back her words.


    ¡°So what brought you out here?¡±


    ¡°Emeera is here. And she needs a ce to stay for sometime. If the cottage was fine, we would be there but¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine. I hate to agree to this nuisance of a girl but she can stay. Now, what did she do to get her fired on the first job she got since graduation? And by the Duke, no less. It must be quite scandalous.¡± Lady Athelstan loved juicy gossip; that was why she hosted so many teas.


    ¡°You will have to inquire about it from Emeera herself as I don¡¯t know. It is not my business so I did not bother asking mama,¡± Nancy read the magazine one of the women left behind. It contained gossip from the first page to thest. ¡°People actually devote themselves to reading gossip? Educate the girl child so she can get thetest gossip in print?¡±


    ¡°Ady should not speak like that, Nancy!¡±


    ¡°I suppose ady can gossip mama. But thank you for taking Emeera in. It means a lot to me,¡± Nancy said, gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek and went inside the house.

 HE HUNTS HER DOWN

    Dinner was not the best times for Emeera in the Athelstan castle. She did not like to dress up for anything but in the estate, every meal, especially dinner, had to be attended in formal dresses. Nancy lent Emeera a dinner dress. Emeera thought having to dress for the evening was the worst part of the dinner but she was soon proved wrong as Lady Athelstan spent the whole hour probing her on why the duke relieved her of her duties. She always said ¡°the duke¡± gracefully as though he was there and she was addressing him. It irritated the girls to no end.


    When Emeera thought that was too much, the next thing was when Nancy passed her the dessert anddy Athelstan asked the maid to clear it because ¡°you do not need more fat my dear. At this rate you will be fatter than the duchess of Alcott before next summer and you are yet a spinster, my darling.¡±


    ¡°Mama!¡± Nancy screamed but her mother just smiled. It was ironic because Emeera was thin. In fact, Lady Athelstan and Nancy were fatter than Emeera yet she was singled out for no desserts. Lord Athelstan red at his daughter and she fell silent.


    Emeera prayed the ground opened and swallowed her. Or better still, she got a job maybe in America and move. America was the new world. There were no titled families discriminating against others because of money they had inherited. She got up after dinner, determined to find her way to the states and try her fortune there.


    Dinner was over and as Emeera got out of Nancy¡¯s borrowed dress, she wondered what America would be like. Crossing the Antic ocean was definitely going to be the fresh start she needed. America was the ce dreams came true and everyone started on equal footing. If she worked hard enough, she would have decent ie and respect.


    In America, she would not be the Arabian girl rubbing shoulders with nobility, she would be a girl. A beautiful hardworking, educated girl. She hated pity and felt Nancy had given her enough of that. She needed respect. She wanted to call Nancy with great news, not the usual sadness. The thought brought tears to her eyes. Tears stung hard but she tried to restrain them.


    It was dark when Nancy came into the bedroom. She thought Emeera was asleep or maybe did not want to face her after the scene from the dining, so she went about stealthily. She changed out of the dinner dress and wore a riding gear. Emeera could not remember thest time she saw Nancy on a horse. Her pet horse, Moon was rarely seen. Maybe she needed the fresh air to clear her head about something. Emeera coughed and Nancy turned to her.


    ¡°Did not know you are awake,¡± she said like someone caught with her hands down the biscuits jar.


    ¡°I am awake,¡± Emeera replied. ¡°Riding alone?¡±


    ¡°Emm¡­ no. Emm..  I am going with Henry.¡±


    ¡°Which Henry?¡±


    ¡°The Earl.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God you are dating Henry? The Earl?¡± Emeeraughed.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    Henry was the man Nancy¡¯s parents had wanted for her and the man she totally disliked just because of her parents¡¯ fondness for him. She had never given Henry audience all through the time Emeera lived with her. In fact, several of his letters were left unopened in the cottage. So it was rather surprising, the changes a short time apart could bring. Nancy smiled shyly.


    ¡°Does your mother know?¡±


    ¡°No please. I don¡¯t want her to n a wedding in advance.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re finally doing your parents¡¯ wishes and marrying from your ss.¡±


    ¡°Do not say it that way. I liked him because of how he stood by me when you left. I was lonely and I really got to know Henry and-¡± she could not continue as a loud voice on the castle grounds cut her short. The girls ran to the window to look at what the cause of themotion was. There was a gunshot in the air. It was their groundskeeper


    ¡°Who is that?!!¡± The voice called again. This time, the man pointed a gun at a man on a horse. The girls gasped. They certainly knew that was Henry who had sneaked into the grounds to take Nancy riding. But when the man on the horseback spoke, it was the Duke.


    The girls ran downstairs two stairs at a time till they got to the back door where everything was happening. Lord Athelstan was already there in his night clothes. Servants clung around odd spaces in the dark to see what was going on.


    ¡°His grace,¡± Lord Athelstan said ¡°this is such an unusual call. I hope everything is fine.¡± The men shook hands and walked off to the edge of the gardens. Lady Athelstan was out in a matter of minutes, struggling with her puffy nightwear.


    ¡°His grace came after you? I hope you did not pilfer the silver young woman. My household will not be disgraced with such scandal.¡±


    ¡°Mama!!¡± Nancy said angrily. ¡°Stop it! You know she¡¯s not a thief!¡±


    The woman pushed them aside and walked out into the grounds, as if to go to the duke for confirmation of her usations. But just then, another horse rider galloped in and Nancy turned white. It was Henry who hade to take her for their appointment.


    ¡°Lord Henry?¡± Lady Athelstan asked. He jumped off the horse and greeted thedies. ¡°Why are you here?¡± She probed in her usual manner.


    ¡°I hope all is fine. I was riding by and heard a gunshot so I came to offer my assistance if any is required,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thank you Henry but nothing is amiss. Our groundskeeper shot into the air as he didn¡¯t know it was the duke visiting.¡±


    ¡°Good to know it was nothing to worry about. I will be on my way now.¡±


    ¡°Why not stay for some warm milk before you go? It must have been a stressful ride,¡± Lady Athelstan said.


    ¡°His house is just next door mama. I see no reason why he needs milk for the journey back to his house,¡± Nancy¡¯s sarcasm made Emeera and even Henry, smile. Lady Athelstan ignored her.


    ¡°Emeera please be a dear and make us warm milk, seeing that you are an experienced domestic worker,¡±dy Athelstan added sweetly.


    ¡°She is not a maid mama!¡± Nancy said but Emeera said it was no problem. At that point the duke and Lord Athelstan rejoined the rest of the group.


    ¡°Emeera I have great news. His grace is here to take you back to his service,¡± Lord Athelstan said as if he had just offered her a position of royalty. He positively looked like he expected Emeera to kneel and kiss his ring.


    ¡°What if she is not interested?¡± Nancy asked. Her mother gasped.


    ¡°Nancy!!¡±


    ¡°She left. And for good reasons I am sure,¡± Nancy said then caught herself as if just realizing the Duke¡¯s presence. She curtseyed and went inside. Henry mumbled his goodbyes and left. The duke was ushered into the house to have a conference with his manager.

 The Alexander estate

    It was the Athelstan study. The Duke stood, vibrating with rage. ¡°How could you?¡±


    ¡°How could I what?¡±


    ¡°You left! And without telling me. First, you lied to me. I chided you for it but instead of you to apologize and take responsibility, you chose to flee like a coward.¡±


    ¡°Take responsibility for what, your grace?¡±


    ¡°For lying.¡±


    ¡°I did not lie.¡±


    ¡°I believed you were different from the rest of them. That was why I hired you when someone like Kate De Luca tried to ruin your life! I saved you and all I asked in return was loyalty and honesty! You chose to withhold things from me and you expect me to apud you?¡± He was breathing fire through his nostrils. ¡°All the women I¡¯ve met have lied to me! All of them, dishonest! I thought you were different! But you are a lying maniptor like the rest of your sex!¡±


    Emeera was not going to apologize again for the butler¡¯s irresponsibility so she kept quiet and allowed him rave. When he was done, he told her he was taking her back to the manor.


    ¡°What about my bags?¡±


    ¡°The driver wille for them tomorrow. I need you back this night. I searched for you everywhere. I wanted to continue tomorrow but I could not sleep.


    ¡°Nobody told you I went with Nancy?¡± Emeera asked. He shook his head. ¡°Did you tell them you were going to look for me?¡± Again, he shook his head. It was certain he had been embarrassed to admit he wanted her back. She wondered where he searched if not the Athelstan¡¯s. She had nobody else in Savoy.


    ¡°Where did you search?¡± She asked carefully. He swallowed.


    ¡°Hotels.¡±


    Emeeraughed inspite of herself. She saw her honestly naive the gentry ss could be. It was so typical for him to search hotels like she could afford to lodge in them like some properdy.


    ¡°You don¡¯t pay me enough to lodge in hotels on a whim,¡± she said.


    ¡°If you came back, we could pay you more,¡± he said in a low growl. She felt her knees weakened. She was afraid of him but also desired him. Yet, it was time to consider business over sentiments.


    ¡°How much more?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Double your current pay,¡± he said.


    ¡°I think triple that,¡± she said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said and held out his hand. She hesitated before taking it. His palm was warm and firm.  ¡°Don¡¯t run away again no matter what,¡± he said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± she smiled. She was relieved that she did not have to start all over again in America. Or have to endure Nancy¡¯s mother for one more day.


    Sitting on his horse, she could feel his warmth as they rode over to the other end of Savoy. He was strong and virile and rode the powerful ck horse with so much ease. They tore through the night in silence for a long time before she asked where they were going.


    ¡°A friend¡¯s ce,¡± he said.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    They rode for about half an hour till they got to the estate. It was opened by the gatekeeper who had obviously been expecting them. The duke rode in and in a short time, they were inside the house. Apart from the gatekeeper, there were no servants to be seen in the dimly lit house. If it was another man, Emeera would have been scared but she trusted Albert implicitly. The Duke led her upstairs and they got into a tastefully furnished bedroom.


    He gestured to couch so she sat while he poured wine from a bottle.  He pushed a ss into her hand and she took a sip. He stood, his back against the wall as he talked to her.


    ¡°So what¡¯s the story?¡± She asked.


    ¡°About what?¡± He asked in response.


    ¡°The house is obviously empty but looks lived in. Where is everyone and why are we in the master bedroom of your friend¡¯s home?¡± She queried. He leaned on the wall and looked at her long and hard before he answered.


    ¡°This is my friend¡¯s ancestral home. He was the only child so it naturally went to him. I was best man at his wedding.¡± Emeera saw how his lips turned up in a smile at the memory. ¡°We were close, Stevenson, Edmund, Alexander and I. Alexander, the owner of this house hoped for children but unfortunately fate did not smile on him. He had none all through his many years of marriage, just like me. Then one day, he wife fell ill. Stevenson and other doctors tended to her but in just two days she was dead. It came as a shock to us all. I was away when it happened but by the time I got back, she was gone and Alexander became a broken man. He lost weight and we thought he would die. Last year, an old colleague of his from Law school invited him to America for a job in his firm. He had never really practised thew before then but he could and he needed a new direction in life ¨C something to make him forget. So he left for America and never returned.¡±


    ¡°America again,¡± Emeera muttered.


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Albert asked with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°It was my n. Since you didn¡¯t want me anymore, maybe to go there and start my life-¡±


    ¡°You can never leave me Emeera!¡± He thundered. ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think of leaving me!¡± In two swift steps, he was by her side. ¡°Get it into your head. You belong in the manor, with me! By my side,¡± he said fervently. She nodded weakly. It was no use trying to argue with a man in such state. He released her shoulder gently, which she had not even realized he had squeezed.


    ¡°Alexander met this American woman and got married to her before anyone could discourage him. He sent me a letter authorizing me to sell this estate as he would never return. But look at it! I cannot sell his familynds. I would be a terrible friend to try. So I asked him to lease it to me. He refused. He insisted on selling it outrightly. I bought it from him weeks ago. We just need a few cleaners now and nothing more. But the main reason I brought you here is to tell you that at my death, this estate in its entirety returns to Alexander and the heirs of his body forever.¡±


    ¡°Nice speech. But what about your butler?¡± She asked. ¡± What do you intend to do with him or does your kindness revolve only around your mates?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve paid him off. I need an upright man.¡± Emeera scoffed at that. The duke ignored it. ¡°An upright man would not bring in an illegitimate child into this world. I have given them my blessings to wed, a capital for his business, and a cottage along theke to live and start their family. So, Emeera, everyone is settled. Except us.¡±


    Except us, it echoed in her mind.

 Chapter 14 — The Duke’s story

    Emeera had an idea and the more she thought of it, the more it made sense to her.


    ¡°What are you thinking of?¡± The duke asked.


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m thinking of something?¡±


    ¡°You are twirling your hair the way you do when you are thinking of something.¡± Emeera was surprised but pleased that he had noticed her mannerisms.


    ¡°I am your estate manager,¡± she said.


    ¡°I know that,¡± he replied.


    ¡°So I need an office,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯d like to have one in the manor.¡±


    ¡°Alright. We can find something for you,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Mrs. Fletcher can-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need Mrs. Fletcher. I want to an office from you, not an old room Mrs. Fletcher decides to spare.¡±


    ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ll turn the old manager¡¯s room into an office for you. We don¡¯t need it again anyway since you are in the mistress suite.¡± He sat next to her. She shifted and winced in pain. ¡± What¡¯s that?¡± He asked, concern creased his forehead.


    ¡°My feet hurt but it¡¯s nothing. I will be fine,¡± she said. He lifted her legs and deftly ced them on his thighs. Slowly, he started to work her feet, massaging her toes and ankles. Emeera was surprised at the gesture but she enjoyed it immensely. After some minutes, she sighed and spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve never told me about why you consider women with such disdain. You said all women lie and that worries me deeply,¡± she said. His grip tightened so she felt the tension he felt because of that question. ¡°Does this have something to do with your vow that you¡¯ll never remarry?¡±


    She watched his face go dark with the help of the candle light.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I am about to tell you something I have never told anyone. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel I can trust you with this.¡± Emeera waited with bated breath. She dared not said a word that could destroy the moment.  He coughed, then stared at her with reddened eyes which looked more sinister in the dark.


    ¡°I grew up in the manor as a boy. We had good times. My father, thete Duke, had the King¡¯s ear so the ce was busier than what we have today. The managers then were only men. Nobody would even think of a female manager.¡± He smiled grimly. ¡°My father was not the best at being a family man. He took after his own father, you see? They had worked hard to bring the Savoy name to what it is now. They worked and fought and sought favours. As a little boy, it was not unusual to see my father travel for business on behalf of the throne or even hunting with the King. We all understood the sacrifices or so I thought.¡± He paused at this, carefully thinking his next words. ¡°One day, my family left for Davinshire. They were going to host the royal family there. My mother suddenly fell ill the night to the trip so she was allowed to rest on her own for few days and then join the family in Davinshire after her recovery. I opted to remain in the manor too. I think I was about eighteen then.  Few people stayed home. Long story short, I saw her in bed with the house manager who had remained to tie up some loose ends before going to the country.¡±


    ¡°Oh my God. I am so sorry. I had no idea that happened,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°It is a terrible sight for a teenage son to see. My entire body froze like I was in aa. I thought my life would end. I prayed my life would end.¡±


    Tears gathered in his eyes and he looked away. Emeera had never seen the duke in that way. ¡°Imagine having to wonder if the duke was truly my father. If I was a bastard. It happened in the mistress suite you currently upy. When they saw me, he got up, terrified I would tell my fa¡­ I mean, the duke. When he left her, she turned to me with crocodile tears and told me the duke was diabetic and could not perform. She said he told her to get her pleasures somewhere else. I was not as insulted by the affair as I was by the story that my father was impotent. But she convinced me. She cried and cried and convinced me my father¡¯s diabetes was debilitating. My father¡¯s sweet tooth was well-known. At longst, being just a boy, I believed her. But begged her not to continue. She promised it would not happen again. But it happened again. Over and over and over. I caught her in the gardens, by the pond at night and in the estate manager¡¯s room. She did not stop with the manager. She began to sleep with his friends and other men, embarrassing him everywhere. I still believed the diabetes story and pitied papa.¡±


    He sighed, like a broken man. ¡°My house became my prison so I ran off to university and did not return home even for holidays. I did not read her letters or ask after her though papa. One day, I heard papa was dying so I went back to be at his side. At the gate, I saw our family doctor leaving and asked him if the diabetes was the cause of Papa¡¯s illness. He was surprised. He said papa had never been diagnosed with diabetes. I told him he must be wrong for Papa certainly had diabetes. The doctor said no, that papa was ill quite all right but he had never suffered diabetes and he would knew, having been his doctor all his adult life.¡± Emeera slowly exhaled.


    The duke continued. ¡°I argued and argued with the doctor like a lunatic. He was so sure my father was fine and even asked me who told me papa had diabetes. I cannot remember how I managed that journey from the gate to my bedroom. When Iter saw papa, I asked him if he had diabetes. He said no. He had never had diabetes. His illness was an acute case of typhoid. I called in another doctor under the guise of treatment for typhoid  but asked him to test papa for diabetes. He did the tests and found out papa had no diabetes. Every disgraceful thing my mother told me about her own husband was a lie.¡±

 Chapter 15 — A clearer understanding

    Emeera could not speak for minutes. The silence seemed to go on for the longest time, then she coughed nervously. ¡°I am so sorry. I had no idea you went through that.¡± Heughed; a cranky and bitterugh.


    ¡°I would have forgiven women. I would have said it was just my mother who whored herself or lied like the devil but other women proved to me that mama was the rule, not the exception. I went back to the University after confronting her lies. She broke down and admitted that she had deceived me. My father was not the perfect husband but he never cheated and he never lied. He was not like the other noble men we know including my friends¡¯ fathers who cheated and sired illegitimate children in every borough. Thete duke was a honourable man and my mother spat on that because of her own insatiable lust. She was dead to me the day I realized she lied against my father. He was a loving husband who did everything to please a horrible woman. When she finally passed, I was more relieved than sad. I was so relieved I almost cried. People who saw me thought I was grieving not knowing I was just relieved.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you experienced something that vile,¡± Emeera said. But the Duke didn¡¯t reply to that.


    ¡°Thedies who lunch talked about her for days¡­¡±


    ¡°Thedies who what?¡±


    ¡°You are best friends with Lady Athelstan¡¯s daughter yet you don¡¯t know thedies who lunch? They are all over Savoy. Nobledies who meet for tea and lunch almost everyday? All they do is gossip,in about the their maids and exchange matrimonial advice?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met them but I didn¡¯t know they had a name,¡± Emeera replied.


    ¡°I have always despised those women. My mother¡¯s escapades were soon known and these women spread it at balls, over lunches and everywhere else. The rumours started to seep out so matter how I tried to contain it.  And oh I tried! In order to save the family name and pride. Lady Athelstan¡¯s mother wasmander in chief of the gossips. She invited people for lunch every week and my mother was their main dish. Then my mother died and fortunately, she took the rumours to her grave and it was buried for good. Our lives regained a bit of normalcy. Luckily, it didn¡¯t affect my sister¡¯s chances at marriage. But I hated my mother and hated those women, yet I made the mistake of marrying from that ss. My wife fit in so well, I should have known.¡±


    ¡°How did you meet her? Your wife, I mean.¡±


    ¡°I went for a horse racing with Stevenson and Alexander. It was there I saw the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She came from the right background. Everything was set. I wedded her few monthster and she moved into my mother¡¯s suite, but not before redecorating. You see, it had a cream wallpaper before she moved in. She took off the wallpapers because she favoured paint. I was fine with the change. The less memories we had left of my mother, the better for me. She overhauled the rooms and I supported everything. The marriage made me believe in love again. I was a busy man and traveled a lot for business. I won¡¯t go into etails of how I found out about my wife and my manager but when I did, I vowed never to remarry if death took her. As providence would have it, I did not have to wait long for it to happen. Like my mother, she cried and swore to change and lied. I almost believed she was raped but that was a lie too. Then the low self-esteem set in. I felt I was not enough. Maybe she had cheated because I could not satisfy her like a man should. I had thought my wife would feel lucky to be my wife. Coming to the realization that title, money, status and even my sexual performance was not enough to keep my own wife was a blow I may never forget. All through the duration of my sham of a marriage, I never cheated. To think she sought it out with my paid man, just like the Lady Savoy before her was enough to drive me over the edge. But it also consoled me. Maybe I was not the problem. Maybe women generally were just ungrateful, selfish, insatiable bitches. I could not divorce her and give thedies who lunch something to talk about for years. It would have revived my mother¡¯s gossip, for sure. Like the saying goes ¡®death is cheaper than divorce¡¯. She is gone now and I am certainly grateful she bore me no bastards. I do not even want children. I do not want my son to experience the cruelty of life like my father and I had experienced.¡±


    Emeera sprang up from the couch, the realization of what he was saying hitting her hard. ¡°Did you murder your wife?¡± She asked. The duke smiled sadly and shook his head.


    ¡°Even if I say no, would you believe me?¡± He asked. Emeera backed away.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°To remain my house manager. To finally understand my aversion to women and why I am certain I shall never entangle myself in holy¡­ Yes, holy matrimony with your kind. To understand why honesty is non-negotiable in my rtionship with anyone. You broke that trust.¡±


    ¡°I am very sorry. It will never happen again.¡±


    He got up, Emeera backed away some more. He walked towards her. ¡°You can sleep in this room tonight. We set out at dawn for the manor.¡± With that, he walked out of the bedroom and gently closed the door behind him. It all made sense to Emeera then. His umitted sexual rtionships with different women. His disdain for women and matrimony. He had made it known even to his lovers he would never marry them which was far more honest than most men Emeera knew. Men who swore they were in love when all they wanted was to have someone in their bed for the night.


    She could not find fault with a rake who admitted to the women he was only seeking temporary pleasures. He did not string them along with vague promises of a future castle anddyship titles. And now, he had been honest with her too. He had not even asked her to keep his confidence but she silently swore she would never breathe a word of it aloud in her life. She wish she could embrace him and whisper to him that he was going to be fine. That it would not hurt so bad one day, but, though he was vulnerable that night, he was not a child and she knew that too well. That night, she prayed for the man and slept.

 Chapter 16 — THE DUKE’S GIFT

    They rode out just before the dawn. All Emeera felt was the Duke¡¯s grip around her as he charged his horse in the dark. She could barely see but it was clear to her the duke knew the route quite well. By sunrise they were in the manor. Emeera, asleep in her bed while the duke went riding again with a different horse. He had told his servants he needed to take the morning air before breakfast and rode out without his groom.


    A week after the incident at the Alexander estate, the Duke called Emeera to his study and informed her his sister was arriving that day. They had anticipated her arrival but that announcement still stirred up some excitement in her. Finally, she was going to have real experience serving thedy of the manor. The duke kept telling her his sister was ady in the manor but Emeera still thought of her as thedy of the estate.


    She was a little apprehensive because she had metdies like Lady Athelstan and her friends so she was anxious about the Duke¡¯s sister and her quirks. At noon, Lady ckhouse ¨C for that was her husband¡¯s name, arrived the manor with her two daughters. From the first meeting, Emeera knew Lady ckhouse was not like any otherdy she had met before. For one, the woman had a kind smile. ¡°But don¡¯t they always?¡± Her mind sang. It was true.


    The first time she had metdy Athelstan, the woman had smiled like Emeera was the most fascinating creature she had ever met. They always smiled, even when making disparaging remarks. But soon she realized Lady ckhouse was not like that. She was not the type who smiled when she did not feel it. Her expressions varied and were quite reflective of what she thought.


    When she hugged the duke, she pinched him in an affectionate manner. ¡°I have missed you, Albert,¡± she said. Her face looked sallow like she had been ill. That was all that showed the poor woman had lost her husband. After their baths and rest, the duke asked them for tea in the gardens. On Lady ckhouse¡¯s insistence, Emeera was also in attendance. ¡°I will need someone to talk to who won¡¯t fuss over me,¡± thedy had joked.


    During lunch, the two ckhouse daughters: Vivian and Victoria seemed lost in their thoughts. Emeera observed the sad group who were all trying hard to seem normal. The duke spoke in a louder tone than usual, to mask his sadness. His sister blinked a lot to restrain tears. She probably had been too brave or too tired during the trip to actually weep. But now she was back in her childhood home with her brother and no society friends to look perfect for. She could finally let her guards down and allow herself the liberty to grieve her loss.


    Emeera wondered if Vivian and Victoria knew they were to be settled in and married off as soon as possible ording to their mama¡¯s arrangements. The duke was not keen on marrying his nieces off at the drop of the hat but he had to respect his sister¡¯s wishes. Now the ball was more important than ever. It was to be the girls¡¯ introduction into society. Emeera wondered what it felt like. To be introduced to Lords anddies and have to dance with their badly behaved sons. She smiled. Being an outsider, she had never been a participant in these things but she was going to observe this time.


    After tea, the three ckhouse women retired to their rooms while Emeera went down to Mrs. Fletcher to discuss the ball. Emeera was unhappy with the older woman for her role in the dispute she had with the Duke but she could forgive her since everything ended well. They did not speak about the issue but instead, talked about the ball. Mrs. Fletcher had already undertaken to do most of the work of contracting with suppliers for the entertainment and decorations. All Emeera had to do was sign some documents and approve funds.


    Weeks went fast and finally, the ball was thrown. The week of the ball was significant as it was also thest week the Duke¡¯s sister and her children were going to spend in the manor before their journey to the country. Emeera had tried to convince them to stay but the women said they preferred the country. Lady ckhouse even whispered that she thought the duke needed privacy for his escapades. It wasmon knowledge that since his sister and nieces moved in, the Duke had spent every night alone in his bed. Emeeraughed when Lady ckhouse said that. The woman loved talking to Emeera about everything and anything. They both disliked thedies who lunch. Emeera knew why the other woman did but fortunately, they never had to talk about that.


    The night before the ball, Emeera picked out a dress she wanted to wear. It was a simple blue dress that was not too bad for an event like that. She wanted to blend in ¨C at least, not look like the maid ¨C while doing her job. Everything was set for the ball. The hall, the music, the food and drinks. Shey in bed that night feeling aplished but also anxious about the following night. As shey, lost in thoughts, the ss door opened for the first time in weeks. It was the duke. Emeera quickly jumped out of her bed. ¡°Good evening¡± she stammered. He smiled wryly.


    ¡°I brought you something,¡± he said. Emeera saw therge box for the first time. She opened it on her bed and a shimmering silver dressy there.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± She gasped. The duke smiled again.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re wearing tomorrow. Thank you for everything you do for me,¡± he said. She quickly took out the dress. In a corner of the boxy a tinier package. She opened it and found a ne, bracelet and earrings. They were easily her most expensive pieces of jewellery. ¡°Oh my God¡± she muttered over and over. ¡°You did not have to go to all these expenses,¡± she said.


    ¡°Of course I did not. I wanted to. May I help you put it on?¡± Emeera blushed crimson. She was unsure if her bedroom door was locked. She wondered if he expected her to strip in order for him to help her with the dress. She held on tight to the dress.


    ¡°Emm.. your grace?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°I meant the jewellery, not the dress so save your show of modesty, Emeera,¡± he said. Before she could respond, he left the room.

 Chapter 17 – The meeting in the garden

    On the night of the ball, the ckhouse women wore their best attires. The ball was also their first official outing after their mourning period and society wanted to see them again.


    Kate De Luca was one of the guests at the ball. She was stunningly beautiful as usual. Hers was a cold, hard, diamond look that brought admirers to her feet. It was possible nobody knew of her intimate rtionship with the Duke; but if they did, nothing was said. At least, none that Emeera could hear. The duke was at the door with Lady ckhouse, to wee people to the ball. Emeera was supposed to be there before the guests to help them settle in but she was too nervous. Because the duke had asked her to just enjoy the night after all her hard work, she felt no pressure to go down sooner. The longer she remained in her room, the harder it was for her to make the move. At some point she changed her dress because it was too stylish and her goal was to blend in, not stand out. A dress like that was sure to make  heads turn and people talk. Lady Athelstan and thedies who lunched were all at the ball, watching people and taking notes. After waiting for thirty minutes, Emeera unfastened the silver dress and picked her blue dress. Just as she did, Nancy entered the bedroom and saw her half-dressed.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Nancy screamed. ¡°Emeera you are the best dressed! Where on Earth did you get a dress like that? I feel so underdressed standing beside you!¡±


    ¡°That is what I¡¯m trying to avoid. What do you think about this other dress?¡± Nancy looked at her like she was seeing a ghost, then grabbed the blue dress and threw across the room.


    ¡°How can you leave this dress for a rag?¡±


    ¡°My dress is not a rag,¡± Emeera said but Nancy was not even listening. She looked at thebel on the silver dress.


    ¡°Emeera!! How much do they pay you? How could you afford this?¡± She asked and showed Emeera the price tag on the inner side of dress which she had not even noticed as it was so tiny. Emeera gasped. The dress was the most expensive property she owned. ¡°You did not even know it cost this much? Then how did you get it? Hope you did not raid Kate De Luca¡¯s wardrobe.¡± Nancy began tough.


    ¡°Of course not. The duke bought it for me,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°You are sleeping with him!¡± Nancy pointed a finger usingly.


    ¡°I am not!¡±


    ¡°Everyone will say you are! There¡¯s no way you walk into that ball shining silver like the moon with sparkling ice diamond and they won¡¯t say you are not his lover. Thedies who lunch will lunch on you this week.¡± Nancyughed mischievously.


    ¡°You are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am. Oh I can¡¯t wait tough at the false rumours.¡± Nancyughed so hard and fell on the bed. ¡°He should know he¡¯s setting you up for this. But at the same time, that man wants to have you in his bed, Emeera. He didn¡¯t spend that amount on a dress for his manager just to be nice. He desires you.¡±


    At that moment, a maid knocked and entered. ¡°The duke says he wants you in the hall now!¡± She said itmandingly; almost the tone Emeera was sure the duke had used. The maid left after delivering her message and Nancyughed again. The door flung open and the duke marched in. ¡°What the hell¡­??!¡± He started angrily. Then stopped on seeing her breasts covered by nothing but a bra. He quickly recovered and thundered over her. ¡°Who do you think you are keeping the guests waiting? Go out there now!¡± He said and left, totally ignoring Nancy¡¯s curtsey.


    Nancy fastened the dress and they stepped out. At the entrance of the ballroom, they heard slow music that told them the dancing had begun.


    ¡°Carry yourself elegantly. You know they will stare! So make it worth their while,¡± Nancy whispered as they walked in. Emeera shoot out her chest and lifted her shoulders high as she walked. The room fell silent as the two girl strutted passed. Everyone was thrown off their bnce. Unlike most of the women there who were heavily made up like De Luca, Emeera looked bright eyed and innocent. Her fresh cheeks and rosy lips had no paint on yet she looked regal. Her beauty was refreshingly cute and soft enough for men to want to hold and protect. Some women tried to act like they were not looking but they were, especially at that slender neck.


    Then someone screamed ¡°It is you!!¡± Emeera turned to see Kate De Luca fuming. ¡°You are that serving girl who ruined my dress! What devil brought you here?¡± The music had died by then and nobody bothered to pretend they were not listening. Emeera wanted to run off but the Duke appeared by her side.


    ¡°You are clearly drunk, Ms. De Luca. I warned you to take it easy with the champagne.¡± Some people chuckled but Kate would not give up.


    ¡°This is the server who ruined my dress.¡±


    ¡°My dear Kate. This is my estate manager, Ms. Charles whom you have even seen before in my home,¡± the duke answered with a naughty smile. Emeera was confused. Kate De Luca had seen her after that event and was rather nice to her. She had even forgotten Emeera¡¯s face so howe she remembered her again? Then it struck her. Thest time Kate had seen her ¨C which was in the Duke¡¯s bedroom, her brain had registered Emeera as just the maid so the face did not jog her memory. Seeing her again in a party under those lights revived every lost memory. She knew exactly who Emeera was.


    ¡°You! You were fired!¡±


    ¡°No. She was hired,¡± the duke replied and gently led Kate out of the hall, whispering something in her ears.


    Emeera left the hall shortly after that. Though people had returned to their dance and pretended they had seen nothing, she knew they had seen a lot. Lady Athelstan was already moving close to some of her friends. Soon, Emeera met all the guests including the out of town guests like Lord Stevenson and his beautiful wife who hade all the way from Davinshire. The out of town guests were to stay the night in the manor and all rooms had been prepared.


    At midnight, while some of the guests who lived within Savoy said their farewells to each other andmented on how lovely the ball was, Emeera left all of them behind and walked into the gardens. She could hear voices. One was the duke and the other was Kate De Luca. They both sounded like they had had too much to drink.


    ¡°You brought her to embarrass me!¡± Kate De Luca was crying.


    ¡°You always think the world revolves around you. I did nothing of the sort.¡± It was the duke, his voice a little drowsy like he was trying his best to stay clear-headed.


    ¡°You know how I feel about you, Albert. For years I have done everything¡­ Everything to make you appreciate me to no avail¡­ You¡­.¡±


    ¡°Kate I cannot give you what you want. I don¡¯t love you. I cannot do this to anyone and I respect you too much to drag you into into a loveless Marriage just because you want to be my wife.¡±


    Emeera was shocked at that. Kate De Luca wanted to marry the duke of Savoy.

 Chapter 18 — THE MIDNIGHT QUARREL

    Emeera hid behind some flowers watching the heated exchange between the two.


    ¡°I have everything a woman can do for a man to love her. I have done everything Albert. Everything. I have been at your service, yed wife and hostess, gave you my body over and over¡­¡±


    ¡°Kate, I apologize for any misunderstanding you may have had about our rtionship. I thought I had made it clear I would never be bound in matrimony.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Matrimony is the ultimate sin! But you have no issue treating me like your slut!¡±


    ¡°I think we should have this conversation when we¡¯re both sober so we do not say things weter regret.¡±


    ¡°I mean everything I say here. You used me!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! You wanted it as much as I did!¡±Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You are nothing but a scoundrel like the rest of them! You can act all Noble and mighty and titled but you are as horrible and as dirty as everyst one of them. You just wanted to fuck!¡±


    ¡°Kate!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t Kate me, your grace! She¡¯s the reason I¡¯ve not heard from you for weeks now, right? Since the time she saw me in your bedroom, you never called again.  All at once, you became busy with the entire weight of Savoy. But it will notst. After all, you are a reprobate! If you couldy withdy Bentham and her daughters and almost the whole of Savoy, you will stop at nothing. I should have known better. You are filth and you are evil. .¡±


    ¡°You are drunk. We¡¯ll get you to your hotel.¡±


    ¡°Not your bed anymore, right? Your castle is now too good for my kind? You have found a naive girl to deceive this time. At least she has an excuse in her naivety. I wonder what my own excuse was. That I was stupid enough to fall in love with you?¡±


    Kate stumbled away. The duke tried to hold her but she flung his hands off and stomped off, leaving the duke alone in the garden.


    ¡°Emeera, I know you are there so juste out of the bushes,¡± he said. For a reason she did not understand, Emeera refused to step out. Instead, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, towards the dark greenhouse. The duke was at her heels in an instant and grabbed her.


    ¡°You will shut your mouth Ms. Charles! You heard nothing,¡± he said. She nodded but her eyes were filled with hate. ¡°You believe I did all those things, don¡¯t you?¡± He asked in a gentler tone.


    ¡°You did them! Everybody warned me. Lady Athelstan, Nancy¡­¡±


    ¡°If you are listening to the rumours of thedies who lunch, then you are no better than Kate De Luca! I would never sleep with a mother and daughters. I would never,¡± he spat. She stumbled on a rock and Albert quickly held her steady. Her chest was heaving fast.


    ¡°Then what should I believe??  There is no smoke without fire. Everyone cannot be wrong about your roguish reputation!¡±


    ¡°My reputation and my character would not even recognize each other in the dark! I am my character, not my reputation. I am that man who has desired you from the first time heid his eyes on you but has refused toe to your bed because he would not defile you.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡±


    ¡°I am that man who left your room at the Alexander hall even when all I wanted was to make love to you¡­ so don¡¯t you dare stand here to tell me hogwash about my reputation when I have exercised every restraint, every level of self control around you even when you throw yourself naked on me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t throw-¡±


    ¡°Keep quiet!¡± He touched her hair. ¡°You keep this cherubic face like you don¡¯t know what you do to me. Acting innocent as if you don¡¯t know how badly, how desperately, how fervently I have pined for you. How strongly I desire you¡­ Like you don¡¯t notice what you do to me when you enter the room or how I chased after you when you left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You said you will never marry.¡±


    ¡°Of course I shall never marry. That is why I withheld myself from you,¡± he breathed. They gazed at each other¡¯s eyes and at that moment, all resistance fell. The next minute, they were kissing hungrily, passionately. With one hand, he unfastened her dress and with the other, he cupped her breast. The darkness around the greenhouse covered them from any unwanted presence. He was rock hard with longing and she could feel it. They could hear some of the guests leaving in their cars but it seemed like worlds apart from them. The music was still ying loudly but the ball seemed like ages ago. The duke kissed her neck and her breasts. She felt a heat within her she had never felt before. Her heart did rapid summersaults as he devoured her mouth.


    ¡°Emeera¡± he moaned, his hand running through her hair. Her name jolted her back to consciousness. She tried to push him off but he held fast. She pushed him off again and this time, he loosened his grip. She then went up to her bedroom. The music from the ball was still ying loudly but she clearly heard the ss door open as the duke entered her room.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She asked. She knew what he wanted. She wanted it too but she did not know how to want that from a man who could not be with her.


    He seemed really inebriated at that point but either Emeera¡¯s question or her slight panicky tone stopped him. He gathered himself, shook his head, and left. It was Emeera¡¯s turn to go after him. She caught up with him just before he closed the ss and nted a kiss on his mouth. They kissed as he unfastened her dress for the second time that night and it fell to the floor.


    ¡°I want you,¡± he said huskily. ¡°Emeera, I need you.¡±


    They kissed all the way into hisrge and shadowy bed. Hey her gently and undressed, all the while watching her naked body. A gust of chill wind blew in from the window and she squirmed. The cold gave her goosebumps but also stiffened her erected nipples. Hetched his warm mouth over one nipple and sucked. Emeera let out a scream which was muffled by the sound of the music and dancing.

 CHAPTER 19 — THE BEST NIGHT OF HIS LIFE

    The Duke ced his lower teeth directly on her nipple and the upper teeth on the mound of her fair breasts, sucking, gently biting, blowing and licking. Emeera shook violently like she wanted to flee his bed but he pinned her down and continued teasing. He went up to her mouth, his tongue chasing hers in a wild game she yed.  She felt so wet and moaned, begging him to take her. ¡°Not yet,¡± he whispered, a wicked fire in his eyes. His mouth was back on her second breast, while his fingers caressed the first. Emeera¡¯s whole body vibrated with waves of pleasure that felt like torture. Her body was on fire.  She needed him. ¡°Please¡­ Please¡­¡± She begged.


    ¡°Please what?¡± He mocked. In response, she took his hand down to her slit. It was warm and dripping with her fluids. ¡°You are so wet,¡± he says. She closed her legs to keep his fingers in.


    ¡°Please,¡± she begged again. He had always considered her sexy but this was the sexiest he had seen her. It never urred to him that Emeera could beg him to make love to her. It was one thing to want a woman, it was another thing for her to desire you right back.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± he whispered, pointing a finger at her face. She sucked on the finger with herrge eyes holding his gaze. He had not known how erotic she could be. The eye contact she kept with him was more than he could handle. He was used to women who closed their eyes. Emeera did not look away or close them. Her dark eyes pierced him. He could see her response to everything he did.


    Her eyes widened as he slid a finger into her, ying with her clit. At this point, she was shaking and speaking unintelligible things. For the first time ever, she spoke Arabic. The Duke paused just slightly, before introducing his second finger. She was speaking rapidly as he ramped it up. Then she held him tight, her body convulsing, her eyes rolled back as her orgasm imploded. Her entire body froze then shook uncontrobly. She wanted to speak but swallowed. She gasped for breath as he watched her cum. After her hyper sensitivity went down, he went into her again.


    ***


    The Duke rolled over at the first break of dawn to go to the bathroom. As he opened his eyes, he saw a naked Emeera in his bed and the events of the previous night came rushing back to him. She was his estate manager and he had sworn never to be entangled with the help like his mother and his wife. He quickly got up, ashamed, and left the suite for his study. He spent the next hour telling himself he could concentrate on going through his mails and maybe read the newspapers before facing Emeera. His new butler, Raymond, was already telling the guests leaving that morning that his master was unwell and could not bid them farewells.


    As he pored over his letters, he remembered her eyes, inviting him, seducing him, captivating him. He remembered her loose silky hair spread all over his pillow. He remembered her moans, her cries and quivering lips. Most importantly, he remembered her smallughs. He had not known before Emeera that it was possible for a woman to utterly enjoy sex the way she had. He enjoyed himself having sex with the women he knew, but with Emeera, he couldn¡¯t say who enjoyed it more. She obviously did.


    ¡°NOOO!!¡± He unwittingly said aloud. He did not want to think of her. He could not dare. The previous night had been a mistake brought upon him by alcohol and her seduction in that dress. But you bought her the dress. You cannot deny you had some intentions when you picked it out, his mind taunted. He went back to writing his letter but before long, his thoughts trailed back to her. She was an active, delightful participant. She did not hold back on anything not even those peals of delightfulughter when she felt tickled. She did not try to be perfect, she  basked in its euphoria. Sheughed and cried and moaned and begged and yed so actively.  She gave him such titition it was insane how he managed to not burst within seconds of making love to¡­ No, making love with her.


    He did not know if he had to sack Emeera or send her away to one of his other properties. But he knew for certain he could not remain under the same roof with her and not have her. He wanted her so much he knew there was no way a thin ss wall could separate them from each other¡¯s arms. He needed her like a drowning man needed air. It was impossible for her to remain with him. The floodgates had been opened and there was no way he could go back after that experience. He had never had that much fun with sex. Nobody had made himugh during the act before her. She tickled and bit him.  Sex with women were great but with Emeera, it was indeed a discovery.


    He threw the pen down. He could not concentrate. Raymond knocked on the door at 10a. m with coffee. The Dukergely ignored him till he was about to leave.


    ¡°Raymond, have you seen Ms. Charles?¡± The Duke asked casually. He hoped to God the servants had no clue Emeera had spent a passionate night in his bed blowing his mind and body. He blushed at the thought of the things she did to him. Thinking of it made him hard again.


    ¡°She is in her room, I presume. Your grace,¡± the butler said. The Duke waved him off in silence. Few minutester, there was a knock on the door and he absentmindedly said e in¡± thinking it was Raymond again. But as the door opened, Emeera walked in. She looked shy.


    ¡°Good morning your grace. Raymond said you sent for me.¡± She said. The Duke tried to stand but found it a struggle. He had not sent for her but Raymond had gotten the enquiry wrong and now he had toe face to face with the woman who had driven him wild just hours before. He looked at the face of his lover. He wanted to kiss her and wanted to tell her it was only a mistake. Then wanted to kiss her again. He wanted what it would be like to sweep all the documents off his office table, bend her over the table and take her right there. Or to seat her on the table and open her legs wide for better ess. To have her moan his name aloud there in his home office.Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.

 Chapter 20 — THE MORNINGS AFTER

    The two lovers stood in an awkward silence. ¡°I only asked about you. I did send for you.¡± He said. As he looked at her, he remembered every moment of that night. Her shy demeanor told him she was obviously thinking of it too.


    ¡°How are you this morning?¡± He asked, for want of something to say.


    ¡°I am fine. I hope you slept well.¡±


    It was his turn to gulp. She had never asked him that before. ¡°I slept well indeed. Thank you. Emeera what happened between usst night-¡±


    ¡°Was a mistake that should never reur,¡± she quickly said.


    The response surprised him. After all the thoughts that morning, he had finally seen he could not punish himself by staying away from her so he wanted to say it was the best night of his life and possibly ask her to be his mistress. It was a simple to organize. Every night when the manor was asleep, she would push aside the ss door and enter his bed. It would be their own little secret.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he lied. ¡°We were drunk.¡± She was not drunk, but she did not interrupt him. ¡°It was just the impulse of the moment. I am very sorry for my part in it,¡± he said.


    ¡°No please. I was the one who came after you. It was nobody¡¯s fault.¡± She said. He nodded. ¡°if there is nothing else, I need to meet with the decorators for their bnce,¡± Emeera added.


    ¡°No problem. I have some letters to write.¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± she said.


    ¡°Bye,¡± he responded. When she was gone, the duke got up and punched the wall. Why was she so damn insistent on making it into a huge mistake that should not be repeated? He had been given a taste and there was no way a sane man could be expected to not want to devour the fruit and even the entire tree. He felt like a parched man who was given a small sip of chilled water to wet his throat then the whole bottle was grabbed out of his hands. What he had done with Emeera was not a mistake. It was what he had always wanted to do ever since the first day he saw her. Like a man fighting against the inevitable, he had told himself he would never touch yet he did it anyway. Now he wanted more but she was closing the door. No. She was mming it shut.


    That night, the duke could not sleep. He tossed in bed and twice, almost opened the ss door to beg Emeera that he would do anything, give anything and give up everyone else to make theirs a permanent affair. After Emeera, everyone including De Luca tasted like paper in his mouth. He needed Emeera like a starving man needed bread. After midnight, he prayed for sleep. He wondered how Emeera could easily call their intense lovemaking a mistake. Maybe sex was normal to her? He pushed those ufortable thoughts away from him. He did not need to know a woman¡¯s past. She was his now. Or was she? A woman who called him a mistake? She was probably asleep, he thought. Not knowing that in her own room, Emeeray in the couch with a book trying to lull herself to sleep but to no avail. She was awake and thinking of him. Of how her body felt warm where he touched and cold where he¡¯d not. She had battled with thoughts of him all day and even the head decorator told her she looked flushed. If only they could look into her head and saw the images that snuggled in there all day and now, night. They kept her warm. Once, she toyed with the thought of opening the door in-between for another night of orgasmic releases. The sexual tension they had built up all day was too much, she needed a release. She needed him. She was never one to touch herself but that night,  she needed a touch even if from her own damn hands which were nothingpared to his expert fingers. She went to bed, covered herself with her duvet and went to work. Her body was so ripe for release that she heard herself moaning within seconds.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    The Dukey in bed trying to sleep when he heard her. Before then, he was certain the walls were so thick one could not overhear anything from the next room but how he managed to hear this was a mystery to him. Maybe that was what happened when your heart was somewhere and your entire body quiet and listening for any and every pin drop from where your hearty. It was obvious she didn¡¯t know he could hear her. Her moans was soft but he was certain of it ¨C she was moaning in pleasure in the bed next to the ss wall. Without him. He felt a rage he did not know he possessed. How dare she?? How bad was his lovemaking that she would rather resort to her fingers than let him near her? As his rage turned to excitement, he realized he wanted her more now. Before he could decide what to do, he heard the quivering ¡°ha!!¡± that characteristically announced her orgasms. In her room, Emeera was done and immediately fell asleep. She did not know the duke entered her room and watched her sleep peacefully for some seconds. He envied her ability to sleep.


    ****


    The next morning, Emeera could not understand the Duke¡¯s attitude towards her. First, she greeted him on the stairs but he snubbed her and walked away. She was afraid that Nancy¡¯s foretelling that the duke would only sleep with her then move on dawned on her. Maybe Albert was tired of her already. She went about that day trying to make eye contact to no avail. Over the next few days, he avoided her. Albert left whenever she entered a room that evendy ckhouse noticed. ¡°Lovers¡¯ quarrels, eh?¡± She said with a mischievous wink. Emeera was surprised at that because she thought nobody had heard them.

 CHAPTER 21 — PREGNANCY JUST LIKE THAT?

    Emeera was about to exin whendy ckhouseughed. ¡°I know my brother likes you. I see how he looks at you. But don¡¯t get carried away by this his resentful looks just because you don¡¯t reciprocate. He is not brave enough to try matrimony again and any woman who allows him around her is just wasting her time.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°Then you are either blind or slow. Even my Vivian noticed it,¡± she said as she buttered her toast. ¡°Join me for lunch today and let¡¯s discuss the ball. You two disappeared so suddenly I didn¡¯t know where you went to¡­¡± She ended the sentence slowly, realization dawning on her. ¡°Oh my God.¡± Emeera looked down at her napkin. ¡°Are you okay?¡± She asked in a kind, maternal manner. Emeera nodded.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± was all the woman said. But since the discovery, her friendship with Emeera took a new turn. Lady ckhouse became nicer, often treating Emeera as if she was likely to break. Emeera loved the woman but she wished she could leave for the country already so she could catch a break. She had sex, not die in battle.


    That weekend, Lady ckhouse and her two daughters set out for the country but not before insisting Emeera visit them regrly. She agreed and thedy hugged her briefly as they said their farewells.


    ***


    It was two months since the ball and Emeera thought it was the time to visit Lady  ckhouse. It had been two long months having to act formally with the duke, pretending that night of unbridled passion did not exist.


    The first night Emeera spent in Davinshire with the ckhouse women was the best in months. Mary, thedy¡¯s maid (Dr. Stevenson¡¯s love Interest), was happy to see Emeera after the long while. The women were interested in everything happening in the manor. Vivian ckhouse innocently asked if the duke was still bringing his women. The sistersughed but their mother just smiled. Emeera knew that if Lady ckhouse had not known about her night with the Duke, she would haveughed too in her usual carefree manner.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about him. But I don¡¯t see womening in,¡± Emeera answered. The girls drifted to conversation about their suitors. The ball had introduced them to several members of the gentry who had been courting them for about a month. Emeera thought that was another reason the country was a better idea. Having to entertain different male guests each day would have be a real chore.


    After they had retired to their bedrooms, Emeera¡¯s door opened and Lady ckhouse entered. Emeera was surprised to see herdyship in her room at that time of the night. The woman smiled at Emeera and quietly let herself sit in the couch. She waited for Emeera to join her before speaking.


    ¡°Emeera, I have something to ask you that may not be in my ce but since it involves my brother and you, my friend, I will be frank with you.¡±


    Emeera was tensed by the woman¡¯s demeanor but she had learned how to keep quiet till the cat was out of the bag.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    ¡°When was thest time you saw your monthly flow?¡± Lady ckhouse asked. Emeera¡¯s heart fell at the question. She had not menstruated in weeks but she had not even thought about it.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s been over a month?¡± She said, confused. The older woman heaved. ¡°Emeera, you are pregnant.¡±


    ¡°How?? How do you know?¡±


    ¡°I am a mother. I have been around so many pregnant women. From the moment I hugged you, I felt it. Have you lost your appetite? Do you feel tired?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s normal.¡±


    ¡°Have your noticed any changes in your body?¡± She asked. Now that the woman mentioned it, Emeera remembered in panic that she had noticed her breasts seemed fuller but since periods brought about same changes, she had attached no meaning to it.


    Emeera nodded in response to the question. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of it as pregnancy. Just thought I was adding some weight.¡±


    ¡°You are pregnant. If you want, we can get a doctor to check it and confirm then you can go to my brother with the doctor¡¯s report. It¡¯s much better than saying you think¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be pregnant. He will not be happy at all.¡±


    ¡°You did not impregnate yourself my dear. And I believe he may like you more than you know.¡±


    ¡°You have not seen how his grace goes about his affairs with women! I have been such a fool.¡±


    ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t seen him. Because for months now, he hasn¡¯t been entertained other women apart from you. At first I thought it was because of me, but the more I thought of it, the clearer it was. Try to get some sleep. We¡¯ll discuss more tomorrow.¡±


    Lady ckhouse left the room, leaving behind a shocked Emeera. Emeera stayed up the whole night, sick with worry. She was surprised at the pregnancy as she knew she was supposed to be barren.  She fought against the memory of that period where she was considered barren.


    ¡°You will have to think what you are going to do,¡± Lady ckhouse had said. Problem was, Emeera had no idea. It was true the duke no longer had various women over but he was clear about marrying nobody.


    ¡°I am pregnant,¡± she said to herself. ¡°I am pregnant.¡± There was no thought of terminating the pregnancy, not after being shamed for her supposed barrenness. But she was terrified of the Duke.


    ***


    The conversation with the Duke was not funny. He was livid.


    ¡°I was drunk and you took advantage!¡± He used. ¡°You knew I would never marry, so why did you not act withmon sense? It is not like I met you a virgin so why couldn¡¯t you take care of yourself? How many women of your age get pregnant after just one night of pleasure?¡± Emeera felt scandalized. Her only constion was that their conversation took ce in the Alexander¡¯s family estate. She had taken him out there for the conversation so nobody could overhear them.


    ¡°Thank you for the speech. I¡¯ll tender my resignation in the morning and keep my baby,¡± Emeera said stubbornly. She was walking away but he grabbed her hand.


    ¡°Of course you must resign. And since you have decided to force this  pregnancy on me, you can keep it. I will marry you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a marriage proposal from you,¡± she hissed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you are not happy or you did not get pregnant on purpose! You knew I will never allow you raise my child as a bastard. But you have dragged me into a marriage I swore I would never be in and you will regret it.¡±


    ¡°I shall never marry you!¡±


    ¡°I did not ask for this pregnancy. The idea of settling down with you or anyone else does not exactly please me either. But you will marry me, Emeera. You will. You sealed your fate with that pregnancy.¡±


    Emeera thought about the judgmental society called Savoy. It was tough finding work as a brown skinned, Arab girl with no child. It would take heaven to get her a job as a single mother of an illegitimate child. She remembered the butler who had been sent away and had to wed because of a simr situation. It felt like she was trapped. Reluctantly, she agreed to the wedding.

 CHAPTER 22 — HAPPY MARRIED LIFE

    The wedding was over before Emeera realized. They were to spend the night in the manor before traveling to the country for their honeymoon. When they got back home, Mrs. Fletcher threw scornful looks at Emeera. The Duke did not notice anything different as he did not even pay any attention to her. As they entered the master suite, he took off his clothes and went into the bathroom. When he got out, Emeera had changed into house robes.


    ¡°We need to address the servants,¡± he said tonelessly and stepped out of the room. Emeera followed him downstairs. As if the duke had already summoned them, all the servants gathered in one room and bowed or curtseyed as the couple entered. Many said congrattions but Mrs. Fletcher particrly kept her mouth shut.


    Without prior greetings, the dukeunched into his speech. ¡°I have noticed whispers and insubordination from some of you towards my wife ¨C Lady Emeera, the new Duchess of Savoy. I want to warn you that I shall not abide it. If you no longer wish to be under our employ, you can leave us. My wife will receive all the respect that¡¯s due her position and person. You shall report to her and treat her in all regards reserved for the mistress of this house and if you cannot do this, please hand in your resignation before we return from our honeymoon. Thank you.¡± He said and led her out. As Emeera walked passed Mrs. Fletcher, the woman curtseyed.


    Back in the master suite, a four course meal had beenid out on the low coffee table with a beautiful three tier wedding cake. Emeera felt a pang of guilt that the servants had gone to all that trouble yet got disparaging remarks from the Duke.


    ¡°How could you speak to your people like that? I am not a baby. I don¡¯t need you to fight my battles,¡± she said the moment the door was closed but he ignored her. Instead of answering, he took his clothes off down to just his underwear and towered above her.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to consummate the marriage,¡± he said.


    ¡°Are you sick?¡± She asked menacingly. In response, he grabbed her waist and pulled her close, then kissed her mouth in what was obviously a fight.


    ¡°Get off me you bastard!¡± She fought. He immediately left. The word bastard having disarmed him. ¡°No no no. I did not mean it in the literal sense,¡± she said but he simply walked out of the room. Emeera knew the servants were watching and would soon confirm their suspicions that something was seriously wrong with the marriage. Shey in bed till nightfall but the Duke did not return. At first, she dared not step out of the  sanctuary of her new bedroom to ask servants where he had gone to. But after waiting for hours, she decided to damn all consequences and find out.


    She rang for the Lucille and she promptly answered. When the girl got there, Emeera asked her where the duke was. There was no raised eyebrow, no veiled mockery as the girl said he had been in his study all afternoon.


    The duchess went to the study and saw the duke reading. As his wife, she no longer waited to be permitted entry through the butler. The moment she entered the office, he closed the book and gave her a bored look. ¡°Emeera what is it?¡± He asked and stood up. She was wearing a glossy purple nightdress he knew covered nothing underneath. She did not dress like his mother or any other nobledy he knew in heavy robes. He had to remind himself that she was still a foreigner to his people¡¯s culture and dressing. His mind pictured her naked breasts and he saw himself battling an erection.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you do not know you are embarrassing us. The least you can do is remain in the room,¡± she said and made to leave. She was angry and that fire in her eyes excited him.


    He held her back and kissed her lips. Emeera knew she should not but she gave in and parted her lips just a little. With one swift movement of his arm, her loose gown was on the floor of the study and her bodyid bare. She was wearing no underwear. There were no obvious signs of pregnancy except her breasts which seemed fuller and softer than what he remembered. But maybe it was his mind ying tricks.


    The duke pushed his bride over the table like he had fantasized about for weeks. Her breasts dangled in front of her as he entered her from behind. It was unlike the first time when theyughed and yed and teased. This one was rough, causing her to scream in either ecstasy or pain. He spanked her buttocks as he pumped her.  Emeera was so attracted to the man that just merely being around him in closed spaces made her sex tingly and wet. She wanted him in her and she was enjoying it but she was also in pain as he gripped her waist and thrust like his life depended on it. She screamed out but the Duke did not care to cover her mouth like he was wont to do. Instead he kept his fast deep strokes going. It sounded like he pounded her in raw fury. She knew she should stop him but she did not. In an animalistic desire, she wanted him to continue. To pour out all his anger and defeat, the years of hate and frustration that had piled up. But just as she was about to enjoy it, he slowed down but his grip on her waist was still firm.


    Her orgasm shook her whole body and she screamed his name Albert in a croaked voice.


    ¡°Yes you are mine!¡± He said, not caring to lower his voice for the sake of his servants.  ¡°Emeera, you are mine!¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

 CHAPTER 23 — THE MASTER BEDROOM

    Nancy Athelstan came the next morning. She looked dazed at the ring on Emeera¡¯s finger. After they were safely shut inside her bedroom, Nancy opened a barrage of words.


    ¡°Emeera what did you do?? The duke married you! How?? That man was a sworn bachelor!¡±


    Emeera wanted to lie and say the duke just decided to marry but she heard herself saying ¡°Because I¡¯m pregnant and he did not want to have an illegitimate child.¡±


    She was expecting Nancy to say aha! At the sudden rity but she did not. Nancy¡¯s brow still knitted in thought. ¡°Congrattions! So you have been naughty! But Emeera, sorry to say this now but the duke has had several lovers and I¡¯m sure some might have taken in too and terminated the pregnancies with no marriage. Trust me, there¡¯s something else or Albert wouldn¡¯t marry you. He does not strike me as the type of man one can pin down with pregnancy. He is in love with you.¡±


    ¡°I wish.¡±


    ¡°Emeera, I think so.¡±


    ¡°Please he is not. Let¡¯s not even discuss that. So tell me what I am supposed to do as Duchess because I have no idea what is expected of me,¡± Emeera said.


    ¡°You will entertain guests, represent your husband ¨C Oh my God that sounds surreal. My Emeera is now a duchess.¡± She paused for a moment, her eyes teary. ¡°As  I was saying, dear Duchess, you will represent  your husband, the Duke of Savoy at events. You will throw fundraisers to help the less privileged around Savoy, you will run this estate, go hunting with the royal family, and be a regr guest at the nobledies¡¯ lunches.¡±


    ¡°You mean, I will have to lunch with thedies who lunch!¡±


    ¡°Of course. There has never been a Duchess of Savoy who snubbed the nobles. You must even host some of the lunches as the new mother of Savoy.¡±


    ¡°She shall not,¡± a voice said and thedies turned to see the duke who had silently entered the room. They rose and curtsied.


    ¡°Your grace. The duchess did not tell me you will be blessing us with your presence,¡± Nancy said, all smiles. The very look of innocent adoration. The Duke looked at his wife.


    ¡°She did not know either,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Your grace, you know she is our Duchess now and the nobledies will naturally expect her to take on the reins of leadership with the women gatherings.¡±


    ¡°My wife will not. I didn¡¯t marry her to y hostess. I married her to be my wife.¡± He said with a note of finality before turning to Emeera. ¡°Darling, I came to inform you that the servants will be up shortly to move your boxes to the master suite,¡± he said, ignoring her ming cheeks.


    ¡°Master suite? I thought I would stay in the mistress suite right here like all the other duchesses before me.¡±


    ¡°You thought wrong. This ce ceased to be the mistress suite after a house manager moved into it. Currently, there is no mistress suite. We will share my room. You can move inter,¡± he said.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t mind staying here. I was the manager so I will simply continue to¡­¡±


    ¡°You shall not. The servants will be here in an hour to pack your bags,¡± he said and left. Emeera ran after him.


    ¡°Decided? Your grace, what do you mean by decided? How do you decide something involving me without me!¡± She said as they marched through therge corridors with gold wallpaper that led to his study. They passed a chamber maid (Emeera had learned to distinguish the different maids by their uniforms), but the Duke did not care to lower his voice.


    ¡°I am surprised you are offended. I should be the one who is offended. I deserve to be far away from a scheming Jezebel but I have chosen to endure your presence in my room,¡± he said. They got into his study. ¡°My mother stayed in this mistress suite and destroyed her marriage. Myte wife, same mistress suite. You are not allowed to stay there, Emeera. In case that room is cursed.¡± Emeera wanted tough at that but he seemed dead serious. She found it cute that such a big man believed in forces and curses. After the fruitless argument, Emeera left.


    She went back to her room and found Nancy smiling mischievously. ¡°He is in love,¡± Nancy said as they went down to the drawing room to have tea and y the pianoforte.


    After Nancy took the first sip of her tea, she turned to Emeera ¡°my dear friend, I told you this is a love match. When a man marries for love, he often says tradition be damned. Thete duchess was the perfect ¡°drawing room wife¡± but not you. You¡¯re his lover.¡± She said with a wink and a click of her tongue. ¡°Enjoy the passion while it¡¯s there.¡±


    Emeera set down her teacup. ¡°What do you mean by drawing room wife?¡±


    ¡°Oh my dear, those are the wives who host. They are typically from noble families trained to marry the title and not the man. They can marry a brute if he was born into the right title. All he need do is make her ¡®Lady Vivienne Longhorn¡¯ and she is fine. He takes lovers and mistresses from the lower noble families while his wife is a mere trophy or political arrangement to decorate his drawing room for guests. She does needlework, ys the pianoforte, wears the brocade in season, attend every ball, know every gossip from the table of thedies who lunch and turn her eye the other way when the master bedroom is noisy with the moans from his numerous lovers.¡±


    ¡°That can never be me,¡± Emeera said with a shudder.Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Of course not my darling. Of course it can never be. The man loves you,¡± Nancy said and sipped her tea.


    ¡°You know the circumstances of my union so stop acting like this is some love story because it¡¯s not. The only love story here exists in your fantasies,¡± Emeera murmured.


    ¡°That means you don¡¯t see the way he looks at you¡­¡± Nancy shivered and blushed which caused Emeera to lift her eyebrows in a questioning arc. ¡°No Emeera, it¡¯s not just about you. I¡¯m thinking of how my fiance looks at me too.¡±


    ¡°Fiance?? Nancy!! You are engaged?!¡±


    ¡°Yes my dear, I am. And unlike you, I am ready to enjoy my love match with no pretense.¡±


    ¡°Unlike me?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Unlike you Mrs. You-can-move-into-my-bedroom-now! You did not get pregnant by the power of the holy Spirit but you are here acting like you did. So cease the pretense and enjoy.¡± Emeeraughed. It was so like Nancy to speak carefree like that. She did not care about being ady. After tea, Nancy left. Emeera went to her bedroom and found out her essentials had been moved to the master bedroom. She thought of thest time she had been in the Duke¡¯s bed and like Nancy, she shivered. She did not want to remember the lovemaking. She wanted it to go away but she also wanted him to do it to her again. She was damned if he did and damned if he didn¡¯t.

 CHAPTER 24 — OUR NEW DUCHESS

    For fear of going out to meet her husband in bed, Emeera took the longest bath she had ever had in the manor. She thought of Nancy¡¯s engagement and wondered if Nancy would have to tolerate the women who lunch too. It was Nancy¡¯s worst nightmare. But Emeera knew even if Nancy joined the meetings, all attention would still be on herself and not only because she was the new duchess. She was also the child of nobody with a doubtful ancestry. Her mother was notdy Athelstan who held sway over the women¡¯s meetings. Nobody will openly speak against Nancy Athelstan no matter what. But Emeera? That would be a different story, whether she joined the meetings or not.


    But she also knew joining would be better than staying out. She may be young but she was the Duchess of Savoy, the highest titled female in thend. She was married to the Duke, the ruler of Savoy and second only to the King. Not showing up for the women groups will give rise to ugly rumours like the duke was ashamed of his lowly bride. Maybe the civilized world had seen many breakthroughs, in fact, the world even used telephones and cars but Savoy was still Savoy ¨C a country Duchy with townspeople who knew everything about everyone.


    This was not America where people minded their business in factories and everyone ¨C except the cks, were equal. This was Savoy where ss still existed and nobles were not expected to marry down. Emeera straightened her shoulders. She was not going to hide before them. She was going to be in their faces and rule beside Albert, Duke of Savoy and not even Albert could stop her. She was after all, the duchess.


    That night,dy Athelstan was on the telephone with Baroness Rhodes, her best friend. The Baroness was the worst gossip in Savoy. She was the one who started the ugly rumours about the duke having intercourse with Viscountess Bentham and her daughters. When she was finally confronted by the Viscountess, she denied with tears in her eyes. Now she was talking about Emeera and the duke.


    ¡°Why do you think the duke married so quickly?¡± Lady Athelstan asked her friend. ¡°I am certainly surprised at this dishonourable match. I have always known Emeera to be a gold digger but if the duke could survive a scarlet woman like Kate De Luca even when she clearly had her designs on him, this child should have been an easier one to dismiss.¡±


    Baroness Rhodesughed. ¡°Do you still need me to tell you at your age that the innocent looking sorts are the worst? I know things about that girl that will make your skin crawl with disgust. Do you know she had eyes on Lord Athelstan?¡±


    ¡°My husband?¡± Lady Athelstan asked, petrified.


    ¡°How many Lord Athelstans do you know?¡±


    ¡°What?!!¡± Lady Athelstan¡¯s voice rang out.


    ¡°That is why I always smile whenever I see her being weed grandly into your home. An Arabian fugitive with no known parents became your ward just by bing your daughter¡¯s best friend, thereby crawling her way into Savoy¡¯s highest society. What exactly do we know about the girl who mysteriously appeared in our lives some years ago?? Next thing she pinned her disgraceful pregnancy on the duke and forced the honourable man to propose to her. If she had any honour in her, when the duke offered her marriage and security, she would have said no.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    If the situation was not so serious,dy Athelstan would haveughed at the Baroness calling the duke honourable. The same Baroness who regrly called the Duke a rogue, a sexual deviant, a duke with no honour or fear of God. Was that the same man she dubbed honourable just because she wanted to sh Emeera to shreds? The Duke was the innocent angel who had been seduced by Delh the devil.


    ¡°Pregnant? The girl is pregnant?¡± Lady Athelstan asked. Gossiping with the Baroness always left Lady Athelstan dazed because the woman could drop many shocking pieces of information in the middle of casual lines like they were nothing.


    ¡°You did not know? Of course she is pregnant! That¡¯s why she is in hiding. She ims she is still in honeymoon but I heard he avoids her scheming self ever since he married her. Nancy did not tell you these things?¡± Baroness Rhodes asked and paused to gulp for breath. Lady Athelstan feared the woman would faint for not breathing in between all her gossip.


    ¡°Nancy does not talk about anything with me,¡± Lady Athelstan said with a voiceden with sadness. ¡°She acts like talking to me is evil.¡±


    ¡°Let her just be careful with the desperate girl she took in as friend. Who would have believed that girl would fight her way into the highest position in these parts? Anyway, since she is hiding, we will have to officially inform her of our group and ask her to attend some women¡¯s meetings. That will even give you the opportunity to see her pregnant body for yourself,¡± Baroness Rhodes said.


    ¡°Definitely. If she is indeed pregnant, I would like to see for myself.¡¯


    ¡°She certainly is pregnant. What else do you think is powerful enough to rope a rake like the duke into matrimony?¡± Lady Athelstan did not remind her that just seconds ago, she said the duke was a honourable man.


    The women talked for some minutes more before they hung up. Lady Athelstan decided there she wanted to see the new bride herself. Honeymoon be damned. What did a tainted girl need honeymoon for anyway? There was no need to act bashful if she was already with child before the wedding.


    That weekend, the noble women went to the manor. It was their first time at the manor since the night of the ball. While they waited in the drawing room, Emeera carefully dressed and applied her makeup. She was going to make them wait until she was ready to meet with them. After twenty minutes of waiting, the women grew impatient but as well mannereddies they smiled and waited. There were murmurs that if the girl was well-raised, she would have known it was rude to keep her guests waiting for that long.


    And then, as if she heard them, Emeera appeared at the door. ¡°Ladies of Savoy, wee to my beloved home. I am grateful you all came to wee me and even waited for me to finish my toilette.¡±


    There are two kinds of speakers in the world. Those who raise their voices in order to be heard and those who keep theirs authoritative but low, so everyone has to observe absolute silence and even hold their breaths in order to grasp a word falling from the lips of the person whose speech held the ce spellbound. Emeera belonged in the second category. Her voice was the lowest in the room, forcing even the grudging Lady Athelstan to pay attention.


    ¡°Do make yourselvesfortable and ask the servants for anything you may need. I heard you wanted to talk to me about something¡­.¡± Then she sat and the women looked at each other. Emeera was young in age but matured in authority. She was not the type they could easily intimidate. The only tan skin in the room but she dominated like it was her own. Indeed it was, but her confidence was surprising especially to those who had witnessed the altercation between Emeera and Kate De Luca at the ball.


    The women murmured their thanks and sat. Emeera had sent home a silent message: ¡°I am the Duchess of Savoy and mistress in my home. I rule over all I survey and I cannot be intimidated.¡±  The women forgot about her pregnancy but focused on getting her to join their meetings. The girl was not going to hide her head in shame just because she got pregnant. She did not care. The world had surelye to an end.

 CHAPTER 25 — A PREGNANT WOMAN HAS NEEDS

    It was weeks after the wedding but the Duke had been absent for most of that time. He suddenly became more interested in his Asian based businesses than he was in his wife.


    During the days, Emeera did not allow his absence deter her. She ruled her home like a proper duchess. But at nights, she woke up to a strange big bed andy wondering why her husband abandoned her. Even fights would have been better than the silence. The Duke just left, obviously with a mistress to spend his time. It was dawning on Lucille, thedymaid that the marriage was only in name. Emeera could see the pity in the young girl¡¯s face whenever she came in to help her with her toilette while the chambermaid cleaned. Most times, they said nothing. But one morning, while helping Emeera with her dress, Lucille asked when the master would be returning home.


    ¡°He is not certain as business is very unstable at the moment,¡± Emeera answered. Lucille nodded. ¡°Are the servants talking?¡± Emeera did not care for gossip but she needed to know. Their eyes locked and Emeera could read from the girl¡¯s eyes that they certainly were. She knew it was the servants gossiping to servants in other households that would expose her marital crises to the whole of Savoy. ¡°Who in particr?¡± She asked Lucille after a long pause. The girl fiddled with Emeera¡¯s rings as she answered nervously.


    ¡°Your grace, I cannot¡­¡±


    ¡°Give me the name. Nobody will know.¡±


    Lucille told her it was one of the chambermaids who regrly cleaned the master¡¯s suite. Emeera nodded. She was not surprised.


    That afternoon, she sacked the maid. Nobody knew exactly why the maid was fired but they all guessed. And the idea that someone lost a job in the highest paying household in Savoy because she could not keep her mouth shut was enough to shut all other mouths itching to discuss the bosses¡¯ business. Though that contained the gossip problem, Emeera was still left with the absentee husband problem. That night, as she rolled on the bed, she wondered why he had moved her to his room if all he nned to do was abandon her there. Love match indeed.


    ****


    The first lunch Emeera attended with thedies was at Baroness Rhodes family estate. The Duke had been absent from home for weeks so Emeera had not told him of the forting lunch and the fact that she was going to be in attendance. It happened that he returned from yet another business trip that afternoon and met her in the closet trying on clothes.


    ¡°What are you up to, madam?¡± He asked.


    ¡°To lunch with the women of Savoy. They are talking about creating a safe yground for the children,¡± she said absentmindedly while trying on earrings that were part of her wedding trousseau.This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°You know you cannot attend,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Pray tell, why can¡¯t I attend? Am I not a future mother? Will my child not use that yground? Or am I not a woman in Savoy?¡±


    ¡°Emeera Charles, you know quite well why you can¡¯t mingle with the women of this town.¡±


    ¡°Because you are afraid they will tell me about you? A clear conscience fears no usations,¡± she retorted.


    It took everything in him to ignore her remarks.


    ¡°We already discussed this and decided you shall not-¡±


    ¡°We certainly did not. You do not discuss. Youmand and you give orders.¡± She said and walked out to the bedroom in just underwear. ¡°Thou shall not meet with the women of the Duchy. Thou shall not stay in the mistress¡¯ room. Thou shall not host lunches. Thou shall not travel. Thou shall not befriend a soul. Thou shall not enjoy this lunacy called our marriage!¡±


    ¡°Do not talk to me in that manner.¡±


    ¡°Thou shall not talk to his grace the duke, in that manner. Thou shall not breathe!¡± He grabbed her, heaving.


    ¡°What do you stand to gain by being disrespectful? I gave you everything any woman would want and all I ask in return is your obedience. What else do you really want from me?¡±


    ¡°Freedom from this sham of a marriage. You are never here. You married me to abandon me. I am your pregnant wife!¡±


    ¡°But the doctor is always at your beck and call.¡±


    ¡°A pregnant woman needs more than a doctor!¡± She was screaming now. ¡°A pregnant woman needs to wake up beside the father of her baby on nights she battles nightmares. A pregnant woman needs people to talk to.¡±


    ¡°You have female servants-¡±


    ¡°A pregnant woman needs to confide in and draw strength from loved ones!¡±


    ¡°There is Nancy Athelstan.¡±


    ¡°A pregnant woman needs sex! Is that Nancy¡¯s duty now?¡± Emeera said and began to cry. She had never known a day woulde when she would beg the man she married for sex. The statement stunned the duke. He had never considered her frigid but at the same time he did not think of his wife as a woman who could cry of being sex starved. It was probably the pregnancy.


    He had heard his friends talk about sex during pregnancy and how supercharged it was.  He wanted of all things to experience that and here was his wife, willing and waiting. But he could not touch her. He had warned her that marriage to him would be brutish and harsh and here it was. She had trapped him into a marriage he had not wanted so she could as well deal with the consequences.


    He walked out of the room to the study, leaving her there. Emeera walked to the mirror and wiped her tears. She needed to look happy at the meeting or the women would have a fresh topic for conversation. She rang for Lucille who helped her finish her makeup. If she noticed the tear streaks, Lucille did not mention. As Emeera walked into the waiting car and sat back as the driver drove her towards the Rhodes¡¯ home, she wondered if the financial security and fine clothes were worth sacrificing her happiness for.

 CHAPTER 26 — AN UNLIKELY AFFAIR

    Lady Athelstan watched Emeera all through the tea party in the Athelstan¡¯s garden. Thest they had met was at Baroness Rhodes¡¯ lunch. There was something about the girl she did not want to admit but she admired. Many people longed to climb Sovoy¡¯s socialdder but it was extremely difficult to scale it, yet this young girl had sessfully done that.


    After a while, Lady Athelstan¡¯s mind drifted to Nancy who did not attend the tea party because she hated tea parties but more because Nancy had been seen kissing and touching Henry, her fiance. Emeera thought it was not such a mighty problem as it was an open secret that the men of Savoy were always taking certain liberties from women they were not yet married to. She soon found out she was quite mistaken.


    Even though the whole Savoy knew these things happened, a properdy was not supposed to be caught indulging in those worldly ways like she was amon prostitute. Lady Athelstan herself was supposed to be hiding her head in shame since Nancy¡¯s actions put a taint on her directly as she was the mother. If it was another person¡¯s daughter, Baroness Rhodes would be all over calling every member of the gentry and nobles to gossip about it. With an Athelstan, she wanted to gossip too but she knew she had to be careful or risk her friendship with the family.


    Lady Athelstan looked at Emeera again and felt Baroness Rhodes was wrong. A respect she had never felt before for Emeera overwhelmed her. Emeera may be a social climber, but at least she was a smart one. The way she was going, Athelstan felt she might soon be a close friend of the queen. If only Nancy had a bit of Emeera¡¯s ambitious fire.


    Nancy had always had her whole lifeid out for her yet she still went out of her way to destroy it. But a child of nobody was duchess and getting invited to meet the rich and famous. Athelstan¡¯s power at the tea parties and lunches was quickly waning but with Duchess Emeera, her supposed ward at her side, she could retain her position in Savoy¡¯s society. She needed Emeera to attend her next ball and with the Duke. The man rarely attended events so his presence would solidify the Athelstans as one of the highest noble families in Savoy.


    Emeera said something to Viscountess Bentham and they bothughed. She was charming the women round to her side. Lady Athelstan in that split second realized Baroness Rhodes was wrong. Emeera was too clever to have seduced old married Lords, when what she wanted was marriage and a title. What use was an old married man like Lord Athelstan to her in her schemes?


    She was too smart to risk her future by having affairs with the men of the town like amon whore. She had wanted marriage so their unmarried sons were supposed to be her first choice. The idea that Emeera ever fancied Lord Athelstan became so ridiculous thatdy Athelstanughed involuntarily. She needed to see the Baroness and fast  to tell her her thoughts. The baroness had left the table to use the loo. The impatient Lady Athelstan rose and went in that direction to find her friend and gossip partner.


    As Lady Athelstan got into the house, herdy maid told her her husband wanted to see her immediately in his study. She felt upset because the couple had earlier agreed not to pose as a distraction during their individual social functions but this was the first time her husband was interrupting her meeting with a call; she felt it had to be urgent for him to try. She went straight to the study and walked in. The scene before her shocked her to her bones. Baroness Rhodes and Lord Athelstan were kissing on the sofa in his study.


    When they saw her, the baroness sprang up and tried to fasten her dress while Lord Athelstan beseeched his wife to protect the family name from the ¡°small indiscretion¡±. ¡°Think of Nancy,¡± he said. ¡°She has already been besmirched. If this goes out, our daughters will suffer most.¡±


    Lady Athelstan stood there numb. She did know jealousy over her husband for so many years and this certainly was not jealousy. This was the worst feeling in the world ¨C the feeling of betrayal. From her closest and most trusted people.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± the Baroness said.


    ¡°Get out of my house this minute. Or when I am done with you, you will never be able to attend another tea party ever again in your miserable life, baroness!¡± She hissed the word ¡®Baroness¡¯ like it was disgraceful. Baroness Rhodes was about to go out whendy Athelstan blocked the door.  ¡°You lied that Emeera has eyes for my husband, right?¡±Content held by N?velDrama.Org.


    Baroness Rhodes did not speak a word because of shame. Lady Athelstan shook her head and let her pass. She realized the servants knew what was going on before she did and found a way to make her see for herself. The servants she did not treat well found a way to show her kindness. She was angrier at Rhodes than her husband. Men were silly and primal. But a sisterhood between two women was considered an unbreakable bond. She had believed baroness Rhodes was a sister but the maid has proved her wrong.


    ¡°You were not supposed to be here,¡± her husband said as hisst clutch at a watery defence. She turned and left the study, grateful for Emeera who had sent her on that journey. She returned to the tea party to find the women gossiping about baroness Rhodes. Lady Athelstan was surprised at how quickly they talked about her once she was gone. Emeera sat apart from the group, watching the women but saying nothing. Lady Athelstan made a quiet resolve that Emeera was her newest friend in town. Shortly after, Emeera left and the rest of the group began to talk about the duke¡¯s whirlwind romance wedding.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like romance to me. See how she looks-¡±


    ¡°Stop!!¡± Lady Athelstan thundered. ¡°Let the duchess be.¡± Everyone was surprised. First, Rhodes left the tea. Now, this? When diddy Athelstan be one to abhor gossip? They wondered. But the woman had other ns.

 CHAPTER 27 — SHE IS MISSING

    Nancy¡¯s voice on the telephone told Emeera all was not well. Truth was, though Savoy had been milder on her, a scandal was still a scandal. Henry, her fiance was insisting on marrying her immediately but Nancy feared he was doing the honourable thing to stop the scandal and not necessarily because of love. It was a thought she found difficult to cast off. She did not want to be one of those wives with husbands who constantly reminded them the marriage was something they just had to do to save the women¡¯s reputations.


    Emeera sat at her new dressing table in the master bedroom as she made the call. ¡°But Nancy you have always been certain of this man¡¯s love for you. This scandal is not the reason the Earl wants to marry you.¡±


    ¡°But Emeera, it is! He would never have rushed into this arrangement if not to save me. I am sick and tired of the hypocrisy in Savoy if you ask me. I think Henry and I should elope but he wants to do the right thing and give me a dream wedding. Damn that man,¡± she said with a voice filled with frustration.


    Emeera smiled. There was no way that man who sneaked into the heavily guarded Athelstan castle every night to see Nancy was marrying her to correct a wrong. But it was useless to argue with Nancy when she was certain of a thing.


    ¡°Emeera, can you do something for me?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    ¡°Can you speak with Henry? He tells me he loves me and has told my parents he wants to marry me immediately. I don¡¯t know if he is really in love with me because I cannot see clearly. The fire in my heart has caused smoke to cover my eyes. I love him¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. ¡°And mother does not care if he loves me or not. She just wants a wedding so she is not the right person to ask. But I think you can find out for me. You will be able to see his intentions and love clearly since  this fire of love does not burn in your heart¡­¡± Her voice trailed off again. Nancy was crying?


    ¡°Nancy stop.¡± Emeera said firmly. ¡°I will talk to him. Definitely. Maybe invite him for tea this week?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No. That will look too hasty. Day after tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. And Emeera, please tell me the truth no matter how it is. You are the only person whose advice I can trust now. I cannot even trust myself.¡±


    They hung up. Emeera went to bed envying Nancy for what she had. Emeera had felt no fire in her heart when she said her vows to the duke. It was all very practical. Marry to cover shame. That was it. No dream wedding in Savoy. Nobody present except the legally required witnesses. No passion. Yes, there was passion. But it was not just love. It was a cold hatred from his eyes. She shivered. Her own marriage had been to cover a mistake. Now she was stuck with an absent husband and a cold bed. She was going to make sure Nancy did not meet the same date.


    Then a thought struck her. She did not have to remain in this huge bedroom that reminded her of a jungle. Since the duke was not around, he could not tell her what to do. She got up, removed her nightdress cover and let it drop on the floor. Then she pushed open the ss door, stepping into the familiar fragrance of her beloved mistress suite. The satin sheets weed her back to its tender embrace. She fell asleep within seconds and slept better than she had ever slept in the Duke¡¯s bed.


    It was not yet dawn when Emeera woke up. She needed to get back to the master bedroom for a shower and breakfast. Looking out of the window, she saw many people withmps in the garden and all over the estate. It reminded her of a search party she saw when a girl went missing in the Athelstan¡¯s estate. Emeera yawned as she smiled at the memory, wondering if any of the younger servants had gone missing.


    She pushed the ss door and walked into the master suite to see the duke loading a gun.


    ¡°What is that for?¡± She asked and he  jumped, startled. ¡°And who are they all looking for?¡±


    ¡°You! Oh my God you are safe.¡± He answered.


    ¡°Me??¡± It was her turn to look surprised.


    ¡°I got back homest night, came to the master bedroom where you were supposed to be sleeping in and could not find you. Instead, I saw your night dress here like it had been flung down on the side of the bed by your attacker.¡±


    ¡°What attacker?!!¡±


    ¡°The butler and I searched everywhere in the house and on the grounds for you. When we still could not find you. We called the male servants to start searching more intensely.¡±


    ¡°You searched everywhere for me but not the one room I was likely to be in?¡±


    ¡°Yes Emeera. I did not search the one room I told you to vacate. I did not search the room no servants has lit a fire in since you left. It did not ur to me that my pregnant wife could go against my express orders and return to the one ce we decided she should not step in again.¡±


    ¡°Pregnant wife you say? Oh. So you know you have a pregnant wife? I am surprised you actually know that. What manner of man deserts his pregnant wife for months?? Tell me. What kind of man does that?? A duke.¡± She closed the ss door and climbed into bed to sleep some more, the talk with the Duke having left her feeling exhausted. Pregnant wife indeed. The Duke telephoned the butler¡¯s office to call off the search party.


    He hated to admit it but Emeera was right. Also, the events of that night shook him to his bones. He wondered why his first thought was her being attacked and kidnapped. But he needed to stay home and look after his wife and unborn child.

 CHAPTER 28 — AFTERMATH OF A SCANDAL

    It was the first morning since the wedding that Emeera woke up to the duke at her side. The man was awake but deep in thoughtful reflections. For the hundredth time, he was grateful to God Emeera was safe. He did not know how important it was for him to keep her safe until the previous night when he got home and did not see her. His heart had sunk. First he thought she left him but her clothes were all untouched and her night dress was down there by the bed.


    That was when all the business trips, royal work and everything else went to ashes in his mouth. His wife with his child was missing at night, probably out there in the cold, being dragged by an enemy. His hands curled into a fist even as he thought of it again. He had been certain he would personally kill the person who took his wife. He was so sure about it he had loaded three guns. Until she came in and stopped his murderous rage.


    ¡°Emeera, light of my life,¡± he mused. He was going to always protect her, he vowed. He looked at her swollen tummy that signified life. His child was growing in this woman he had been so bitter about. A woman he neglected. Yet, he could not me himself for his previous character. At first he had assumed she was maniptive like the rest of them. But just like she had not nned to hide and have the whole manor worry and search for her, she had not nned that pregnancy to hook a man. Emeera had no maniption in her, he saw that now. She was just naive. He went closer to her and held her gently, not knowing she was awake and wondering what he was up to. But it wasforting and cozy so she slept off again and had the best sleep she had had in a long time, with his arms wrapped around her.


    She finally woke up at noon to see he was gone. But had left a note on one of the pillows. She opened it.


    I am going hunting with the King and queen. I am sorry you cannote along because of your condition. Enjoy your rest  I¡¯ll see you in the evening.


    He signed it Albert. Simply Albert. Emeera did not know how long her husband sat over that note. Looking at it, wondering if he was expected to add more, maybe some form of endearment. Or to keep it in. He had torn up three before getting this one right. He never told her about his trips before. The butler did. But what she did not know was that the duke called the butler every night to ask about his wife. Even when he was far away in Asia. He called. He never missed a night of asking. He also called her doctor regrly to check. He worried about her on days she had no appetite and got angry on days the butler said she refused her meals.


    When he returned that night, the duke brought home arge stag he shot. He called Emeera outside and handed the animal to her.  ¡°I shot it for you,¡± he said. No man had ever shot anything for her. She decided to personally oversee dinner for the first time.


    That night, they feasted on the venison with red wine.


    ¡°You know the king wants to see you. I told him you are indisposed but we cannot keep him waiting too long. Our wedding was impromptu but some protocols must still be expected of a Duke¡¯s marriage.¡± His gaze upon her face was tender.


    ¡°I will see him whenever you choose, your grace,¡±


    ¡°What are you doing tomorrow?¡± He asked.


    ¡°We will be dining with Henry, the Earl of Brenwich. Nancy requested I tell her what I think of him,¡± Emeera replied. The Duke shrugged.


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± he said.


    Over breakfast, Emeera read the morning newspapers. There was nothing of importance except an announcement of a few uing nuptials in Savoy. She went through her mails and saw the invitation cards to those weddings. On all were inscribed ¡°to the Duke and Duchess of Savoy¡±. Although the people did not attend her wedding, they slowly came to term with the news especially after the newspaper publication. It had been a source of gossip at first that the wedding had not been properly announced through the papers but another gossip had soon taken precedence over that.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    That evening, Henry joined the Duke and Duchess for dinner. They had roasted meat, venison stew, sweet and savoury pies and tarts. After dinner, Emeera slowly steered the conversation to the subject of Nancy.


    ¡°What people are saying about her is just horrible,¡± the young Earl said. ¡°Miss Athelstan is a properdy of good breeding so her reputation is expected to be pristine. We both made a mistake. It is inequitable that my reputation will recover but her own many never because the people of Savoy judge women harshly yet the men go unscathed¡­.¡±


    ¡°Then why not just wed her?¡± The Duke asked causing his wife to flinch. He said it like marriage could simply solve all problems. Emeera felt ufortable with the thought that her own marriage was contracted to solve an illegitimate baby scandal.


    ¡°I would if she said yes but she is afraid that I may be wedding her not because I want to but because of all the pressure from this scandal.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Emeera asked.


    ¡°My affections for Miss Athelstan is not based on a situation that was recently discovered and twisted by poisonous gossips over tea.¡± He turned very red. ¡°We cannot even converse privately right now because of the eyes that abound. Nancy is not conventional but I care for her. Even talking over the telephone is not safe as the operator can listen in on the conversation and then gossip.¡±


    ¡°They do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes they do. Be careful with telephones,¡± the duke said.


    Emeera had an idea. ¡°You know what we should do? We should go to the theater together. I will invite Nancy toe with my husband and I, while you join us in our box. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I think that is wonderful. Thank you.¡± And so it was settled. They made ns to go to theater the next night.


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