Page 30 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

Annie had always been small and bright, like a tiny little star, but she had never looked so tiny as now, standing in this large room and bundled up in a traveling cloak. She was staring at them with a fear that was not natural on her face, but it disappeared so quickly that Elizabeth wondered if she had seen it at all.

“Your Grace, Your Grace,” she said stiltedly, curtseying. “I have been sent by His Grace the Duke to let the Duchess know that her sister Lottie Barnes is to be married to her betrothed, the Duke of Seymour in the Autumn and shall be pleased if you will attend the nuptials.”

Elizabeth was so surprised that she forgot where she was for a moment. “Why would Lottie care about whether I attend?”

There was a slight silence, and she bit her lip and glanced at Stephen. He didn’t seem to be attending to her slip, however, instead looking at Annie with a frown on his brow. For somereason or other, the news of the marriage was concerning to her husband and Elizabeth didn’t have the faintest idea why.

“Excuse me, Your Grace,” Annie said, curtseying again. “Duke, sir, might I stay here a while? I miss my Sally so much and I’ve been wanting to see her for ever so long. Might I stay so I can see her for a bit? Please, sir, Your Grace sir?”

It was a very sudden speech, and one that seemed to have been rehearsed. Elizabeth felt a little rush of glee at the idea of her other sweet little sister figure staying with her, making this place more and more like home, but Stephen said nothing, still gazing in a thoughtful way at the small girl.

“Please, sir,” Annie said, her voice soft and desperate. “Please. I’ll work ever so hard, wherever you want me to. I’ll do just about anything you need. I just want to see my sister, sir. Please say I may.”

“Your Grace,” Elizabeth said softly, putting a hand on his. “Please. I would consider it a favor to me if you would.”

Stephen turned his head slightly, looked down at her face, his eyes serious and searching. Then he sighed a little and looked back at Annie. “I do not have a great need for a child to work on my estate,” he said firmly. “However, Mrs. Cope, the cook, has enough work that you will be useful in the kitchens. Mr. Brooks will take you. Send him in to me and I shall arrange it.”

Annie clapped her hands and bobbed curtsey after curtsey but it was to Elizabeth that Stephen glanced and she whisperedthank youto him, and pressed his hand. He smiled in return.

CHAPTER 14

“Hello again, Your Grace,” Mrs. Cope said, laughing her all-encompassing laugh as Elizabeth opened the door through to the kitchen and stepped in to the warm room. It smelled of spices and sugar as Mrs. Cope was making cakes for the week and Annie was very diligently cleaning pans in one corner while Sally was already settled in a warm corner with a chair next to her.

“Hello Mrs. Cope, I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Nonsense, like I mind the company, Your Grace! You are welcome any day of the week, even if it weren’t your own estate to start with!”

Elizabeth laughed. The cook, a woman of broad stature with red hair and merry eyes that glittered like stars had told her something similar every day recently as she came to spend time with Annie and Sally and enjoying the familiar surroundings.

Perhaps it wasn’t particularly proper for a duchess, but as Mrs. Cope said it was her estate and she no longer felt like the rest of the Wilkins family would look down on her for making a wrong step.

“Your hospitality is as kind as ever,” she said to the cook, going to sit by Sally and pulling her embroidery out of her bag to work on. There was a warming cup of tea set at a little table at her elbow no sooner had she sat down, and Mrs. Cope put a little plate of dainty treats, small cakes and fruits and cheeses out for her to snack on.

A couple of days previously Annie had asked to be able to set up the little plate, and Mrs. Cope had puffed and huffed in offended dignity that as the head cook of the house it was her duty to be making the Duchess her plates and seeing to her needs when it came to refreshments and no small upstart girls no matter how much the Duchess might like them were going to steal her job.

Sally had laughed and agreed, telling Annie that she needed to think up a better way to sneak some of the fancy cakes for her own and Elizabeth had been inclined to believe seeing as the girl had looked so down-hearted afterwards.

But all in all Annie was settling in well. Elizabeth thought that she might be able to convince Stephen to let her stay longer, perhaps even permanently. Maybe with time she might even be able to bring Mrs. Adams to the estate in some capacity and have all of her true family with her at last.

“Oh and Annie,” Sally was saying as Elizabeth took a fortifying sip of her tea. “I forgot to tell you earlier - I was out the other day with a young man! The kindest fellow I’ve met, he works in the stables here and his hair is ever so fine.”

Annie stuck out her tongue, pausing over the soapy water to throw some of the bubbles at her sister. “A young man? Why would he be interested in you?”

Sally shrieked in offense and Mrs. Cope laughed again, a belly laugh that filled the kitchen with merriment.

“I’ll have you know I’m considered a very fine young woman,” Sally said, raising her voice over her sister’s faked retching. “He said he’s never been out on so fine an excursion with any other young lady he’s met!”

“Ohh so he’s been out with other young ladies,” Annie teased. “He’s got prospects he does.”

“None as fine as I am,” Sally said, sticking her nose in the air as Annie giggled.

It felt so much like being at home again that Elizabeth ached for their mother, Mrs. Adams would have been scolding Annie for teasing and checking that Sally was being careful and sensible, but also giving out petting and kisses and hugs to soothe any feelings and comfort any hurts.

“How is your mother, Annie?” she asked, something she had been trying to ask since Annie had arrived. “Is she well? Does she have any messages for me?”

“Oh she’s very fine,” Annie said distantly. “She didn’t say much when I left. I expect she wasn’t really thinking about it.”

Mrs. Cope leaned over from where she was mixing a fragrant batter and tweaked Annie’s ear. “What do we call the Duchess, missie?”

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