Page 62 of A Bride for the Sinful Duke

She brushed past Worthington without a word and headed straight for her room, only to stop in the middle of the hallway to press her hands against her hot cheeks.

“Oh dear,” she muttered to herself. “He may very well be the death of me.”

“What a lovely town!” Juliet remarked as she stepped down from the carriage.

The settlement before her eyes bustled with people merrily going about their day, some stopping to exchange a few words of greeting with their acquaintances as others beckoned onlookers to peruse the wares in their stalls.

Although the atmosphere was slightly chaotic, it was undoubtedly much better than Islington Hall’s stuffy, silent rooms. Juliet’s mood had already improved significantly, even though she had just arrived.

“It is,” Estella agreed, taking her place on Juliet’s right, walking ahead while Leila trailed behind the Duchess on her left side. “The Duke takes good care of them and has always appropriately handled every issue that arose amongst his tenants. The peoplehave always adored His Grace and Lady Lydia, may God rest her soul.”

It was not hard to imagine Lydia being loved by the people around her. She had always been incredibly endearing, and Juliet was relieved that her friend had received much love before she passed on.

“Mr. Rivers especially,” Estella added, smiling at a shop owner who waved in greeting. “Lady Lydia loved apples, so he would always include some of his best harvests for her for free. Of course, His Grace noticed and increased his payment for provisions, so Mr. Rivers would not suffer any loss in his revenue.”

Hector’s thoughtfulness surprised Juliet and left a pleasant warmth in her heart.

Estella continued to lead them through the town, pointing out significant stores and landmarks and guiding Juliet to places where she might obtain simple necessities.

Mr. Rivers’ stall was at the entrance of the town’s market. He looked surprised to see Estella.

“Mrs. Harris? Good afternoon. I sent your provisions to Islington Hall almost two hours ago. Is there something amiss?” the man asked worriedly.

“No, Mr. Rivers, nothing is the matter. I brought up your concerns to the Duke and the Duchess. Her Grace wanted to come personally to express her gratitude for your service and ease your worries,” Estella explained. Then she politely gestured to Juliet, “This is the new Duchess of Islington. Your Grace, this is Mr. Rivers, our provision supplier. He also runs a produce stall patronized by many of the town’s inhabitants.”

Mr. Rivers was caught off guard by Juliet’s appearance and dropped the basket of potatoes he had been holding in his haste to bow.

“Your Grace! I am so sorry; it is an honor to meet you! If I had known you would be stopping by, I would have made some preparations…”

“Oh, no,” Juliet shook her head quickly. “It is all right, Mr. Rivers. I am sorry if I have inconvenienced you with by my sudden presence. I merely wished to tell you that my meals have been exceptional since I arrived at Islington Hall. I was told you deserved some credit for your consistent supply of quality ingredients. I wanted to thank you and assure you that we have no intention of changing suppliers. I hope you can now feel more at ease, Mr. Rivers.”

The farmer sighed. “You are too kind, Your Grace. You did not have to come here to ease my concerns, but I am grateful that you did. Thank you, Your Grace.”

“It was my pleasure.” Juliet smiled, feeling satisfied to have helped Hector and this kind man.

“Please, allow me to offer a token of my appreciation. Do you like cakes? My wife works with the town baker, and they sell the best cakes you will find between here and London. Please allow me to get some for you.”

“Oh, please do not go to the trouble,” Juliet assured him.

Moments later, Leila was handed a box of cakes for the Duchess. Mr. Rivers thanked Juliet profusely for coming, and Juliet returned her gratitude for receiving the unexpected gift.

On their way back to the carriage, they walked past a shop that sold stationary materials: pens, ink, and paper. Juliet remembered her small stash in the nunnery which she used to send letters to Lydia.

A thought occurred to her, and she urged the other women to go on ahead, promising to return to them in a few minutes. She entered the shop and purchased as much paper, envelopes, and pens as was possible.

Although these items were available to her at Islington Hall, she didn’t want anyone to poke their noses into her business.

She returned home with enough paper to communicate her thoughts several times over and immediately got to work.

If she couldn’t go to St. Catherine’s, she would send word to inquire about everyone’s well-being. Better that it was written in her own handwriting than uttered from the mouth of a stranger.

Once she was done, she handed the letter to Worthington and instructed, “Please have this delivered to St. Catherine’s as soon as possible.”

As the butler dutifully took her letter, she hoped it would get to the friends and family she had left at the abbey.

She hoped that good news would return to her.

CHAPTER 22

---