Page 102 of His Accidental Duchess

There was a pause, during which she did not hear Mrs. Haunt begin to walk away. Of course, most of the servants didn’t know about Lord Downton’s attack, except for Mrs. Haunt and Timmins.

“We’re all glad you’re home, Your Grace,” Mrs. Haunt said, eventually. “Perhaps it’s not for me to say, but I think you’ll make the finest duchess we’ve ever seen.”

Anna swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. “Thank you, Mrs. Haunt. That means a lot.”

She could imagine the diminutive woman smiling to herself on the other side of the door.

“Very good, Your Grace. As requested, I shall leave your drying sheets out here, and you can dry yourself. If you’re sure, of course.”

“Quite sure, Mrs. Haunt. Perhaps it’s not very duchess-like to dry and wash oneself, but I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being bathed like a child.”

Mrs. Haunt chuckled. “You shall be a new type of duchess, Your Grace, make no mistake.”

Anna smiled to herself, listening to the woman tip-toe out of the room and close the door. She played in her bath for a few more minutes, making shapes out of suds, until curiosity got the better of her. She climbed, steaming, out of the bath, wrapped herselfin drying sheets, and padded back into her room to find the note Theo had left for her.

There it was, written on good, cream paper, folded twice, with her name written on the front in slanted copperplate.Anna.

She unfolded it, her heart thudding, tension coiling in her gut.

Come outside as soon as you see this.

Please.

T.

Excitement and nerves washed over her. Anna moved over to the window and peered out onto the lawn, but there was no sign of him out there.

She dried and dressed herself quickly, choosing a loose, comfortable muslin dress and one of her old coats in favor of anything fancy. After a moment’s thought, she put on her boots. There might be walking involved.

The house was mostly dark, in the process of quieting down for the night. She passed the doors to the library and countless other small rooms, mostly closed, some ajar with maids doing a last-minute clean up before supper and bed. Some of them smiled and curtsied as she went back, and she always smiled back.

When she reached the front door, the night footman, already on duty, cleared his throat.

“His Grace said you should meet him by the brook, Your Grace,” he said. “Turn to the right outside the doors, circle the house until you reach a cluster of trees, and head towards it.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, flashing him a smile. “I know where I’m going by now.”

That earned her a grin from the footman. “Of course, Your Grace. It is rather a walk, I’m afraid.”

“Yes, I’m not sure why my husband couldn’t simply arrange for a picnic. Thank you… James, isn’t it?”

The man beamed. “Yes, Your Grace, I am James.”

Feeling pleased with herself, Anna stepped out into the cool evening air and set off.

Anna soon spotted the trees, and she could actually hear the sound of a smallish brook. The trees clustered together, very old, thick with moss and winding vines. She ducked her head to get through the dangling fronds of an ancient weeping willow tree and stopped dead.

Theo was there, sitting in the center of a wide, patchwork blanket spread out on the grass and littered with pillows and cushions. A lantern was sitting on a flat rock near the head of the blanket, its yellowy light casting a faint glow over the scene. A small hamper sat nearby, and Anna was willing to bet that it was full of food and wine. The unseen brook gurgled nearby.

“I thought you might like a picnic,” Theo said, breaking the silence. “Instead of a stiff, formal dinner in the dining room. I hope this isn’t too much. It’s a warm night, and I thought we might want some privacy.”

Something skittered down her spine at that.Privacy.

“It’s lovely, Theo, thank you,” Anna managed. “I wasn’t expecting it… it’s lovely.”

He smiled, and she realized then that he had beennervous, afraid that she wouldn’t like what he’d done. Theo beckoned her over, and her legs moved of their own accord, propelling her towards him.

They sat down, side by side on the blanket, and Theo turned away rather hastily—if she hadn’t known better, she might have said shyly—to rummage in the hamper.

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