Page 37 of His Accidental Duchess

CHAPTER 10

Anna opened her eyes, and it took her a full minute to remember where she was.

The bed was unfamiliar, the sheets and pillows were unfamiliar—theroomwas unfamiliar. The only thing that felt right was her nightgown, the holey old thing she’d worn for several years now.

It seemed out of place in her plush new bedroom.

Pushing herself up on her elbows, she squinted around the room.

Theodore’s empty brandy glass still stood on the table by the fire, and the curtains were cracked open, letting in a beam of light that illuminated dancing dust motes. Everything was still and quiet, nothing at all like the noisy chaos of St. Maur Manor. At home, either Daphne or Emily would have come bursting into her room by now, talking loudly and making no effort to be quiet.

Suddenly, the washroom door opened, and a woman stepped out with a pile of folded linens. Anna flinched, giving out a yelp before she could stop herself.

The woman flinched too, nearly dropping the linens.

“Oh, goodness, Your Grace, you startled me!” she gasped, pushing back a strand of honey-gold hair underneath her cap.

“I startled—you startledme! What are you doing in my room?”

The woman straightened up. “My name is Esther, Your Grace. I’m the head housemaid, and His Grace said I should wait on you until you can hire a lady’s maid.”

Anna flushed. Of course, a duchess would need a proper lady’s maid. It had never really occurred to her, but apparently, Theodore had thought of everything.

“Oh, I see. Um, thank you, Esther.”

Esther gave a relieved smile and bobbed a curtsey, still clutching the linens. “I’ll bring your breakfast tray in a moment, Your Grace.”

Anna, who had already flung back the sheets to climb out of bed, paused. “I can go downstairs and eat breakfast.”

Esther shifted from foot to foot. “It’s just… well, His Grace always takes breakfast in his study, and Lady Katherine has hers in her nursery, and since you are a married woman now, Mrs. Haunt said that you’d take a tray in your room, and so…” she trailed off, but Anna understood her meaning. The dining room was not used for breakfast.

Perhaps a duchess might insist on having her breakfast in the dining room. Itwouldbe odd to sit in bed and eat her breakfast, but then… Well, shewasa married woman, even if her wedding night had been exactly the same as any other night.

Not exactly the same,Anna thought, her cheeks flushing at the memory of the Duke’s heavy-lidded, intense gaze and the feel of his lips on hers.

And then he just walked out of the room without a backward glance,she thought, with something that felt worryingly like frustration.He probably didn’t spare me another thought all night.

She swallowed hard, pulling the covers over herself again. “I see. Of course, Esther. Bring up the tray whenever you’re ready.”

Esther bobbed another curtsey, clearly relieved, and hurried out of the room, leaving Anna alone.

“Good morning, Anna!” chirped a small voice, and that was all the warning Anna had before the door flew open and a little whirlwind entered the room.

“Good morning, Kitty.” She smiled, watching the little girl in the dressing room mirror.

Esther had insisted on brushing Anna’s hair herself, but Anna was otherwise fully dressed.

Kitty was wearing a neat red pinafore dress, and her hair was uncombed and unplaited.

Martha came panting after her, brandishing a hairbrush. “Forgive me, Your Grace,” she said, sounding weary. “Lady Katherine likes to greet her Papa every morning in his dressing room, and she said she wanted to see you, too. I said you wouldn’t want to be disturbed, but?—”

“It’s alright, Martha,” Anna said, wincing as Esther tugged on a particularly stubborn knot. “I don’t mind.”

“I want to introduce you to all the servants,” Kitty announced, perching on the edge of the bed.

Anna was suddenly very glad that she hadnotshared the bed with Theodore last night, not if Kitty was going to come barging in without a warning every morning.

“You’ve met Martha, of course, and Mrs. Haunt and Timmins, but there are plenty of others.”

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