Page 51 of The Duchess' Replacement

She shuffled over to her door and peeked her head through the opened door. She tiptoed to the railing that over looked the hallway downstairs. She could see the study’s door had, in fact, been opened.

Was he in shock? Did he faint? Did Dukes faint? Did someone take everything down out of fear of retribution?

Sarah darted out of her room and rushed down the steps. She felt something was amiss and she began to worry she took her prank too far.

Just as she reached the door a dark, rich laugh boomed from the doorway. Sarah skidded to a halt just outside of the study’s door.

Sarah stood very still in hopes to hear the sound again so she could decipher what it was. Surely, it wasn’t the Duke laughing. He should be appalled. Furious, even.

Once again a crystal clear laugh rang out, sending shocks of electricity down her body.

Sarah’s feet padded towards the door and she peered in.

She found the Duke doubled over in laughter.

“Your Grace?” Her voice was unsure as she took a step inside the study. Everything was as she left it. The curtains, the pillows, the rug, everything was there, in blaring contrast to the original decor.

Charles turned, wiping a tear from his eye. Sarah stared at the track the rolling tear left on his cheek.

He was laughing so hard he was crying.

“Sarah! Let me guess, you did this.” His voice was light and full of mirth. She never heard him sound such a way.

Sarah was stunned speechless. She nodded her head.

“It’s bloody brilliant!” Charles’s laugh began again and Sarah was left to wonder if maybe her husband had hit his head while he was out.

“I’m sorry?” Sarah took another step inside, cautiously staying away from him in case this was a ploy to pull her further into the room and punish her.

Her body heated at the thought. Sarah chastised herself for the path her thinking went. Pushing the salacious thoughts out of her head she focused on the laughing man in front of her.

“The room,” he threw open his arms wide, “it’s brilliant. Did you do you do this all by yourself? In one night?” He exclaimed in between bursts of laughter. He turned back to the sofa, looking down at the pillows and shaking with laughter.

Sarah looked back out into the hallway, surely she isn’t the only one that is witnessing this madness.

Sarah raised a hand to her head. Perhaps she was the one who hit her head and this was all a dream in an unconscious state.

CHAPTER 14

Charles’s stomach was cramping from all the laughing. After the disastrous meeting this morning, which ended his trip abruptly, he was in the mood for a night of solitude in his favorite chair with a tumbler of whisky.

He didn’t even stop to converse with Samuels when he walked through the door. Charles just handed Samuels his overcoat and proceeded to go straight to his study.

Come to think of it, Samuels was blabbering on about something, but Charles was busy shutting down his mind from the riotous chaos brought on by dealing with imbeciles this morning.

Shock did not adequately describe what Charles felt when first he opened the door to his study. If he were being completely honest, he was concerned he walked into the wrong room. Seeing old curtains that once hung in the Duchess’s wing when he was a child paired with an old rug from his mother’s room had him questioning if he opened the door to another time.

It was the sight of the pillows that started his laughing fit. He picked up the satin pillow and ran his fingers over the ruffles.

The vivid pink pillows clashed against the stark darkness of his leather sofa. Much like a certain presence that now invaded his senses. A soft, timid touch landed on his shoulder.

“Your Grace, are you sure you’re all right?” She sounded confused and he didn’t blame her. He couldn’t remember the last time he laughed this much.

He turned to find a very perplexed Sarah staring at him like he had lost his mind. Perhaps he had.

Charles wiped another tear from his eye. “Yes, yes, I’m fine Sarah. This,” his arms gestured broadly and he turned in a circle, taking in the entire room, “is quite an accomplishment. I must know how you pulled it off.”

Sarah’s wrung her hands in front of her while she chewed on her bottom lip. “It was all me, Your Grace.” She said quite matter-of-factly. “I sought out Miss Cordell, told her I wanted to do some redecorating, then as I was looking around, getting to know the house, I, um, stumbled upon some old curtains and rugs and brought them in here.”

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