Page 27 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
“I understand,” she said. “I appreciate you taking the time to lead me around the mansion.”
The housekeeper looked taken aback at Serena’s kindness and understanding. Her second smile was a bit more genuine, reaching her light brown eyes as she curtseyed to Serena.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. “Let us get started.”
The tour was, indeed, a very brief one. Mrs. Jameson named each room as she opened their respective doors, and Serena worked hard to commit them to memory. She saw the basement, which was comprised of a wine cellar and the quarters for the maids, footmen and housekeepers. Then, there was the dining room, the breakfast room, a billiard’s room, a music room, Rowan’s study, the kitchens, one parlor and drawing room and the ballroom, as well as the entrance hall and the library on the first floor. There were also more servant’s quarters for the scullery maids and the kitchen staff.
Serena was in awe, allowing herself to be distracted for the moment by the mansion’s magnificence. The library in particular caught her attention as she briefly surveyed the towering shelves and warmth she felt from the doorway, as though the room was beckoning her to enter and enjoy a book or two.
On the second floor there were guest bedrooms, a smaller, more sparsely filled library, which would no doubt be used as a schoolroom if the duke every had children, bedchambers for the dowager, Rowan and Serena, which included their own washrooms, and two sitting rooms. On the third, there was nothing but a large attic, filled with neatly stacked boxes. She tried to smile as Mrs. Jameson turned to face her.
“Are you ready to see the grounds now, Your Grace?” sheasked.
Serena nodded. She thought that a walk through a garden might help soothe her nerves. She followed the housekeeper back downstairs and through the back hallways until they reached the servant’s entrance to the mansion. As soon as they stepped out into the early afternoon sunlight, Serena’s breath was caught in her throat. She stood staring at the sprawling grounds before her, momentarily forgetting everything except for the splendor.
The floral garden itself was surrounded by a white fence and divided into quadrants, split by cobblestone pathways, with smaller, packed dirt paths that allowed people to peruse each row of magnificent flower bushes and beds. The flowers the dowager and Rowan had chosen consisted of Alba and Gallica roses in white, red, yellow, pink and orange, tulips of various shades of purple and pink, as well as white ones, all color of carnations and hyacinths that matched the carnations.
The herb gardens, which were fenced in by foxgloves, were just to the left of the flower gardens, had sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, parsley and mint, as well as lavender, the fragrance of which blended surprisingly well with the surrounding herbs. The vegetable garden, which was of the same size as the herb garden and positioned in a perfect line just behind it, contained potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, leeks, celery and carrots. In the far left corner of the property, there was a vineyard, as well as small apple, cherry, plum and peach orchards. At the outskirts of the orchards was a small shack, which Mrs. Jameson explained to her was the gardener’s living quarters.
“There is one gardener for all of this?” she asked, her breath stolen by the beauty and grandeur of it all.
The housekeeper laughed.
“Oh, heavens no,” she said. “He and his wife, as well as a couple of men they hired, tend to the gardens. The stablemanager sees to the stables, which are to the far right of the edge of the property, just before the tree line that leads to the forest, as well as the pond, which is adjacent to it, the meadow and wildflowers.”
Serena nodded. Her own family’s gardens had been lavish, but considerably smaller. She wandered down the paths, admiring the statues and fountains, the marble benches and the brilliant white gazebo in the center of the flower gardens as she walked.
“This is wonderful,” she said, already envisioning herself spending many hours surrounded by such beauty. At least, she had finally found something to appreciate in a situation where there was nothing else that was anything but cold and intimidating.
Mrs. Jameson gave her a warm smile.
“I do hope you will be happy here, Your Grace,” she said. “Your smile is radiant, and your kind eyes tell me that you will be a most excellent duchess.”
Serena smiled warmly at the woman, patting her gently on the back. She didn’t think she would ever truly be happy there. But there was no reason to say such morbid things to such a lovely woman.
“Thank you, Mrs. Jameson,” she said.
***
Serena was just finishing freshening up and having Christine, who Rowan had allowed her to bring with her to Dalenwood Manor, help her into a deep blue evening gown to be dressed for dinner, when there was a knock on her chamber door. Christine went to answer it to find the dowager standing there. Serena gave her a warm smile.
“Please,” she said, gesturing her mother-in-law to enter.
The dowager returned her smile but shook her head.
“I did not mean to disturb you while you were dressing,” she said. “I only came to ask if you would like to join me for tea in a few minutes?”
Serena nodded.
“I would be delighted, Eleanor,” she said.
The dowager dipped her head, giving Serena another kind smile.
“Do not rush,” she said. “I just ordered the servants to prepare the tea and cakes. We will be in the drawing room whenever you’re ready.”
Serena nodded, beaming at Eleanor.
“Thank you,” she said. “But I am almost dressed. I shall be right down.”
