Page 53 of The Duke's Inconvenient Bride
“That’s right, and you’ll meet them in just a few minutes.”
Emma couldn’t takeher eyes off the building that had appeared on the horizon. The rectangular behemoth dominated the landscape, towering over the gardens and fields and taking up so much space that she imagined she could stand in a room at one end, scream as loud as she could, and still not be heard at the other.
As they drew nearer, she could see grassy grounds surrounding the hall and a pond at its base. Statues adorned the roof, and although she couldn’t make out the details, some of them appeared to be holding swords in the air.
“This is Ashford Hall?” she asked breathlessly.
She had expected it to be large, but not of this scale. And now she was its mistress.
Dear God.
She tried not to hyperventilate, reminding herself that she’d been trained for this. She’d seen her mother manage a household for years, and surely the fact that this one was twice or thrice the size of their country home didn’t make that much difference. The principles were the same.
She would be fine. Provided, of course, that Mrs. Travers liked her. The message had been drummed into her for years that if the housekeeper respected the house’s mistress, then all would go smoothly.
Ashford had said that Mrs. Travers “ran a tight ship,” so Emma would need to come across as organized and competent if she hoped to win her respect. She could do that.
The carriage trundled down the path toward the hall, and as they drew nearer, Emma noticed a row of servants waiting outside to greet them. Every one of them was neatly turned out,from the distinguished older man she assumed was Mr. Yeats down to the young men who probably worked in the gardens or stable.
They waited in perfect stillness.
Waited for her.
She’d never in her life wanted anything more than to bury her face in a book and avoid her responsibilities. But she’d agreed to be a duchess, and she was going to be the best duchess she possibly could. So good that her duke would have to fall madly in love with her.
She straightened her posture as they slowed and refused to let Ashford see her nerves. The carriage stopped, and Emma steeled herself.
“You needn’t be concerned,” Ashford said as he clasped her wrist and helped her to the ground.
“I am not,” she lied.
He didn’t confront her about it. Instead, he led her to the woman at the head of the line. The plump figure curtsied deeply.
“Welcome back to Ashford Hall, Your Grace.” Her dark gaze lingered on Emma.
“Thank you, Mrs. Travers. This is our new duchess, Emma Stanhope.”
“Your Grace,” Mrs. Travers said with another curtsey.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Emma said, relieved by how smoothly the words came out. “I’m sure we will have a lot to discuss over the coming days.”
“Indeed, Your Grace.”
Ashford cleared his throat. “Mrs. Travers, will you make introductions?”
“Of course.” She led them to the head of the line. “Duchess, this is Mr. Yeats, the butler.”
Emma nodded to Mr. Yeats, cataloging his piercing blue eyes, salt-and-pepper hair, and neatly shaped mustache. “A pleasure.”
She was introduced to Mr. Travers, who was as plump as his wife and had a jolly face, and then to the duke’s valet, Hugo, who had traveled ahead with Daisy. She met the head gardener, Donald, the maids, the footmen, the stable boys, and the under gardeners. All told, there was a ridiculous number of staff, and Emma just hoped she’d remember their names.
Daisy stood near the end of the row, and she beamed at Emma when she passed by. Emma wished she could hug her, but that would certainly not be the best tone to set with the staff. She couldn’t show blatant favoritism while they all looked on.
When all of the introductions had been made, Emma thanked Mrs. Travers, who dismissed the staff so they could return to their posts. Emma caught a glimpse of Daisy disappearing into the house before she focused on the housekeeper.
“Would you like a tour?” Ashford asked as they stood side by side facing the hall.
“Yes, please. That would be wonderful.” In addition to helping her find her way around, it would also give her the opportunity to see how he interacted with their surroundings.
