Page 3 of Alone with the Beastly Duke
“How long will the trip be? I need to be prepared in case of an emergency and—” William was once again trying to lead the family, and Rose groaned in response.
“William, Mama, and Papa have already taken care of everything. Not to mention that we are going to have most of our servants with us. The castle is new, and I imagine, in need of a good cleanup.”
“Then you should not forget to bring your broom with you.”
Jasmine refused to pay attention to the rest of the conversation as she was not partial to the excitement shared between the rest of her family regarding their latest addition to their arsenal of properties. Her Father had outdone himself and bought her Mother a castle up north in which they were all expected to live for the following month. Jasmine would gladly lock herself up in that castle by herself if it meant that she could find some peace and quiet away from her boisterous family.
Jasmine finished her breakfast quietly, and once the twins left the table, she also followed suit, so she could sneak off and bury her head in her book once more, hoping to escape this reality. Only, she did not find her book when she returned to the drawing room.
“Are you looking for your book?” Daphne asked as Cassian waved the book in the air. The twins took off, running.
How did they manage to get in here before me?
“Return my book this minute!” Jasmine yelled in vain.
The twins did not listen to shouts or admonishments when they chose to be mischievous. Exasperated, Jasmine took off after them and began to chase them around the house.
“I cannot believe you are still doing foolish things like that! When will you finally grow up?” Jasmine was finally saved by her mother, who collected the book from the twins and gave it to her.
“Daphne, Cassian, quit fooling around. Jasmine, we are all going to Bond Street to buy boots and warm clothes for our trip,” the Countess asserted.
Jasmine groaned with displeasure. She hated going out, especially with her family. They usually spent a really long time in the shops, time that she could spend reading and getting lost in the imaginary world of the characters in her romance novels.
Soon enough, they were all in the carriage, heading to the shops. The twins squabbled while the Countess tried to get them to stay still. William blew off a speck of dust from his top hat that he had finally found in the horse stable where the twins had hidden it. Rose looked like she would rather be in her room, studying plants.
When they finally got to the shops, William slipped off to another street with no one but Jasmine noticing. William never told anyone what he was up to, but Jasmine was beginning to be curious.
Where is William going in such a rush?
“Cassian, do not touch that!” the Countess yelled.
Jasmine did not quite enjoy following her mother and siblings to the shops, but her eyes perked up when she saw a bookshop in front of the modiste’s where her mother was buying fabric. Books were her favorite, and after her father’s library, a bookshop was her next favorite place.
She stood at the entrance of the bookshop, looking at all the books and wishing that she could read them all. Jasmine was lost between following her mother to the modiste’s and exploring the bookshop.
Mama will stay long at the modiste’s. I should look at the books while she shops for clothes.
Jasmine slipped into the bookshop without her mother being any the wiser. The bookshop was a small and dainty one, but it contained everything that gladdened Jasmine’s heart. So many books were in the shop, and she had only read just a few. She wished she could live in that bookstore forever. If Jasmine could have her way, she would buy all the books and read them in her room, but society dictated that she spent her time refining trivial accomplishments like embroidery.
Jasmine began to browse book after book, so excited at being surrounded by so many books that she soon forgot about the rest of her family.
* * *
“Hmm!” Axel sighed in satisfaction as he lay in the lake.
He waded for a moment before closing his eyes and enjoying the cold water of the lake and the chirping of the birds. A busy man, Axel scarcely had time for relaxation. This was why he enjoyed visiting the cold lake on his property every morning.
A swim in the lake would often leave him refreshed and happy, but a jarring shriek woke him up from the brief calmness.
A loud voice shouted,“Return my book this instant!”
The shout was followed by a commotion that Axel could not make sense of. Grudgingly, he rose from the calming lake and headed for the house. Axel enjoyed solitude, and this was one of the few things that he loved about his house. His neighbors, on the other hand, were simply barbarians.
“What can one do to get a moment of quiet in this bloody house?” Axel growled.
“Your Grace,” his butler curtsied when he met him on the way.
“What wild animal caused this commotion?” Axel asked his butler.
