Page 37 of His Stolen Duchess
She smiled. A trio of children chased each other in circles, moving in one direction, then switching directions all at once without any signal or spoken word. Georgina stopped and watched them for a while as she got her bearings. The endearing scene was enhanced by the clanking sound of a blacksmith’s hammer just off to the west, where a plume of smoke rose into the sky, and the smell of freshly baked bread.
A small market stood on the east side of the green, and small thatched cottages surrounded them in all directions.
Georgina took a deep breath and then strode off toward the green. She had made a calculated decision. An old woman, likely in her seventies, was perched on a small wooden stool at the corner of the green, just off the grass, doing some embroidery. She likely knew everyone in the village, and everyone knew her.
“Good afternoon,” Georgina announced when she got to the woman. “It’s a beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“A fine day.” The woman’s voice was raspy.
“And some fine needlework,” Georgina said. “I see you are embroidering a rose on a dress. Will that be for your granddaughter? I’ll wager that she’s the one giving those two lads a run for their money.”
Georgina looked over again at the three children in the middle of the green and smiled. “I love to see children playing like that.”
The old woman leaned over to address Georgina, who then crouched down beside her.
“Are you here in secret?” the old woman asked.
“In secret?” Georgina replied.
“I know you are the Duchess, Your Grace. I only wondered if you meant for us to know or if you wanted to visit in secret.”
Georgina smiled. “I came unannounced, but that was more to do with me than anyone else. I must admit that I was nervous about visiting the village.”
“Don’t worry, we are not all monsters,” the old woman teased.
“Just the others,” Georgina replied with a wink.
The old woman burst into a raspy laugh.
“I really do enjoy your embroidery,” Georgina admitted. “There are certain skills that develop over time, and that shows with the elegance of your rose.”
“Well, I have had a lot of time. My name is Elsie.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Elsie, and thank you for making the beginning of my visit to the village a pleasant one.”
Georgina stood up and looked around to see that a few people had begun to gather. The secret was out that the Duchess of Windermere had come to visit, and most people stood close by with curiosity, wanting to see the new lady of the manor.
“Good afternoon,” Georgina said, showing a genuine smile after speaking with Elsie. “It is such a pleasure to be here and meet you all. I hope to come to the village as often as I can.”
There was some murmuring from the gathering crowd, some returned smiles, and several greetings. Georgina suddenly felt less alone now that she was in the village.
“Um, Your Grace,” one of the young men from the crowd said. “Is it true that you have a giant parrot that is causing havoc in the manor?”
“Trevor!” the man beside him hissed and dug his elbow into Trevor’s ribs.
“What?” Trevor hissed in return. “Everyone’s talking about it.”
Georgina laughed. “I do have a pet parrot. His name is Mr. Squawksby, and I shall let you all meet him sometime. And, yes, he is a bother, but he is a regular-sized parrot who gets up to regular-sized mischief.”
“I get up to regular-sized mischief, too.”
Georgina looked down to see the young girl who had been playing on the green.
“Oh, Madeline,” Elsie said, shaking her head.
Georgina crouched down. “It’s always best to get into the right amount of mischief. You don’t want to get into mischief that is bigger than you are. Is that a straw doll you have? I remember having one as a child.”
“I made it myself.” Madeline’s eyes widened as she spoke about it.
