Page 94 of His Stolen Duchess
“No, of course not.” Dottie curtsied again. “I wish to thank you again for employing me. I would have completely understood if you didn’t want to take me on, but you are a good man, Your Grace.”
“You didn’t come out here to only say that, so will you please come out with it?”
“No, I didn’t, Your Grace. I was only… I wondered if I might have done something to offend Her Grace.”
“Offendher?” Lysander was so taken aback that he nearly lost his footing. “No, you haven’t done anything to offend her. She thinks the world of you.”
“Thank you for saying that, Your Grace. It’s just that I spoke to her, and well, I asked her to put her hand on my belly. My baby was kicking, you see. Afterwards, she left so suddenly. I worried I had done something wrong by doing that. I just miss her.”
“We all… she’ll return soon. You don’t have to worry about that. She’s gone to visit her sister. I will have her come back to the townhouse before we go back to the manor. There are only a few things to take care of before then.”
Why am I even telling you all of this? It’s none of your business. You care about Georgina, and so do I.
“I’m sorry again for bothering you, Your Grace. I will leave you be, it’s just…” Dottie’s voice became quieter as her words drifted off.
Lysander should have ordered her to get back to work, but something stirred within him. He was still the same man inside, but he wanted to hear what she had to say. He had the feeling that it was of the utmost importance.
“Say what you need to say,” he ordered.
Dottie looked around, then back at the Duke, her eyes now a little wider.
“Perhaps it’s not my place to say it, but I remember working for Her Grace back at her uncle’s house, and she was always very kind to me, but she wasn’t the person she is now. She was always happy, but not happy like she is now, and if you don’t mind me saying, Your Grace, I’ve seen how happy you are now that she is around. And how sad you have become with her gone, and?—”
“You’re right, it is none of your business,” Lysander warned. “I don’t have time for this, so please get back to work.”
Dottie curtsied again quickly. “Yes, of course, Your Grace. I beg your pardon. Forget I said anything.”
Lysander watched her race back into the house, and once again, he was alone in the garden. First Thomas, and now his maid. It was infuriating that everyone knew what was going on inside his head and heart better than he did, and even more annoying that the people around him felt the need to intervene and meddle when they hadn’t ever done so before.
“Guttersnipe bastard!” Mr. Squawksby shouted from the safety of his enclosure.
“Everyone has something to say,” Lysander muttered.
“Georgina!”
Georgina looked over her shoulder from her parlor chair to find Isabella and Beatrice. She leaped from her chair, her chest swelling at the sight of two familiar faces, and ran to them, the three of them embracing in the doorway, bumping elbows into the door surround as they hugged.
“What are you doing here?” Georgina asked. “I didn’t know you were coming to visit Emily.”
“We aren’t,” Isabella said. “We thought you might need some company.”
Georgina tutted. “I told Emily not to tell anyone anything. I don’t want to make a big deal of this.”
Georgina walked back into the room, and her two friends followed.
“Did he hurt you?” Isabella asked.
“No, he didn’t hurt me.” She was still telling that lie. He had hurt her more deeply than she had ever imagined being hurt.
“If he ever tries to hurt you, I’ll… I’ll…,” Isabella started.
“You’ll what?” Beatrice asked.
“Well, I’ll simply bonk him on the nose.” Isabella raised a fist and shook it to show she was serious.
The other two women burst into laughter.
“This isn’t funny!” Isabella complained. “I’m serious, Georgina! I mean it! I would really bonk him on the nose.”
