Page 39 of His Stolen Duchess
“I am glad you have all had a chance to meet Lady Georgina, my beautiful wife and the love of my life,” the Duke announced.
There were some ‘awws’ from the crowd.
“You have charmed them,” the Duke said to her.
It took Georgina a long time to respond. She knew the Duke’s words were only meant for show, but they had made an impression upon her. Even though he hadn’t truly meant them, it felt heartwarming to hear them. The feel of his hand on her body was also something to which she could become accustomed. She felt protected, safe, his.
“Theyhave charmedme,” she told him.
Georgina read the letter excitedly. It had suddenly turned into the best day ever. She had visited the village and found them warm and welcoming, and a letter from Dottie had been waiting for her on her return to the manor.
She read it once again, just to be sure. Dottie was safe in London, staying at a cousin’s house until she could get settled somewhere else. She dared not go into town for now in case she bumped into Lord Abbington. She didn’t think he was looking for her, but she wanted to play it safe until she could leave London and put it all behind her.
Dottie finished by thanking Georgina for all her help and said she hoped that they might one day see each other again.
Georgina carefully refolded the letter as if it had been spun from gold, then ran through the halls in search of Lysander. She foundhim in his study, deeply engrossed in his ledgers, making notes along the way.
When she arrived at his doorway, Lysander looked up, and Georgina was sure he rolled his eyes when he spotted her.
Before she could utter a single word, the Duke spoke.
“I wish to clarify that it was all for show,” he announced.
“Pardon?”
“At the village,” Lysander clarified. “You must remember what this marriage is. I only wish for my subjects to be happy.”
Georgina placed her hands on her hips. “Well, for your information, I—” She froze as his words hit her. She knew it was all for show and for the villagers, and she hadn’t come running to him for more affection. But what about… “But what aboutyourhappiness?”
The Duke put his quill back in its holder. He looked at her, giving her his full attention. “What?”
“What about your happiness, Your Grace? You obviously want me to be comfortable and happy here, and you wish for the villagers to be happy, and you haven’t scolded the staff for laughing, so you must be fine withthembeing happy, but what about your happiness?”
Lysander swallowed, taking his time to answer. “Being a duke is not about being happy. It is about doing the right thing.”
“I believe that you can be happy, too,” Georgina said. “What is it that would make you happy, Your Grace?”
He held her gaze again, his eyes impassive, giving little away. “Why did you come here?”
She didn’t press the happiness issue. She knew everyone deserved to be happy, but there was something in the way he looked at her that suggested he didn’t believe he deserved happiness.
“The maid at my previous residence, Dottie, has written to me. She is the one who became pregnant by Lord Abbington, and the reason my wedding?—”
“Yes, yes, I know all of that.” Lysander rolled his hand in the air to try to speed her up. “I wish to know the reason you have come to my study once again while I am trying to work.”
“Well…” Georgina said slowly.
She had come to ask the Duke for a favor, but so far had only succeeded in annoying him. She didn’t have time to rectify that and could only proceed with as much politeness and reverence as possible. Georgina stood up straight in the doorway, pushed out her chest a little, applied the sweetest smile to her lips, and spoke with perfect enunciation.
“I would like to ask you if I might hire her as a maid here in the manor.”
Georgina wanted to assure the Duke that Dottie would be on her best behavior and would work extremely hard, and that she would be her responsibility, and a million other things, but she had learned a few things from her brief time with the Duke. One was that he was not a man who appreciated anything long-winded. The best way to approach the situation was with brevity.
“Fine, hire her.”
“Your Grace, if you will just let me explain how much of an asset she could be to any household, and I did promise that I would help her, and she really has nowhere else to go, and?—”
She stopped talking when Lysander raised his hand, looking at her as if he were about to scold her. “I would welcome it if you could listen tomefrom time to time.”
