Page 15 of My Blind Duke
Therefore, it was only problematic to allow a troublesome woman to extend her reach so far into his mind.
I need to get it together.
With a grunt, William rose to his feet and stretched his arms above his head, nodding in satisfaction when he heard a few pops at his back. When he turned back to his desk, he noticed the shadow that had been present on the other side of it was gone.
“Robert? Are you still here?” William blinked a few times, glancing around the room to see if he could spot his steward’s form.
“Yes, I am, Your Grace. My apologies, I was distracted by something out in the gardens.” The steward hurried forward, the rustling of a few pieces of parchment on the desk telling the duke he had begun to tidy up. “Would you like some tea? I believe you require a much-needed break.”
Over the years, the man had been a loyal asset to the duke, making up for the failings of William’s vision while remaining by his side. He was eternally grateful that he had followed him here all the way from New England.
“What were you distracted by?” William cleared his throat, absentmindedly thinking that he might need something much stronger than tea to get through the mess that awaited his unfortunate arrival.
The man seemed to hesitate at first, shuffling a stack of documents. “Lady Melanie, Your Grace. She appears to be playing down in the gardens near the pond.”
A sickening feeling took over the pit of his stomach as William recalled the medley of scales that had been in his soup.
“I hope she is not up to something again,” he grumbled under his breath before pushing the memory aside.
“Oh, I do not think we have to worry about that, Your Grace. She seems to be in good company this morning.”
“Oh? And what company might that be?” William arched a brow before making his way over to the window and staring out over the lush green shapes of the gardens.
It was too far for him to make out any discernible figures, but he could at least picture his daughter playing if his steward described it to him.
“She is being accompanied by the duchess, Your Grace. They were playing by the pond before calling for tea beneath the oak in the middle of the rose garden,” Robert added as much description as he could.
Perhaps if it had been someone else, the duke might have felt slightly more inclined to be relieved that his daughter not only had company but whoever it was had managed to keep her out of trouble.
But for some reason, hearing that it was the duchess who was frolicking around the estate grounds with his child lit a fuse of unease within him.
“Why are they together? Have you heard anything about the duchess pursuing Melanie’s attention?” William queried, trying to keep his voice even.
“Not to my knowledge, Your Grace,” Robert said, his tone betraying the confusion he undoubtedly felt at the questions he had been asked. “Lady Melanie has been as… elusive as ever, whenever she is questioned. But other than that, she has mostly kept to herself as she did at her former home. This is actually the first time I am seeing Her Grace and my lady together.”
Willaim’s frown deepened.
What could the duchess be playing at? Did she perhaps wish to worm her way into Melanie’s heart so his daughter would advocate for her presence in the house? Or did she have something more nefarious up her sleeve?
“What are they doing now?”
Robert paused, likely studying the scene below.
“Just… drinking tea and talking, Your Grace. Although, it seems as though the young lady likes their topic of discussion. I do not think I have seen her smile that wildly in a long while.”
Melanie was smiling. Not with him, but with some stranger she had only met a few days ago.
It was not as though the duke had not tried to bond with his daughter. It was not as though he intended to leave her alone most of the time. They just… never seemed to get along. And it was obvious to him that Melanie resented him for what happened to her mother if her silly tricks were anything to go by. She clearly had no respect for him, much less affection.
William could only wonder what Prudence had said or done to get into her good graces so quickly.
“I see,” William stated quietly as he turned away from the window and returned to his desk.
He had barely settled into his chair when a knock sounded at the door. The duke waved his steward in its direction and he heard the measured footfalls of Robert’s walk to the door and the sound of it falling open.
“It is Jefferson, Your Grace,” Robert announced.
William could barely hold back a sigh, hoping the butler was not here to give any bad news. Any more complaints and he might consider leaving this estate to drown to its demise, as it was seemingly meant to be, its inhabitants be damned.
