Page 2 of My Blind Duke
It was Anna who once again took control of the situation, coming forward as she spoke calmly. “Your Grace, what exactly do you mean when you say you could have killed the duke?” Her eyes darted around the room as if she were looking for a means of escape.
Prudence’s lips trembled as she sought for words. “I… I do not know. I came to his chambers thinking we were going to… but then when I got into the room and climbed into bed, there was no answer. I then did as my mother had told me and… I realized he was not breathing.” Fear took hold of her body as the reality finally sank in.
Anna seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as her shoulders relaxed. “Your Grace, you must be very careful of how you explain the situation. Any number of things could have happened to His Grace. He could have had a problem with his heart or a sudden illness that nobody knew of.”
“How could that be when he has always been as sound as a bell?” Mrs. Fairfax stared at the bed in disbelief, her face growing paler and more suspicious by the second.
“Be that as it may, Mrs. Fairfax, these things can happen to any creature on God’s green earth. We must send for the physician at once. He will be able to tell us what has happened.” Anna rushed forward and gently gripped the sheet from the bed, pulling it loose until she covered the duke.
Prudence could feel her body turning to ice as she took a few steps back and leaned against the wall. Out of all the ways she had imagined her wedding night, staring at the lifeless body of her husband had not been one of them.
What will become of me now?
Chapter 1
One Year Later
“You know, Prudence, you are luckier than you realize,” Johanna Borrs said as she took a glass of sherry from a passing footman.
The ballroom at Pemberly Manor was filled to the brim with guests whom Prudence hardly recognized. Letting her mother compile the invitations now seemed like a mistake as she stared at the sea of faces.
“I am lucky that my husband passed away?” Prudence stared at her mother in disbelief before glancing around at the crowded ballroom.
A few couples lounged on the chaise lounges in almost compromising positions while others stood around the piano, laughing uproariously.
None of the other ladies around them seemed shocked or even batted an eyelid at their surroundings or her mother’s words. It was not unlike Prudence’s mother to state her opinion in shocking ways. In stark contrast to how she had been in the past, Johanna no longer seemed like the quiet and frail woman she had been when Prudence was little.
Patting the strands of her light blonde hair back into place, Prudence’s mother smiled at her. Her green eyes shone with mischief.
“You misunderstand me, dearest, I simply meant that you are lucky not to have to deal with a husband who demands your attention at all hours of the day. It can be quite exhausting you know. It never seems to stop.”
The other ladies began to giggle as they exchanged a few knowing glances, making Prudence wish her mother would stop.
“It is all hours of the day for them. Morning, noon, or night, they expect you to be in their bed no matter the weather. I cannot tell you how many times I was woken up to–”
“Mama!” Prudence felt utterly mortified as her cheeks filled with color. There were not many times when she had wished that the earth would swallow her whole, but they did seem to coincide with her mother showing up at her parties.
“Oh, settle down, Prudence, dear. All the ladies here are married. They understand what I am saying. Having a husband is an exhausting occupation. At my age, I can hardly keepup with his demands; I am almost regretting my decision to remarry, but after your father–”
“Mama, I am begging you to please stop.” Prudence felt like melting into the spot from embarrassment. This was not the time to let an assembly of gossiping ladies into how her father was found dead in the bed of his mistress.
Years later, Prudence’s mother fell in love with a wealthy merchant, going against society’s expectations and demands for high standing when she married an untitled man. The union, in Prudence’s opinion, seemed to have awakened her mother’s hidden side.
“I think what your mother is trying to say is that you should be enjoying your time without a husband, Your Grace,” Lady Ashford added with a smile.
“I understand what you mean, Lady Ashford, but I can only enjoy so much time alone until the new heir is traced. Who knows what will happen when he arrives?” Prudence voiced some of her fears.
“But that could take years before it becomes a reality. How long has it been now? More than a year if I recall correctly. They may never even find this heir. If he even exists.” A tall lady with ginger hair and fair skin added her opinion to the conversation.
Looking at the woman as she chewed the inside of her cheek, Prudence struggled to recall her name, hoping she would not have to address her at any point.
It had been this way for Prudence for quite a while now. Surrounded by faces that invoked shallow emotions, with names she could never seem to commit to memory. She had become quite popular since her debut, but she still could not wrap her head around all the people interested in spending time in her company.
But she could not deny that she longed for the gaggle of pointless chatter and high-pitched laughs. It was certainly better than the loneliness that awaited her within the walls of her home. Still, she was self-aware enough to know that the women who frequented her parties were more like acquaintances rather than friends.
“Be that as it may, the gossip sheets have not been kind to me either. They call me theBlack Widow. All the servants still regard me with suspicion. Many of them even refuse to serve me. It is difficult to run a household as a duchess when nobody regards you as worthy.” Prudence heard herself admit, sullenly voicing her sad and frustrating reality.
The pit of her stomach churned uncomfortably when she recalled the look of disgust on the housekeeper’s face all those nights ago.
