Page 6 of My Blind Duke
From what he could tell, the entrance to the manor seemed littered with furniture, creating an odd maze of blockades that intercepted each route he tried to take.
“What the devil is going on in here?” His voice echoed across the empty hall.
William had hoped that things would be sorted out upon their arrival, yet it had been a few minutes since he had entered thehouse and he had yet to make it past the damned foyer. His muscles ached from hours of traveling, and he longed for a bed. “Where is the butler to receive us?”
Dealing with a disorganized house had been the last thing he had wanted after arriving so late. By his reckoning, it must have been just after midnight when his carriage arrived at the estate.
Clearing his throat, the steward took a step back. “There seems to have been a party of sorts, Your Grace. We will have to be careful where we step,” the man answered him with a heavy note of concern in his voice.
“Are there no servants to put everything back in place? I was told that this house was fully staffed,” William grumbled loudly before picking his way through the mess and finding the stairs.
Hurrying to keep up, the steward fell into step. “Your family solicitor did state that the house was fully staffed, Your Grace. But I suppose that cannot account for the proper management of the house.”
“I will see about that as soon as I find someone in charge.” William gritted his teeth and clenched his jaw as he found the banister to guide him up the stairs. Not wanting to waste any more time, he proceeded to explore the chambers along the corridor. All the doors that he tried yielded empty rooms with no response.
“There seems to be someone down the corridor, in the master’s bedroom, Your Grace. I see some light.” The steward rushedforward and placed his hand on the furthest door before being pushed aside.
“I think I will be going in alone, Robert. Whoever is responsible for this mess will answer to me.” William placed his hand where the steward’s had been and pushed the door open before stepping into the room.
It had been a little while since the party ended and Prudence had found out that it had not helped her relax at all.
The conversations felt stilted and tiring and many of the guests were only there either for the entertainment and drinks, or to gauge if she really did have what it took to kill her husband. She was thankful once it had ended and immediately asked her lady’s maid to draw her a bath.
She knew the warm water would do her a lot of good, and likely silence some of the bothersome thoughts and began to undress eagerly.
“I wonder what he is like,” she had mumbled quietly as she stepped out of her dress, as she suddenly recalled what her solicitor had told her.
He must be quite difficult for Mr. Henry to have sounded so worried for her well-being. Perhaps that was why he had notbeen close enough to her late husband – resulting in his late discovery as an heir.
Nonetheless, she would not allow him to dismiss her as one would an insignificant bother. She intended to face him directly and state as much.
Now fully stripped, Prudence walked over to the bathtub and sighed as she dipped her fingertips into the almost hot water.
“Perfect,” she smiled, preparing to settle in the water.
Her toes had barely touched the water when the door flung open and a man marched inside.
Prudence stepped back and screamed, horrified.
“Just who do you think you are?” Prudence raised her arms and covered her breasts.
The door shut behind him and a rush of cool air kissed her bare skin, sending chills down her spine as she eyed her robe a few feet hanging on a rack to the right, between them.
His broad shoulders cast a heavy shadow on the door at his back as the man took a step forward and Prudence took in a shaky breath, expecting a brute that was as unattractive as his manners.
But the first thing she noticed was his eyes – possibly the brightest shade of blue she had ever seen. As he squinted at her, Prudence recalled her current bare state and adjusted her shapely legs to hide her nakedness. Sending her maid away once her bath had been drawn, suddenly seemed like a terrible idea.
“I am the new Duke of Pemberly,” he held his strong jaw in the air while refusing to look away. “I should be the one asking you what you are doing here.”
So, this is he. The heir.
The longer she stared at his face, the harder it became to look away. His hair was shorter than she had imagined, with dark curls hanging over his forehead. She had expected someone older somehow, but his cleanly shaven face told her that he was in his thirties. As her eyes wandered down his larger form, Prudence’s heart could not help but twist in appreciation of his toned and muscular body, especially when he folded his arms.
Prudence was left with no choice but to admit that the man was handsome.
“Just what has happened in this house? Are there no servants to clean up or receive the guests?” He said when she did not utter a word, taking another step closer, further pointing out her rather serious predicament.
“D-Do not come any closer. I will scream! I swear I will. Duke or not, you have no business in my chambers!” She backed up until the back of her calves connected with the edge of her bed.
