Page 14 of The Artisan and the Duke
“She is only staying here to give her a way to stay close to the investigation. I promised that I would talk to Sir Stanley about her fellow guildmates’ plight in jail after the guards raided a meeting they were all attending.” Gregory sighed.
Fred scoffed, “That old braggart is just a big sack of wind.”
“Yes, but he has also made his career out of defending the defenseless,” Gregory countered. “He might be stiffer than the starch in his collar, but his pride never lets him settle for less than victory.”
There was a shake of Fredrick’s head before he replied, “Better you than me, Gregory.”
“You could make some enquiries of that friend of yours that works down by the shipyard. I have it on good authority that the insurance firm has a building there,” Gregory said solicitously.
Fred groaned, “I knew that eventually you were going to rope me into this.”
“You roped yourself into it old man,” Gregory replied with a smile. “After all, you are the one who keeps bringing up the fire and how curious it is.”
With a wave of his hand, Fredrick dismissed Gregory. “You know very well that I do not travel as well as I used to, Brother,” Fred said with a deep sadness.
“The excuse wears thin. There are victories to be had and wrongs to be righted. After all, I would think a War Hero would have more iron in his belly,” Gregory said with vigour at his brother who looked at Gregory with little enthusiasm.
Fredrick sighed, “I’ll send word to him to come here. That’s the most I offer.”
“That is plenty,” Gregory assured the man.
***
Jules made her way down the floral lined hallway. The flowers were even painted onto the walls. She was beginning to wish that perhaps she had chosen to just stay on her own, perhaps she would do so after her mother was safely away. Jules sighed and walked downstairs warily.
Sherry, the maid, stepped lightly into the greeting hall at the base of the stairs. “Oh, pardon me, Miss,” Sherry exclaimed softly. “I didn’t see you there.”
“It’s okay, I didn’t really wish to be seen,” Jules said with a light laugh.
Sherry nodded sagely, “Yes. Master Gregory does that as well. I never see him leave the house either.” Sherry gave Jules a wink of conspiracy before she carried on walking through the room as if the conversation had never taken place.
Jules smiled and shook her head. So, the Duke must be an old hand at roaming about the city in disguise then, Jules mused to herself. She dared not even think about what a nobleman might need that sort of privacy to get away with.
Jules turned and made her way through the bottom rooms. There were two sitting rooms of some sort. Then she went through a dining hall that connected to the kitchens.
Off the dining hall was a terrace made of a stone that resembled marbled granite. Jules admired the masonry that had gone into its construction before she took the steps down two at a time.
The terrace opened onto a garden filled with roses, fruit trees, and some sort of other flower that Jules did not recognize. The unknown flower’s scent washed over Jules. It smelled of honey and sunlight. Jules smiled at the flower.
“It’s orange blossom,” a voice informed her. Jules spun to see the Duke standing at the top of the steps. “Mother adores the smell from them at this time of the year. She often holds dinner parties here in the late evening so that people can enjoy the smell as they eat and dance,” he said with a smile.
Jules nodded. “I agree with her,” she said softly. “It is a truly delicious smell.”
“I would like to apologize for ambushing you with the whole betrothal scandal,” Gregory said softly as he stepped over to where she stood. “I knew that you would need to move freely, and it was the only way I could ensure that you would be unhindered.”
Jules frowned. “I just don’t understand why you would take such a risk. I mean, you could be ostracized for it or worse and I … well, there could be consequences,” Jules said with a shake of her head.
The night wind blew across the flowers. It really was rather odd for them to be alone, Jules realized. She pushed the thought out of her head. They were not truly betrothed, and they did not have a courtship of any kind.
“I can, of course, call the whole thing off, but I assure you that I have taken matters into my hands as far as ensuring the family is safe from any backlash from it,” Gregory said. He cleared his throat. “I probably should go before it is discovered that we are out here without a chaperone,” he stated with regret. “I will see you in the morning for breakfast.”
Jules said, “Wait.” When Gregory turned to look at her, Jules took note of how the moonlight gave him an otherworldly look with his pale eyes and hair echoing back the faint light. “I just wanted to thank you. Are you planning on telling me what scheme you have going to protect your family and get my friends out of jail?”
“Certainly, but it can wait until the morning,” Gregory assured her before he turned and made his way back through the doorway into the family home.
Jules was learning that there was little need to get frustrated with the man. The Duke simply was not going to do anything before he was ready, no matter how irritating it made him. Jules sighed up at the moon and then returned to the house to find her bed.
That night she dreamed of music and candles. There were masks and soft voices. There was Gregory in a fine grey suit with long tails.
