Page 83 of The Artisan and the Duke
Weeks later, the House of Lords decreed that Boris was stripped of his title to only a spattering of outcry which quickly died down.
Gregory had for once attended the meeting and looked on with little satisfaction. His own fate was to be handed to him the following day, and he tried not to think on it too much.
As he left the House of Lords, Sir Chapman caught him by the arm. “Your Grace,” Sir Chapman said as he cleared his throat. “I will be in attendance tomorrow in support of you, Gregory.”
“It is quite okay, Maxwell,” Gregory assured the man. “Whatever they decide will not change my joy at having my family together again.”
Maxwell nodded. “That is as it should be,” he said quietly.
***
The next day, Jules, Fredrick, and Lady St Claire waited anxiously for Gregory to return. Jules was sitting on a bench in the foyer watching for Gregory while Lady St Claire oversaw a new recipe that the cook was preparing for lunch.
While Jules had been happy to learn that Boris would be stripped of his title, she thought it so petty and horrible that Gregory might lose his title simply because of her.
She had offered to go to the House of Lords herself, but of course, that was strictly forbidden and would have probably caused even more woe. As she sat contemplating, Fredrick came into the foyer and chuckled. “You look more nervous than Mother,” Fredrick said lightly.
“Aren’t you nervous? Why aren’t you nervous?” Jules asked the man incredulously.
Fredrick shrugged and said, “As much as my brother despises society, I also know that he is a man well-suited to it. When he puts his mind to it, he can talk anyone into anything.”
“You just do not want to attend all those parties,” Jules teased.
Fredrick admitted, “That is partly true, but Mother will make me before long, so it is a moot point.”
“Oh, she has decided that because we are such a quiet family, it would be nice to have another member?” Jules asked with a grin.
Fredrick said, “Yes. Those were her exact words.”
It felt good to laugh, and Jules smiled at the man. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Jules said, “I still do not understand why Boris did what he did, but then maybe that is because I am just a commoner.”
“I think being just a commoner is not such a bad thing,” Fredrick said quietly. “I met a girl while I was looking for you. Her name was Ruby.”
Jules nodded, “I remember her. She was very kind to me.”
“She helped me,” Fredrick said. “She told me that you had been there and such. I never wanted to help someone so much, and yet I could do nothing.”
Jules looked at Fredrick compassionately, “I know what you mean. Growing up, I saw all manner of things that I just could not change. It was so frustrating that, well, honestly that’s one of the reasons I kept pretending I was a boy.” Jules frowned. “At least as a boy, I had some agency to do something, even if it was not much.”
Fredrick sighed. “Sad lot we are,” he said with a frown then smiled. “Still, now you are a Duchess.”
“For now,” Jules said with a smile.
Fredrick said, “I have a feeling you will still be one.”
There was the sound of horseshoes on cobblestone as the carriage pulled up to the house. Jules was quickly up off the bench and to the door before William could open it. William just shook his head in amusement and sighed as the young woman rushed out the door.
Gregory stepped out of the carriage and was immediately embraced by Jules. “Well, that is quite the greeting,” Gregory chuckled. “What do I owe all of this affection to?”
“To my anxiety that you might be whisked away on some technicality of reason, and I might never see you again,” Jules said. She looked up at Gregory and smiled at him. “So, what did they say?”
Gregory said, “Come on, I should tell Mother and Fredrick as well.”
Jules groaned in frustration but let the man lead her back inside. Fredrick stood up and looked at Jules and Gregory curiously. “So?” Fredrick asked.
“He wants to tell everyone together,” Jules said with a frown.
Gregory laughed. “It is surely not so horrible that you have to make that face.” He chided Jules as he put his arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the dining area.
