Page 11 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
“Uh, do you know if the duke will be around today?” she suddenly asked, stopping Jane at the door. “I'm just curious,” she said quickly. “He always seems to be out on the estate and rarely in the house. I've never known anyone to wish to be anywhere but his house.”
She chuckled slightly, hoping Jane wouldn't see through the excuse. Arabella had wanted to ask about the duke for some time, but she had done so much of that during the first few weeks that Jane had questioned her interest in the duke. Arabella had explained she was merely excited about working at Euston Hall, and it usually showed by asking many questions.
Much to her relief, Jane accepted the lie and provided whatever information she could give about the duke. Unfortunately, Jane had only been working at the estate for less than a year, so she didn't know much about him.
Mrs. Cooper, on the other hand, had been working at Euston Hall since the old duke married his wife. If anyone knew the duke, it was her. Arabella doubted Mrs. Cooper would tell her much, so she needed another way to learn about the duke.
“...usually stays in his study, but he's been outside more than typical,” she heard Jane say, drawing her out of her thoughts.
Arabella was almost too embarrassed to ask her to repeat what she had just said, especially as she had asked the question in the first place. However, upon further thought, Arabella believed she had picked up most of what Jane had said.
“Indeed?” she said. “So, he recently changed his routine?”
"I suppose you could say so," Jane told her. "Although His Grace doesn't have a set daily routine. He has a few things that he does at a certain time every day, but no day is quite the same. Sometimes, he wakes up before dawn and goes horse riding, or he sleeps until eight but doesn't have anything to eat until noon. He's unlike anyone I've ever known.”
“How do the servants work around him?” Arabella asked.
“Heworks around theservants," said Jane. "Usually, a servant has to bow and scrape to please their master, but the duke is different. It's as though he sympathizes with his servants. He never makes outlandish or silly requests, and he's rather easy to please."
“It's no wonder that people like to work here,” said Arabella.
Jane nodded. “People are willing to put up with—” she waved over her face. “—for a good workplace. I would say most of the servants respect the duke, but there are a few who mock him. It's unavoidable, I'm afraid.”
Arabella's lips thinned as anger pulsed through her. “They're all fools!” she exclaimed hotly. “Those who judge him because of his scars. I cannot stand it when people are mistreated for being different.”
"But that is the way of life," Jane pointed out. "You cannot be too different, or people notice and make it known. People take advantage of you if you're too beautiful, and they mistreat you if you're lacking in something, be it your appearance, status, or money. It's better to be in the middle or keep your head down."
“Or one can learn not to care about the opinion of others and simply live as they please,” Arabella suggested.
Jane chuckled. “That is a lovely thought, but it doesn't quite work, does it?” she said. “We are all slaves to society in some way or other. It's best you know your place and live your life without causing trouble.”
Arabella wanted to disagree, but she held back. While they were both commoners, she had lived a better life, and her parents had taught her how to think for herself. Jane had not experienced these privileges, so she only knew to obey to live.
“We should move on to the next room,” Arabella suggested. “Or Mrs. Cooper will wonder what we're doing.”
“You're right,” said Jane. “I have a favor to ask, so best I stay on her good side.”
Jane wriggled her fingers in goodbye and left the room, soon followed by Arabella. She entered the drawing room and set the basket down. The room smelled like the duke—he had to have been there recently, and she had just missed him. She sighed and piled the cushions on an armchair to dust the settee. Arabella made sure to get into all the crevices, removing dirt and crumbs.
The duke seemed to enjoy eating biscuits because she always found crumbs on most seats in the house. She wasn't one to judge as she had often left crumbs in her bed during night readings, where a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits always accompanied her into the early morning hours.
Arabella returned the cushions, lining them up at angles that would soon be ruined. Still, it was aesthetically pleasing enough to put up with—one did not beautify a cake only to not eat it. Moving on to the tables, she took everything off, wiping the surfaces with a slightly damp cloth to collect the dust before using another to shine the wood. Arabella noticed a familiar book on one of the side tables, smiling at the memories that surfaced in her mind.
Don Quixotewas one of her father's favorites. She imagined he had probably read the book a dozen times in his lifetime, always finding something new he had missed during the previous read. Picking up the book, she flipped through its pages, looking for her father's favorite parts. He often made notes in the margins, especially if he knew she would likely read the same book.
“Have you read this book before, Miss Lockhart?” the duke asked beside her.
Arabella cried out and jumped almost a foot in the air, dropping the book. She stepped back, her hand on her heaving chest.
“Y—your Grace,” she said, trying to regain her composure.
“My apologies,” the duke said. “I didn't mean to startle you.”
Arabella looked up at him. They were finally in the same room together, but she would have preferred to be prepared.
“Please, do not apologize, Your Grace,” she insisted. “I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Let me just get this book.”
"Let me," he said, reaching for the book just as she bent for it.
