Page 17 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
“There's no reason to talk to me like a little child,” Lord Kersey snapped. “I'm older than you.”
“Which means you should know better,” the duke replied.
Arabella had never seen or heard the duke's anger. Rather than be afraid of it, it left her in awe.
“I was justspeakingto her,” the viscount told him. “Is there a law against that? Besides, it seems she doesn't know her position as a commoner. Are you sure she's not an impoverished lord's daughter forced to find work to support herself?”
The viscount laughed, evidently finding what he said amusing. Lord Kersey wasn't entirely wrong about who she was. Arabella was the granddaughter of a baron, so she had aristocratic blood swimming with her commoner blood. However, she wasn't forced to work. She was here willingly.
“Watch your mouth,” the duke warned. “Do not think because you're family or a lord that it's acceptable to treat all women beneath you like slaves for your enjoyment. I suggest you treat my servants with more respect or never step foot in Euston again.”
“Goodness!” Jane whispered near Arabella's ear, startling her.
“When did you get here?” Arabella asked. “I didn't hear you.”
“I tiptoed when I heard the arguing,” Jane explained. “It was too interesting to ignore. The duke rarely lifts his voice. For all his beastly looks, he's really a gentle soul and the kindest person I know. If only I wasn't so affected by his scars. It's like someone took skins from different sources and tried to knit him back together again.”
“That's not a nice thing to say,” Arabella protested.
“But I say it with the best intentions,” said Jane. “I mean nothing bad by it, only the truth. I feel no malice or disgust in my heart for the duke. Only appreciation and sympathy. Such a good person doesn't deserve to have a face like that.”
“You must have lost your mind,” said Lord Kersey. “Scolding your own family over a servant?”
“You are the one who took it too far,” the duke replied. “You even laid a hand on my servant. Who do you think you are? Arabella ismyservant!”
Arabella raised her eyebrows. The duke seemed rather possessive of her, and strangely, she didn't mind.
“That is the first time the duke has ever scolded Lord Kersey to that extent,” Jane commented. “Oddly, I find his anger attractive.”
Arabella frowned at her. She didn't like hearing that her friend found the duke attractive, surprising her.
“I think I should go and give you time to think about your strange behavior,” said Lord Kersey. “Perhaps you're having a bad day.”
"I will not change my mind about your behavior today," the duke told him. "If you wish to come here again, you must respect my servants. This is non-negotiable."
Arabella and Jane scrambled away when they heard the duke approaching, hiding under the staircase. They watched him stride away, his features taut with anger. Arabella had to admit he seemed more attractive when angry. She quickly shut her eyes tight, pushing away the inappropriate thought. The duke was her employer, not someone she should be ogling.
“I think we can leave now,” said Jane.
Arabella nodded, holding onto the staircase to rise from her crouched position. "Goodness, it's rather dusty here," she said, her hands coming away with dirt. "Who is supposed to clean this area?"
“Mary Fischer and Mary Armstrong,” said Jane.
"Did Mrs. Cooper group the two Marys together for a reason?" Arabella asked, dusting her hands on her apron. "Wouldn't it be better to have them apart so one wouldn't have to call them by their last names to differentiate between them?" She pointed at a man-sized vase. "Mary, come here. No, not you, Mary Armstrong. I meant Mary Fischer."
Jane chuckled. “That happens quite a bit, which is why Mrs. Cooper usually calls them by their last names. The two Marys also work well together, so it's best to keep them as partners.”
They left their hiding spot and returned to the ballroom where they had been cleaning the Greek statues. It seemed a shame that the duke never had any balls or guests for dinner parties, but she understood why. Arabella wished they lived in a world where one's appearance wasn't a tool by which they were judged.
If it were up to her, she would temporarily blind the eyes of those who mercilessly judged others, so they could use their other senses to learn more about a person. Unfortunately, such a power was not possible unless she went around gouging people's eyes out. That seemed a little extreme, though.
The best Arabella could do was treat the duke well, showing him that not everyone looked at him the same way. Arabella wished she could do even more for him, feeling a need within her to protect him. It was silly, as he could likely defend himself, but she couldn't shake the feeling away. If anything, it was slowly growing, but to what end, she had no clue.
***
Arabella probably needed to go foraging for more herbs again, but she still had a good three days before then. The duke's manservant had informed her that he regularly used the salve she had made for him to smear on his scars. After hearing they sometimes itched and stung, she used her knowledge gleaned from her father and paternal grandmother to create a salve to soothe his scars.
Arabella had also made a few sachets of dried lavender to place under his pillow to help him sleep better. The duke had trouble sleeping at times, and since lavender had worked well on her father, who had often had sleepless nights due to work stress, she hoped it would have the same effect.
