Page 49 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
His footman finally appeared, earning an unimpressed look from him. The footman had the decency to seem embarrassed, lowering his gaze and bowing deeper than usual.
“Took your time, didn't you?” Basil commented, alighting from his carriage.
He smacked his cane against the footman's knees, smiling when he heard him hiss in pain. The footman would not forget his lesson quickly. Basil marched to the front door, pausing when it opened and Mr. Black appeared.
He wasn't keen on the butler or any servant too close to his cousin. They were too loyal, and obviously disliked him because they always looked at him as though he were an unwelcome guest. He and others devoted to Henry would be the first to go once he became duke.
“Good day, my lord,” Mr. Black greeted.
"Black," Basil said. "Is my cousin home?" He laughed. "Silly question. Of course, he is. Where would he go? I should rather ask if he's busy."
“He is currently busy in the library, but I shall see if he is able to see you,” said Mr. Black.
“If he's in the library, I do not see why he cannot see me,” said Basil, pushing past the butler. “What else can he be doing save reading? Ridiculous waste of time, isn't it? I suppose he doesn't have much to fill his days with, so books it is. I'll be in the parlor,” he told the butler.
“Of course,” Mr. Black replied, disdain barely hidden in his dark brown eyes.
Basil had half a mind to hit his head to teach him a lesson, but it wouldn't go down well with Henry. The man treated his servants almost as though they were equals. It was one of the obvious reasons he wasn't fit to be the duke.
Striding to the parlor, he caught the eye of a few maids. He winked at them, causing them to quickly avert their eyes and hurry off to their duties. He smiled, not bothered by the reaction. They were not a comely lot, anyway. Maribel and another younger maid were the prettiest of the lot. However, Arabella was something special.
She was a mix of commoner and aristocratic lineage, a beauty who annoyed and intrigued him. She was also a woman of means, having a small fortune to her name that could easily enable her to set up a house and have a few servants. A woman like that didn't need to work, especially not as a maid on his cousin's estate. It was apparent what she was there for, and he would make his cousin understand that.
Henry would likely deny feeling anything for his maid, but he could never hide his feelings. Whether upset, happy, or angry, Henry was helpless against hiding any emotions, making it easier to read him. Basil would be able to see for himself if his cousin was falling in love with Arabella.
Henry took his time, but when he finally arrived, Basil's heart sank. His cousin's face was radiant with love. It was worse than he thought. Henry was happy, extremely so. Basil had never seen his cousin this happy.
“Cousin!” Basil exclaimed, rising to his feet. “I wondered if you would ever arrive. How are you?”
Henry offered his hand, briskly shaking Basil's before taking a seat. “I'm well,” he said. “I trust the same for you?”
“Yes, very much so,” Basil replied, resuming his seat.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Henry asked.
“To visit you, of course,” said Basil. “We're family, after all. You do not venture out of Euston, so it's important that family comes to you. Do you not agree?”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Henry agreed. “Mrs. Cooper will be along shortly with tea.”
“I'm not in the mood for tea today, Cousin,” said Basil, sitting back in his chair and crossing his ankles. “I'd prefer some of your brandy.”
Henry nodded. “If you so wish it,” he said, moving to the drink's cabinet. He poured Basil a generous amount and handed it to him.
“Thank you, Cousin,” he said, taking it. “Have you been well lately?” he asked. “None of your old scars giving you trouble?”
“Arabella makes me a salve to soften any that feel uncomfortably tight,” Henry revealed. “She's rather knowledgeable about such things. Her father and grandfather were physicians.”
“Your maid is certainly a useful person to have around, isn't she?” Basil commented. “I take it you are happy with her performance?”
Henry frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Only that she doesn't strike me as a regular maid,” said Basil. “She seems too ladylike for such manual work.”
"And yet she does well," said Henry. "She carries her own weight and fulfills her duties well. I have no reason to complain about her."
"That's good," said Basil, nodding slowly. "A good maid is worth their salt."
“That is one way to put it,” said Henry.
