Page 5 of A Duke's Lustful Riddle
Now, here he was again, and everything looked unkempt and more than a little rundown. In fact, much of the familiarity of the estate seemed as if it were trapped underneath the overgrown foliage that grew from nearly every crack and crevice.
The estate stood at two stories high and was made from light tan brick. Gabriel knew the estate like the back of his hand and hoped the inside of his home was still just as he remembered it. There were countless windows and a wide staircase leading to the front door. It was regal and beautiful and familiar.
Gabriel let out a mix of emotion in one breath as he exited the carriage. The staff, as familiar as his own blood, greeted him enthusiastically, despite his long absence. Some of the staff looked downright relieved to see him.
His personal valet grabbed his bags and removed them to his set of rooms, while Kingsley talked animatedly. “Your Grace, we have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
“Have you now? I fear that I might be a rather dull substitute for my father,” Gabriel said as he looked around at the familiar surroundings.
“We have indeed. The estate needs someone to be in charge,” Kingsley explained. “We... well, I and Lady Gemma have done our best to maintain the estate, but we are no substitute for a titled gentleman such as yourself.” Kingsley smiled nervously at the new duke.
Gabriel didn’t believe a word that Kingsley was uttering, but from the looks of the estate, he could certainly not argue that some real work was needed to restore it to its previous glory.
“Is Lord Anderson around? I would like a word with him in my study.” Gabriel’s terse manner had Kingsley hurrying away.
He and Hugh were distant cousins and aside from an event in childhood that the family attended, most of their communication happened through letters throughout their lives. He has only a vague memory of what Hugh might look like.
Gabriel entered his father’s darkened study. Not a soul had touched the room in six months, as he instructed before he left. There was dust on every surface and when he opened the curtains, dust flew around him like a snowstorm. A sturdy knock at the door had him answering, “Come in.”
Hugh opened the door hesitantly and entered slowly. He looked around the room and began coughing heartily at the dust dancing around in the light.
“Hugh, my dear man, how have you been? It’s been ages since we last saw each other, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Grace, it’s certainly been a long time indeed. It appears France treated you very well indeed,” Hugh smiled and the two gave each other a gentleman’s handshake.
Gabriel flinched inwardly at the comment. Being home will take some getting used to.
“I don’t have a lot of time, so why don’t you show me around the estate, mainly the areas in need of the most attention.” If he was going to be here, he wasn’t wasting a minute of his time.
“Of course, Your Grace,” Hugh said as he led the way out of the study. Gabriel wasn’t ready to be lenient on his title, even if he hated it. Now that he was home, it would do everyone well to remember he was the new head of the estate.
He and Hugh made their way around the estate, looking in every room to see how things had changed and what needed immediate work. With each room, Gabriel’s frustration grew. It appears Hugh was telling the truth in those letters. When they got to the grounds, Gabriel cursed under his breath. He stayed away too long after his father passed.
They finished the assessment and went back inside by way of the overgrown garden. Tersely, Gabriel said, “Put the list of work needed on my desk in the study. I’ll look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.”
“As you wish, Your Grace.”
Hugh walked away, leaving Gabriel in the garden. This was always his place of sanctuary when he was stressed. He sat for a few minutes on the bench under his favorite oak tree and closed his eyes. He did a mental calculation of the work that needed to be done. Tomorrow, he would need to go over the finances to ensure the work could be completed.
He made his way to his rooms. His valet had put everything away just as he preferred it. He reminisced about the old days as he wandered around his room.
There were clothes in the dressers from years ago that no longer fit him, and the light-colored bedding was not to his liking. He would have to get a designer to come in and change everything for him. He was not yet ready to move into his father’s quarters. The wound of his death still too raw.
Looking around the room, Gabriel felt empty. Like a stranger in his own home. The feeling that he has come full circle sat in the pit of his stomach. This was not the life he envisioned for himself.
With a full intent on going to sleep and achieving some semblance of rest, it was rather frustrating when Gabriel found himself to be extremely restless. Frustrated, he rose from his bed and made his way into the hallway. As he headed quietly down the carpeted hall, he spotted a young woman.
The young woman was engrossed in arranging flowers. They appeared to be lilies, which were a favorite of his. He felt the more of them that were prominently displayed all around the estate, inside and out, the better.
He watched the woman for a moment, admiring her auburn hair that went down to her mid back before she turned around, leaving Gabriel stunned. How long has it been since he last saw her?
Her body was grown up, but he would know her gentle face anywhere. The light in her eyes was the same.
“Gemma?” He hardly recognized the timid girl he had once known. Her beauty was captivating. Her eyes sparkled as she regarded him, and they widened in utter surprise. The vase that she was holding slipped from her grasp.
The vase made a loud crashing sound as it shattered against the floor.
“What a clumsy woman I am!” Gemma blustered as the color in her cheeks rose and a tinkling laugh filled the air.
