Page 18 of A Winter with the Rakish Duke

Chapter 10

With nothing left to do, and a whole lot of time on his hands, Simon decided to look for Richard. The man would be awake by now, and Simon had decided that now was the best time to occupy himself with his business; he hadn’t done so in a while, after all. It was still dark, despite it being seven o’clock in the morning, only three hours after the eventful meeting with Ellie.

He paced around the dimly lit hallways, looking for Richard, who was yet to make an appearance, no doubt tackling duties he shouldn’t be dealing with, now that the butler was gone. Opening door after door, his mind started traveling to his schedule for the rest of the day. After dealing with his business and having breakfast, he would find Lady Ellie to ascertain the time for their late-night piano-lesson rendezvous.

Seeing her again under such circumstances did bring with it its own thrill, and being shut off from the rest of the world these past few days must have awoken a desire in him, as he began growing impatient for their next meeting.

She is quite pleasing on the eye, so I suppose it’s normal.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he continued forward. With only a few sconces as his guidance, he inadvertently followed the path down a bleak corridor he seldom took. It guided him to a forbidden room, one he himself had barred any of the staff from entering unless it was to clean. But as the days neared, he began feeling an urge—a yearning—to take a step inside. He knew it was nothing more than a chamber of memories. Nothing good.

“Simon, follow me,” Madeleine said with her dreamy eyes. She held his hands in her own, pulling him further and further into the hallway, toward their ‘secret room’.

As soon as the door opened, her lips met with his in a feat of desire. But he quickly pulled away, picking her up and spinning her around.

“I thought you were the one who said we shouldn’t call each other by our Christian names,” Simon said.

“I take it back then. I’d rather you call me Maddie than Lady. Unless you prefer me calling you, Your Grace, Your Grace.” She smirked at her own words, as she trailed a finger over his chest.

The reason his old schedule allowed for little rest time was to deter such memories, questions of what he could have changed, thoughts of how it was all his own fault. But now, with winter—and Maddie’s…anniversary fast approaching, it was all becoming too much. It was a complicated situation. He didn’t harbor any feelings for her, except guilt, and every year, it would always prove too much. Being holed up inside the Castle would be his demise, his only hope was to pray for the storm to subside.

He finally worked up the courage to open the door. But didn’t dare enter. It was vacant and silent, cold and gloomy, just as he expected it would be. Only a few years ago, he requested his servants to remove any decorations that were in place and cover any unmovable furniture with white sheets, hoping that it would help conceal the reminiscences of that fateful evening. But of course, it didn’t help cover what had happened. Now it lay bare, by a barren corner in the west wing of Richmond Castle, only littered with empty bottles and loose clothing from prior visits by Simon.

“Ah, Your Grace,” Richard said, stalking from across the hallway.

Simon quickly shut the door and turned to face his valet.

“I’m sorry to interrupt you, but breakfast will be ready…shortly.” The old man’s customary jovial expression rolled into one of confusion, then recognition. “Is everything all right?”

“Never been better,” Simon replied, allowing his long strides to carry him toward and then beyond Richard, who promptly followed behind, trying to keep up.

“It is just that…”

A long pause dawdled between the two, and Simon barely made out furrowed eyebrows suggesting Richard was deep in thought. “What is it, man?”

“Oh, apologies, Your Grace. It is just that with the anniversary of Madeleine’s passing approaching, I must have assumed—”

“Well, you erroneously assumed then. You may leave now.”

Richard turned on his heels, ready to leave until Simon decided otherwise. “Richard,” he said in a drawn-out breath to his valet, who stopped in his tracks. He wanted to ask him about Maddie, ask if he remembered details he had forgotten himself. Just get something, anything, off his chest for closure.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

But he changed his mind. As usual.

“Would you mind seeing me to my study? I wished for us to discuss that new horse-breeding venture—now that the snowstorm has hit us, it’s probably best that I am a little more productive with my time.”

“Of course. I shall join you after breakfast.”

“I’d say about now. Ask the servants to bring my breakfast to the study,” he said. “Oh, and make sure they don’t sound the gong while Lady Ellie is sleeping, let her have a peaceful slumber. I have a feeling she’s not doing too well here.”

Richard offered a curt nod, concealing a smile.

“It’s not like that,” he said defensively.

“Not like what, Your Grace?”

“You—never mind. Let’s be on our way.”

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