Page 10 of The Duke's Pet

“So...”

“So I’m saying do as he asks of you, no matter how strange and you never know, you might like it.”

She huffed. “I can’t imagine that.” Giving her virginity to a man who was paying for the privilege was never going to be something she wanted to do. Not least when it wasn’t her he was paying.

Take a trinket or two.

“Hey, Emily.” Will was at the base of the stairs.

“What?”

“That coach is here again, the one from last night. Says he’s looking for a delivery.”

“Yes, that’s right, just coming.”

“This is it.” Jemima picked up her basket.

“Aye, this is the start of a new life for you. And let me say, you’ve fallen on your feet. Even if he’s got a few quirks in his desires, you’re going to be staying in a mansion with good food on the table.”

“Quirks in his desires? How will I know—”

“You just will, trust me.” She chuckled. “Now come on, you mustn’t keep a duke waiting.”

Emily ushered Jemima down the stairs and through the tavern. A wolf whistle shrieked through the air.

“I’ll be back to see ya, later.” Emily waved in the direction of the piercing sound. “Hold that thought.” Then under her breath, “And hold onto your money.”

Jemima’s gaze landed on three portly men sitting by the window. Smoke from their tobacco drifted upward, and each had a leery glint in their eye.

Surely being with the duke will be better than being with one of these men.

She held onto that thought as she said goodbye to Emily and climbed into the black carriage. It was highly polished, the wheels new and the interior dressed in fabric with small yellow flowers. Curtains hung at the windows and swayed as they started off down the cobbled street.

With her hands clasped, Jemima stared out at the hustle and bustle. People touting their wares, carts and barrows rattling along, a brawl in an alley, and a dog barking at a group of children teasing it with sticks.

York. It had been a brief first visit and she was certainly traveling away from it in more style than she’d arrived. Maybe that was a good sign.

Soon the buildings thinned and the cobbles became a well-worn track. A postal horse passed them by at speed and in the fields farmers worked their land. She spotted a buzzard swooping into a patch of reeds and rabbits enjoying the spring grass in a sunny glade.

Sitting back, she tried to relax. Perhaps if she could flip into a positive mindset she’d enjoy the experience of being in a grand home and meeting fine people. After all, she’d never met a duke before. That just wasn’t the kind of thing that happened to poor farmers’ daughters.

Yes, that’s what she’d do. Try to find a smile, be the happy girl she’d been when her parents had been alive and see the good in her situation. It was considerably better than starving or freezing to death, she had to remember that.

As she finished the apple Emily had given her, a long stone wall appeared. It ran alongside the track for what felt like an age, before opening into huge black iron gates that had the symbol of a lion in the center. On the left of the gates a house stood, in the same brick as the wall. It had a thatched roof and smoke trickled from the chimney. The windows were diamond-leaded and the door painted red.

Hillcrest wasn’t as big as she’d imagined, but it was still sizeable and certainly appeared comfortable.

The coach drew to a halt; without the sound of the horses’ hooves, the familiar countryside birdsong fell around the carriage.

She poked her head out of the window. “Are we here?”

“This is the entrance to Hillcrest,” the driver said, jumping down. He marched to the gates, plucked a key from his jacket, and opened them wide.

He climbed aboard again, and as the carriage went onto the estate Jemima stared into the windows of the house, wondering if she might catch a glimpse of the duke. She didn’t. All she saw was the reflection of the carriage and her small, pale face staring from it. Her hair looked nice though; she’d give Emily credit for that.

The coach stopped again.

Jemima took a deep breath. This was it. Time to meet the man who had paid for her services for an entire week. She opened the latch on the door.

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