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Chapter 4

The head maid had been giving me queer looks ever since the incident with the lord two weeks prior. I had not been punished for anything because neither Maud nor Lord Alexander said anything about it to her. Still, she kept giving me weird side glances every time she saw me.

Luckily, I was asked to report on Lady Lucia’s floor these last few weeks.

I enjoyed working for her. She was Duke Kestrel’s wife. A sweet lady with a surprisingly playful side. She made me think she wasn’t born into nobility. She had a very laissez-faire attitude about many things. Something no respectable noblewoman would have.

While I waited for her, she would often talk about her youth and all the mischief she would get into.

I adored working in her quarters. It was just so much simpler.

She never reprimanded me and always asked how I was in the morning. She would even let me stay with her while she had tea and read her poetry books aloud, so I, too, may enjoy it while cleaning and polishing chandeliers.

I felt almost human again. That’s how much I loved it. I didn’t feel like I was a servant maid.

“Ida, dear, what would you say that I read us something not from this country today? There’s a very well-liked writer named Shakespeare in one of the neighbouring countries, what do you say?” she looked at me with a quizzical smile, “Here’s one I know you will like, A lover’s complaint.”

I snorted. I remembered that poem. Although it was a good one, I didn’t much enjoy it. It talked about love and how cruel it could be. Shakespeare wrote about the many facets of love beautifully, but when love blinded all the other senses, his poem reminded us it became something dangerous.

“As you wish, milady.” I softened my eyes at her when I answered. If it made the duchess happy, I would let her read it to me.

I was feeding more logs in the fire when a small footboy knocked on the parlour door. I saw Lady Lucia peer over her book, questioning the young boy’s sudden appearance.

Since I did not recognize him, I deduced he was not from this floor.

“My apologies for this disturbance, Lady Kestrel, but Lord Alexander has asked if he could have tea with you this evening?”

“Oh my, he never has time for me! Of course, please let him know he can join me.”

She clapped her hands together while trying to suppress her sudden glee. It was one thing I liked about her; most of the time, etiquette was thrown out the window.

The footboy bowed and hurried to deliver the message back to his master.

It shocked me that I would see Lord Alexander so soon. Ever since our encounter, he left me with a burning desire to see him again, which was ultimately the opposite of what my brain was screaming at me.

I smiled when I thought of the irony that Lady Lucia wanted to read me ‘A lover’s complaint.’ The Faiths must have had a terrible sense of humour that day.

“Ida, will you make sure that we bring out the nice tea set Alexander had given me for my birthday? I would love to use it while he will be with me,” she paused, bringing her brows together in thought, “and maybe bring up some small biscuits as well?” she asked, smiling. I could tell it delighted her to have him stop by.

I took the ash bucket, inclined my head towards the Lady to acknowledge her request, and left swiftly to inform the kitchen of the sudden arrangement.

When I came back and prepared the fine china, I wondered if her son came to visit her often? In the last two weeks of being assigned to her floor, she never really had the company of anyone. Not even Duke Kestrel himself came to see his wife.

They were in their late forties, and them having each their quarters was not something odd. It was a widespread practice amongst the nobility.

My heart cramped up a bit at the thought of my parents. They had loved each other and had refused to have separate floors, even though my father was never really around because of his duties. He always said that nothing grounded him more than to return to the arms of his loving wife after a hard day's work.

I tried to chase away that unnerving feeling and resumed my task. I hated thinking about my family. I still had nightmares because of what happened years ago.

The place setting was completed, and we had elegantly placed the food on the fine porcelain plates. Lady Lucia had instructed me not to use any silverware while her son was in her company.

This caused me to raise my eyebrows curiously at her. She shook it off, simply saying that her son had a bad reaction to silver.

I had to rummage through all the silverware in the estate to find any flatware available. It was tricky, but I could find something accommodating while still looking stylish: copper, brass, and nickel.

Lady Lucia returned shortly to the parlour, holding Lord Alexander’s arm. Every hair on my body raised when I glimpsed Alexander. He was most striking in his black two-piece suit with a white dress shirt.

It’s like the room had run out of air, and I was plunged into a boiling hot pot. Heat flushed my cheeks, and I was very grateful at that moment that my bonnet covered half my face once I bowed.

I tiptoed toward the end of the room and pressed against the wall until I could be excused. I had to wait if the Lady had any other demands before I could leave in the adjourning room and work while keeping an ear out if she needed me.

“Ida, this is my son Alexander,” Lady Lucia spoke, smiling sweetly at me.

Alexander looked at me, and his eyes had changed from a soft gray to almost black the instant we made eye contact.

He looked almost angry.

What was his deal?

He then straightened himself, recomposed his face, and flashed me an almost perfect smile while tasting the sound of my name, “Ida.”

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