CHAPTER SIX
"What do you mean you’re leaving?" Alice asked Emma. "You were supposed to stay the entire weekend."
"Well, your husband scares the living daylights out of us, so we are going home, my dear Alice," Emma said. "We’ll write letters."
Alice’s heart sank a little at the news. "So soon?" she asked, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. "We didn’t really get to talk as much as I wanted. I didn’t get to show you my new bathroom as well. You’d love it, Emma. Truly. Lavinia, you could read books in there while taking a bath."
It still felt so surreal. Alice couldn’t bring herself to believe that Victor was present and now under the same roof. She had not even realized that they had unresolved tension until their conversation the afternoon before. Alice wasn’t sure where the anger came from, but she was glad it came when it did.
She had every right to be angry. She had built a life of relative peace at Ravenmoor, a sanctuary away from the prying eyes of theton, and now it felt as if he had stormed in to dismantle everything she had carefully constructed.
Even the project she had been so excited to do felt insurmountable. It was almost as if Victor’s presence had changed the rhythm of the estate. With him back, everything felt different, tainted by his arrival. Alice found herself constantly looking over her shoulders throughout the day, wondering if he would appear and demand that they go out or be seen together in public.
Being seen with him was the last thing she wanted, as ridiculous as it sounded. Although she was the Duchess of Ravenmoor, she wanted nothing to do with the Duke of Ravenmoor. But he was right about one thing.
They needed to fix their reputation.
Just as they spoke, Agatha joined them, standing only a few feet away. "Your Grace," she said, dipping into a quick curtsy. "The carriage is ready for Lady Lavinia and Lady Emma."
Emma took Alice’s hand. "You’ll be all right, Alice. We’ll write, and it won’t be long before we visit again."
Lavinia nodded. "And remember, it’s your estate too. Don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise. Even the owner of the estate."
Alice forced a smile, though the knot in her stomach remained. She walked with her friends to the front, watching as Agatha helped them gather their things with some of the other maids. Alice waved them goodbye as the carriage rolled away. She wasn’t all too sad. If Victor went forward with his plan, then she’d be seeing them for the rest of the season.
"Where is Roberts?" Alice asked Agatha as she turned to enter the foyer. "He wasn’t at the orangery overseeing the workers. That was his responsibility. Now, he isn’t here as well, helping with the bags."
"He is with the Duke, Your Grace," Agatha answered. "He will be assisting His Grace henceforth. They are rearranging the study and he is helping."
"Assisting?" Alice asked and paused. "That’s not right. He is supposed to oversee the construction of the orangery. Roberts and I planned it together. I cannot be overseeing the workers myself, can I?"
"No, Your Grace," Agatha answered. "Perhaps, we could assign someone else to oversee it?"
"No. It has to be Roberts. He knows more than anyone else," she argued.
With that, Alice turned on her heel and marched down the corridor. The orangery was an important project, and it was already in motion before Victor arrived. She couldn’t let him disrupt the flow of things.
As she approached the study, the door was slightly ajar. She could hear the soft murmur of voices inside. Pushing the door open, she found Victor standing by his desk, with Roberts by his side, sorting through large books.
"Good afternoon, Your Grace," she said and curtsied. "I trust you slept well?"
"Do you actually care?" he asked without sparing her a glance.
Alice inhaled sharply, reminding herself that even though she could not stand the man, she still needed to show respect so there was peace.
"I need Roberts at the orangery. He was supposed to be overseeing the workers, ensuring that everything is done to my specifications. He knows my specifications, some of which I have forgotten. He needs to be downstairs."
Victor glanced up from the desk, his expression calm but, as usual, cold. "Roberts is helping me," he replied, gesturing toward Roberts. "I need my study back to how it was since you took it upon yourself to change everything."
"You said I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted," she answered. "The study looked horrible. I fixed it."
"I think you need to revisit your definition of fixed," Victor said. "Anyway, Roberts is busy. Assign someone else."
"I cannot do that, Your Grace," she said. "Like I said, Roberts knows the task better than anyone else. Better than me, even."
"This is my estate, Alice," Victor said to her. "Roberts is my butler. He has worked with me for years. Before you ever set foot in the estate. If I say I need him for a task, he is to do what I say. You don’t give him orders. I do."
Alice’s eyes narrowed. "And what of the renovations? The workers need supervision. This orangery is an important project."
