But… why? He tried to explain it to himself that it was simply the right thing to do. But there was more to it. She was the first woman… no, the first person who didn’t react with disgust to him. There was something about the softness of her voice, the kindness in her eyes that made him believe she was not like the rest of the village people.
At that point, a knock on the door sounded Mr. Hancock’s arrival.
“You called, Your Grace?” he asked.
“Yes, Hancock,” he nodded. “We are having a guest for the evening.”
“A guest?” Hancock gasped, but he quickly regained composure. “Of course, Your Grace. Shall I show our guest to the guest chamber?”
“Yes, please,” William confirmed.
Mr. Hancock turned to Rose, bowing once respectfully. “Please, follow me, Miss.”
Upon those words, he left the drawing room and Rose hastily glanced at William, before disappearing into the hallway. William inhaled deeply, raking his fingers through his hair.
What have you done? He thought to himself, only he had no answer to that.
***
Rose couldn’t stop thinking about her family. She wondered what they were doing, if they were already wondering where she was and why she hadn’t returned home. She relied on the duke’s promise that he would send word to them immediately. As she followed Mr. Hancock to her guestroom, she couldn’t ignore the stiffness in his demeanor.
“It’s this way, Miss,” he said briskly, barely sparing her a glance as he led her down the hallway.
Feeling a need to break the silence, Rose ventured. “Thank you, Mr. Hancock, for showing me to my guestroom. The estate is quite impressive.”
He merely grunted in response, his lips forming a thin line of disapproval. “Impressive to some, perhaps,” he muttered under his breath, though Rose caught the edge of his tone.
Caught off guard by his cryptic remark, Rose frowned slightly. “Pardon me?”
Mr. Hancock paused, his gaze flicking briefly over Rose before settling on the door to the guestroom. “Nothing, Miss, just… not everyone appreciates the grandeur of these walls, preferring to stir trouble instead,” he replied, his voice dripping with obvious disdain.
She knew what he was referring to. It was obvious that Mr. Hancock was not fond of the village gossip and stories, and rightfully so. Any loyal steward should be the same with his master. So, she decided not to take offence at his obvious dislike of her, which stemmed solely from the fact that she was from the village.
“I assure you that I did not come here to stir trouble, Mr. Hancock,” she decided not to be antagonistic with the man, but exactly the opposite. She didn’t want to make him her enemy, especially in light of her new employment offer.
“Here we are,” Mr. Hancock said, opening a nearby door, ignoring her comment. “There are some clean clothes in the wardrobe, which you are welcome to help yourself to. I trust you will be comfortable here, miss.”
“I most certainly will,” Rose nodded. “Thank you.”
“You may call for the servant girl if you need anything,” he added hastily, as if he needed to say what he had to say as quickly as possible, and then he could take his leave.
“Maybe some tea,” she mused, glancing at a rope in the corner of the room. She instinctively patted her little herb bag, joyfully realizing it was still on her. She would be able to make some herbal tea, which should help soothe her body as well as mind, and help her sleep better.
“Of course,” he nodded. “I shall call you for dinner when it is set.”
“Oh, thank you, but I am not really hungry…” she said politely.
He frowned. “As you wish. Now, if that would be all…”
“Yes, that would be all, thank you,” she repeated, watching him bow like a broken branch that popped again into its place, but was still broken.
As he closed the door behind her, she found herself alone in the guest chamber, the weight of the duke’s offer lingering in the air. With a heavy sigh, she sank onto the edge of the plush bed, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. Would working here, for the duke, be the right decision? She couldn’t tell.
It was obvious that she was not welcome there. Mr. Hancock had made that perfectly clear. She wondered if all the others employed there were the same. Was it worth subjecting herself to the scrutiny and hostility of those who viewed her as an outsider? Lost in her thoughts, she weighed the pros and cons, her heart torn between her desire to seize the opportunity to make a better life for her family and the fear of leaving them behind on this new path.
As she gazed around the elegantly appointed guest chamber, a glimmer of determination flickered in her eyes. Perhaps working there might not be easy, but she was no stranger to hard work and perseverance. And besides, they needed the money desperately. Rose knew that her aunt was keeping the severity of their living situation hidden from both her and her brother. But Rose could tell. Her aunt was no longer a young woman. She hadailments of her own. She needed to be taken care of. Rose and Henry owed her at least that much for what she did for them. Rose knew that the only way she could help her family was to accept the duke’s proposition.
With those thoughts, she headed towards the wardrobe. Her own dress was torn and muddy, and she hated going to bed like that, soiling the duke’s nice, clean sheets. She opened the wardrobe, gasping at the loveliness of the gowns hanging inside. Her fingers gently caressed the fabric, the sensations washing over her. She stopped at a lovely, lavender colored nightgown, taking it out and proceeding to change her clothes.
