Chapter 4

The head maid had been giving me queer looks ever since the incident with the lord two weeks prior. They had not punished me 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, and it made me wonder if something had happened.

Luckily, they asked me to report on Lady Lucia’s floor these last few weeks, and I wasn’t going to complain. What had happened on the young lord’s floor plagued my nights. I had often found myself thinking about it, thinking about how his lips were soft and how he tasted of tea and mint and something else. I didn’t understand why my body heated at the thought and yearned for more. It was frightening.

Yes. Working for Lady Lucia was the distraction I needed.

She was Duke Kestrel’s wife. She was a sweet and kind-hearted lady with a playful side that made me feel at ease when I was around her. Despite being born into nobility, she had a very relaxed attitude toward many things that a noblewoman would not have. I appreciated how she made me feel like I was more than just a servant maid working off a debt.

While I worked for her, Lady Lucia would often talk about her youth and all the mischief she would get into. Her quarters were my favourite place to work because it was so much simpler. I found solace in the calmness of her space, and it allowed me to breathe in this forced servitude.

One thing that stood out to me was how Lady Lucia treated me. She never reprimanded me, and always asked how I was in the morning. Sometimes, she would even let me stay with her while she had tea and read her poetry books aloud, so I could enjoy it while cleaning and polishing chandeliers. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel appreciated. Even more than that. It made me feel almost human again. It was a stark contrast to the harsh treatment I had received from other noble families. With her, I could almost pretend I was home, surrounded by people who cared for me.

“Ida, dear, what would you say if 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 quizzically. “Here’s one of his works I know you will like: A Lover’s Complaint.”

I snorted. Lady Lucia would not have known I was familiar with that author and playwright, but I remembered that poem. Although it was a good one, I didn’t enjoy it much. 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 into the fire when a small footboy knocked on the parlour door and interrupted the reading. I saw Lady Lucia peer over her book, questioning the young boy’s sudden appearance.

Since I didn’t recognize him, I deduced he wasn’t 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 another thing I liked about her. Most of the time, etiquette was thrown out the window.

As the footboy bowed and promptly scurried off to deliver the message to his master, my heart pounded faster. It was racing with anticipation, and my mind was a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, I was thrilled to see Lord Alexander again, but on the other, I couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread.

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 gave me for my birthday? I would love to use it while he’s 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 toward 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 wasn’t something odd. It was a widespread practice amongst the nobility. But they rarely saw each other, and I thought how lonely Lady Lucia must feel.

My heart cramped up a bit at the thought of my parents. They had loved each other fiercely and had refused to have separate floors, even though my father was never really around because of his duties. However, 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 hated thinking about my family. I still had nightmares because of what happened years ago. Despite the sadness that crept up on me, I continued with the task at hand. I arranged the fine china with utmost care, making sure everything was perfect. The lady deserved the best, and it was my duty to provide it.

Once the place setting was done, and I had elegantly set the food on the fine porcelain plates, Lady Lucia instructed me not to use silverware while her son was in her company. This caused me to raise my eyebrows inquisitively at her. She shook it off, saying that her son reacted severely 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.

As I waited in the parlour, Lady Lucia soon returned to the room accompanied by Lord Alexander. My eyes were immediately drawn to him as he walked in, looking quite dashing in his black two-piece suit and white dress shirt. Every hair on my body raised when I glimpsed him, and my heart skipped a beat.

The sudden sight of him made me feel 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 to them.

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

Alexander glanced my way, and his eyes changed from a soft grey 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.”