The Duchess

Chapter Twenty-Four: Courage and Discourage

  Ever after the end of the ball, Peter still could not believe that the duchess had stood up for him. He had to thank her. However, she turned harder to find. She no longer took her nightly expedition to the duck pond, and even during the day she seemed to not be in the house.

  Eventually, he turned to someone who always seemed to have an answer for everything—Mr. Johnson.

  Innocently, Peter asked Mr. Johnson where the duchess was.

  Mr Johnson, however, seemed to know just about everything. “Why do you ask, Peter?” Came his innocent reply.

  “I need to thank her for what she did that night, you know. Before I leave for good.”

  Mr. Johnson did inform him that the duchess was in her boudoir, and delegated him the final task of serving her afternoon tea to use as a reason to see her. Then, he gave Peter a final pat on the shoulder.

  Upon entering her private room, the duchess was obviously surprised to see him, probably having expected another footman.

  Despite his quickening pulse, Peter did not spill the tea all over her, and thank goodness for this, for he had many words to say to her.

  After serving the tea, he cleared his throat, and said, “Your Grace, thank you for standing up for me that night. I shall never forget your kindness.”

  “It was nothing,” she said, and paused, “I’m sorry for what I said to you that day when Lady Anika came.”
  This was her way of saying goodbye. What if he did not want it to be final?

  “Since I am leaving, and will no longer be a servant in your household, Your Grace, may I write to you?” The words came out worse than he had intended. They sounded way too formal, did they not?

  Apparently not, as she said, “no, you may not.” Coldly.

  His disappointment was immense, especially since he had not prepared for disappointment.

  Unexpectedly, he turned ready to face resistance within a second. “I would hate to lose a friendship with you, Your Grace.” He did not mind a friendship. For the first time in his life, after they had talked the last time by the duck pond, he had felt not so alone.

  “I cannot be friends with you.”

  “Why?”

  “I am a lady. You are a servant.”

  Immediately, she crushed his resistance.

  He quickly recovered so he could quickly leave the room and quickly leave Blackfall Park. “I apologise for being untoward, Your Grace,” he said, and left.

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Oof.

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