SOPHIE & THE DUKE 🔞

Chapter 2

Sophie

7:50 AM
I arrived at a very large mansion on the outskirts of town, never having imagined a place like this existed. The security at the gate greeted me and asked for my name, so I explained my purpose for being there.

He arranged for someone to escort me into the mansion to meet Fabiola.

As we walked through the mansion's grand entrance, I was greeted by a sight that took my breath away. The foyer was lined with crystal chandeliers casting a warm glow over the room, and the walls were adorned with beautiful oil paintings.

I opened my mouth in awe of such a beautiful place when the sound of someone clearing their throat startled me.

"Good day ma'am, I'm Sophie Belmont" I introduced myself.

"Hello, Sophie, I am Fabiola," said a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties. She had a beautiful smile.

"Good day, ma'am," I replied.

"Welcome. We've had a shortage of cleaners in the past few months, so I was really glad when Helen told me she had someone who could fill in. It's a temporary job as we require more staff when the Duke is around -"

"Duke?" I interrupted. "I'm sorry, forgive my rude interruption," I quickly apologized.

"It's okay. Our boss is the Duke of Castro in Italy - just so you know, and this mansion is one of the properties he owns in America," she clarified. "So, Sophie, you are going to be resuming today. I'll take you to where you'll get your uniform, and you'll be in charge of the second floor," she told me as she walked while filling me in on the rules and regulations of the mansion.

"The Duke will be arriving this evening, so be at your best and keep your head bowed most of the time," she added.

I nodded.

This was going to be one challenging job, I thought to myself. I had no idea dukes still existed.

2:36 PM

I was almost done with all the rooms on the second floor. Hard work was nothing new to me; I had lots of experience.

I chuckled while recalling the time Helen asked me to clean the walls when I was only 10. Papa Harry had traveled, and she made sure that I never told anyone about it until this day.

"Sophie, we've just gotten information that the Duke will be arriving earlier than expected. So, go and line up with the other maids by the entrance," Fabiola instructed me over the two-way radio.

"I'm on my way now, ma'am," I answered immediately.

I wiped my hands on my skirt and adjusted it, as it had ridden up while I was cleaning and was close to tearing, so I was very gentle with it.

I was very curvy, and my buttocks were so prominent that they made me shy away from clothes that were too tight. My bra size was 44C, so I tended to cover up my body to avoid the awkward stares I got when I was outside. I prayed my skirt wouldn't rip at the side. It would be so embarrassing.

The ill-fitting uniform

I guessed the tailor who made the maid uniforms wasn't aware that curvy women existed because my uniform looked like the ones adult film actresses wore in their videos.

I made my way downstairs and joined the line, keeping my head bowed.

I silently prayed that my skirt wouldn't embarrass me.

"The Duke is here," Fabiola announced.

Silence followed, and soon after, I heard footsteps approaching. My heart raced as I held my breath.

The Duke's cologne filled the air as he made his way through the hallway.

As I exhaled, I heard the sound of my skirt ripping at the side, and the Duke's footsteps ceased.

I slowly raised my head to see what had happened, and my gaze met the most striking blue eyes I had ever seen. They reminded me of the ocean in the story Papa Harry read to me when I was little.

The Duke, with his olive skin and blue eyes, stood tall and proud, exuding a sense of confidence and sophistication. His skin had a warm, golden glow, reminiscent of the Tuscan sun that I had always heard about, and his piercing blue eyes sparkled with intelligence and wit.

He was dressed in a tailored suit that hugged his athletic frame, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist.

As I realized he was also staring directly at me, I watched as his eyes roamed over me from head to toe.

I quickly bowed my head, fearing that I had broken a rule.

The footsteps resumed, and eventually, they faded away, indicating that the Duke was out of sight.

Clutching the ripped side of my skirt, I hurried to the maid's closet to change, my heart fluttering with a mix of fear and excitement.