To Defy A Duke

Chapter 3

Reeling from her conversation with her uncle, Eliza storms through the house, not saying a word to anyone. Reaching the dining room she throws herself into the nearest chair with a muffled outcry. Her stomach groans its hunger, the food from before is still there, looking so enticing to the angry Eliza.

She furiously butters a slice of toast, she takes a bite and her stomach begins to settle. The combination of freshly baked bread and homemade butter has her closing her eyes in food bliss.  Her tea is where she left it so she takes a drink and gags. "Damnation," Eliza mutters quietly and places the cold cup back.

A few slices of toast and butter later her stomach is happy and Eliza has calmed considerably. Leaving the table she crosses the staircase and stops at the front door to pull on some slippers, she opens the grand door with a heavy tug and a cold blast of morning air hits her directly in the face. Wincing she looks around for a shawl of some kind and spots a fur scarf belonging to her uncle on a side table. With a quick look around Eliza steals the material and wraps it around her shoulder before slipping out of the door.

Immediately in front is the driveway, a mile-long stretch of gravel and stones. The path is lined with towering oak trees and a meter high hedge and to the right is Ryddan forest.

The gardens at Ryddan Manor are famed for once being beautiful however Benjamin has neglected them so they have become wild and overgrown. Past the front courtyard and into the east garden there is a secret path hidden by brambles and thorns which leads to Eliza's Orchard, it, of course, belongs to her Uncle but she doubts he even knew of its existence, therefore, she claims it as her own. 

The few rows of apple trees became Eliza's solstice when tragedy struck.  The initial death of her father followed by her sister had Eliza seeking a lonely place to grieve without being spied on. While running from her mother she fell upon this discovery, a haven for a sad and lonely child. No one can ever find her there, it is truly a secret garden. 

Skipping off the top step Eliza runs around the east side of the house and stops when she becomes level with the water fountain. The east garden is a rectangle with three meter high hedges lying on the edges.  The water fountain sits proudly at the head, a beautiful circular basin with a stone willow tree standing central, water gushes from the branches into the clear blue pool below.  To the left of the fountain there is a small crack in the hedge, only just big enough for Eliza to crawl through, on the other side is an archway of blackberry bushes and blackcurrants. Careful not to catch her clothing or hair she crouches through the arch and comes upon her orchard. 

In relation to the house and garden, the secret orchard is situated next to the entrance of the estate and follows the drive up to the house. In her secret orchard on the cold frosty morning of November Eliza hugs the fur closer to her and finds her favourite tree, a twisted and knobbly trunk, perfect for climbing. With one foot on a ledge in the tree, Eliza securely holds onto the branches and hauls herself up until she is sitting on a think branch, her legs lying flat on the body of the branch. Nestled in the trunk provides her with a little protection from the bitter air. Her hands glow with cold and she tucks them into her makeshift shawl. Head resting against the wood, Eliza enters her thoughts.

Her uncle will no doubt be livid with her when she returns, to top that the Hunt is beginning today. Eliza's father taught her how to hunt, she was rather good and shot her first deer when she was ten. The Hunt was an annual event, each year held at a different estate, though women were not allowed to take part Eliza had begged her uncle and he agreed for her to watch, only watch on the last day. Eliza doubted that was going to happen after her outburst. Her father would let her, no argument would change that.

Eliza's childhood was a collection of happy memories, getting her first horse, playing with her older sister and having a loving family. All these things were forgotten when her father died, he was attacked and robbed on the way home from a social call, he bled out on the streets of London completely alone.The months that past after was a living hell, Eloise contracted tuberculosis and died a few days before moving to Ryddan Manor. Eliza's mother abandoned her only daughter three months after the move but despite the lack of care and attention, Eliza made the 7 years alone as enjoyable as possible.