Page 15 of A Duke for Hire (The Devil’s Masquerade #1)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

T hey’d begun with warmth, arousal, even laughter. What had she done that had turned it all around so quickly?

Seraphina’s brows dipped down as she took a brave step forward and grit her teeth.

“ Yes ,” she bit out. “But I am your wife now, Hugo.”

“And it is that fact alone that saves you from being thrown out of this house this instant,” he snarled back.

Disappointment poured through Seraphina as she felt the same trapped sensation she’d felt at her mother’s house envelop her all over again.

“I see I have made a mistake, Your Grace.” she stated Her voice shook, but she held back tears of disappointment and hurt. “I thought my life would be different here. Clearly I was wrong. Do not worry; I will not make that error again.”

She turned on her heel then, and did not look back as she left Hugo’s study.

“Seraphina,” she heard him sigh, but she kept going, and he did not come after her.

Sleep never came that night, and she was not sure if it was because she was upset, or because she had hoped that Hugo would come to her and explain. Either way, when Clara and Mrs. Purdy came to her quarters, Seraphina was wide awake and ready to do anything to take her mind off what had happened.

“I hope you had a good night’s rest, Your Grace,” Mrs. Purdy said as Clara laid out Seraphina’s dress.

“The Duke has tasked me to start your lessons today, and I must tell you, there will be many.” Mrs. Purdy almost smiled as she said this, but Seraphina knew it was not a smile of kindness, but almost satisfied animosity.

“I am most eager to learn these lessons myself, Mrs. Purdy,” Seraphina replied confidently. With an air of authority she added, “I shall meet you in the dining hall shortly. We can go over our first lesson while I break my fast. Then we will pause for a tour.”

Mrs. Purdy looked at her, as if surprised that Seraphina could speak with such authority, but the housekeeper politely—and coldly—agreed, and left her to get ready.

“Not the white dress, today, Clara, but the red one,” Seraphina ordered, looking at the gown her handmaid had laid out for her. “And I want my hair up high. A ruby comb in the front, and a matching necklace.”

Mrs. Purdy gave Seraphina a curious look as she came into the dining room a short time later, but before the old woman could comment, Seraphina took control of the conversation and urged Mrs. Purdy to start her lesson.

“We’ll start with the staff,” Mrs. Purdy began, laying a long sheet of parchment before her.

The day passed by in a blur as Seraphina toured the vast estate, began to learn the names of every person who served at Fenwick hall, and took in further lessons.

She needed to memorize the staff, the neighboring nobles and every member of their family; not to mention the wealthier merchants who resided in Merrivale and boosted the economy. Which, she also learned, , consisted of flax, livestock, and paper, along with several other smaller producing businesses that boosted trade.

“Am I going too fast for you, Your Grace?” Mrs. Purdy asked when they finished at the end of the day.

“Not at all,” Seraphina lied, hugging the many lists Mrs. Purdy had handed her throughout the day. “I will have these learned by tomorrow, I am sure.

Mrs. Purdy smiled smugly at her, and curtseyed.

“Very well, Your Grace. Will you be dining in your rooms or the dining hall this evening?”

“That depends,” Seraphina replied, “When will His Grace be coming back?”

“Oh! Silly me,” Mrs. Purdy laughed, pulling a note from her pocket. “In the busy-ness of the day I had forgotten he had sent this. The Duke will not be joining you tonight. There is much to be attended in the village and I believe he will be spending the next few days trying to sort those issues.”

“ Days?” Seraphina asked, unable to help the disappointment in her voice.

“He does what he needs to do for the benefit of his estate,” Mrs. Purdy said, almost sounding proud. She looked at Seraphina in a way that made her feel like the smallest person alive. “I shall send your dinner up to your rooms. You look exhausted. You did well today.”

The cool tone of her voice implied the woman felt anything but pleased, but Seraphina did not reply.

The next day was worse.

After staying up for several hours attempting to memorize names Seraphina still got several of them wrong when addressing the staff, and spent a disconcerting amount of time lost in the west wing of the estate while looking for the kitchens.

On the third day she felt ready to collapse into a pile of self-pity. Her initial resolve to handle Mrs. Purdy’s apparent dislike of her had withered into a speck, and now she flinched almost every time she heard the woman’s voice. What was more was that she was sure the other servants were in on it as well. Purposely disobeying orders, then insisting they were doing as they were told.

Letters and gifts meant for the neighboring nobles were never sent. Even when she had requested to go on a ride to see the estate’s lands, the horses were suddenly unavailable. And then of course, through all of this, Seraphina saw nothing of Hugo. She wasn’t sure what she disliked more.

On the fourth day Seraphina was battling with the decision to still try or stay in bed when she heard Mrs. Purdy and another woman arguing in the hall.

“Her Grace is not expecting you, My Lady, and your brother is not here! Perhaps you should wait until he has-”

“Oh, away with you, Mrs. Purdy!” A feminine voice snapped.

Seraphina opened her door to inspect the commotion, and she was greeted by a young woman with Hugo’s green eyes smiling up at her.

“Oh, dear sister!” the woman gushed, throwing her arms around Seraphina’s neck.

She stilled as she looked toward Mrs. Purdy, who only tsked her tongue before hurrying away.

“Um,” Seraphina replied, frozen in the woman’s embrace.

The woman with Hugo’s eyes pulled back, shot a glare toward the fleeing Mrs. Purdy, then smiled once more at Seraphina.

“I am Leah, Hugo’s little sister, and now yours too. You must be Seraphina.”

“Oh, yes!” Seraphina replied, her memory clicking. “I have been told of you.”

Suddenly realizing she was still in her nightgown, Seraphina blushed, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“I am so very sorry I was not there to greet you downstairs. Please, if you’ll allow me a moment to-”

“No moment needed, darling, it is just me,” Leah smiled.

She looped her arm through Seraphina’s and took her back into her quarters.

“Go fetch Her Grace and myself some coffee and biscuits please,” Leah ordered Clara. “A bottle of brandy as well. Peach if we have it.”

“Oh, I think it’s a little early for brandy for me,” Seraphina replied, but Leah laughed gaily as she removed her hat.

“Oh, trust me darling, you deserve it,” Leah replied, taking a seat across from her.

She then looked Seraphina up and down, studying her so intently that it made Seraphina blush and squirm.

“Something tells me my brother and his servants have not been very accommodating to you,” Leah mused, snapping her eyes back to Seraphina’s.

Seraphina drew her bottom lip into her mouth, not sure what she could say freely. Before she could worry more though, Leah leaned forward and clasped her hands.

“It’s all right,” she said comfortingly, “You can tell me. I want us to be friends, and I promise you now I will never do anything to upset you.”

A knock on the door announced that their breakfast arrived, and after Clara sat down the tray, Leah poured them each a small drink. After some more insistence from her sister-in-law, Seraphina lifted the glass and let the sweet brandy pour down her throat. Immediately the liqueur made her insides warm and the pressure in her head dissolved.

“Much better, yes? One more. For prosperity,” Leah encouraged, pouring them each another drink.

This time Seraphina had no quarrel with the early morning drink, and downed it quickly.

“I do not often drink in the morning,” Leah sighed as they put their glasses down, “I am sure you don’t either. But special occasions call for it. Now. Tell me what life has been like here for you.”

Leah’s eyes were bright and open where Hugo’s were guarded. That and her sincere smile told , Seraphina her new sister-in-law was being genuine, and with a sigh, she began to tell Leah all that had happened. Leah listened intently, her expression drawn in concentration until Seraphina finished.

“Well no wonder you were hiding in your room,” Leah said after Seraphina finished. “Good for you for not running away, I say. That all sounds horrid.”

“I just don’t understand what I am doing wrong,” Seraphina replied.

“Oh it is certainly not you that is the problem, my dear,” Leah responded.

“My brother is…a complicated man.”

He certainly is, Seraphina thought as Leah got up and headed toward the closet. Seraphina followed when she heard her gasp.

“What lovely clothes!” Leah praised. “You have remarkable taste!”

“Thank you,” Seraphina replied, blushing, “But I must confess they are not all my choices. Your brother actually bought most of it without my knowing.”

She paused, then added, “It is strange how kind he can be one moment, then cold and distant the next. I confess it makes him hard to read.”

Leah sighed and shook her head as she reached for a sky blue riding outfit with black trim.

“That sounds like my brother,” she replied, handing the ensemble to Seraphina. “Come, get dressed. We shall take a ride and I shall tell you some things. It is best we talk when we are sure there are no other ears to listen.”

Both intrigued and ready for a ride, Seraphina quickly got dressed and the two of them headed for the stables. This time there was no lie about the horses, and within minutes the stableboy were bringing their saddles.

“Apologies, but that will not work,” Seraphina stated, pointing to the standard English saddle.

“Why not?” Leah asked, raising a brow. “It is perfectly adequate, I assure you.”

Seraphina smiled uncomfortably.

“I am sure it is but I only know how to ride side saddle. My mother swore to me that any other manner was scandalous.”

Leah gave her a mischievous look as she stroked her steed’s neck.

“She was right! But your mother is not here, Seraphina. Nor is anyone else from the London ton. Try the traditional English saddle. I assure you it is a much better ride. Here, try this too.”

Leah stepped forward and pulled the hairpin from Seraphina’s long wavy brown locks, allowing them to cascade down her back.

“What will that do?” Seraphina asked, reaching up to touch her freed hair.

“You’ll see,” Leah answered, her smile growing. “Now come on, let us go for a ride.”

As she climbed into the saddle, Seraphina was taken aback by how much more comfortable it was. She braced the horse’s back with her thighs with much better balance and immediately felt as if she had more control. Once Leah was saddled, she clicked her tongue to her horse, and the beast took off at a gallop into the nearby meadow.

Smiling, Seraphina followed her sister-in-law’s actions. A sense of euphoria filled her as the horse’s quick gait caught her up to Leah the speed of causing her hair to flow wildly down her back and over her shoulders. For the first time in days, she laughed, and sank into freedom of it all.

“What did I tell you?” Leah asked as they eventually came to a stop. “Better, right?”

“Very,” Seraphina replied, her voice breathy and smile wide.

“You can experience such things out here, away from wondering eyes and gullible tongues,” Leah explained. “It is one of the reasons my brother is always reluctant to leave this place.”

“And you?” Seraphina asked, “Do you leave often?”

Leah pressed her lips together and glanced around at her homeland.

“I live in the country with our Aunt Rita,” she explained, “Where my freedoms are just as equal. “I do not visit Merrivale often. There are…bad memories for me here.”

Seraphina nodded, taking in the grandiose view of the estate from their high ground and letting Leah take a moment to find her words.

“The servants, like most people, are afraid of my brother,” Leah said after a while. “Even Mrs. Purdy, though she pretends not to be. If they are resistant to you, they are taking their tone from Hugo. They don’t want to make him angry.”

Seraphina thought back to her first day and the way the servants had stiffened when she’d accidentally called them by their wrong names. Suddenly she realized why it mattered so much. If she did not know them well enough and then she complained about the wrong name, an innocent person could be punished.

“What are they afraid of?” Seraphina asked, looking over at Leah.

She sighed, and shook her head.

“Many things, I suppose,” she murmured, looking on at the estate. “His appearance. His demeanor. His reputation. The way he closes himself off to others.”

“Yes,” Seraphina said quickly, “I have heard many rumors of his reputation but I cannot bring myself to fully believe them.”

Leah let out a wry laugh.

“Smart woman,” she praised.

“But Hugo will not discuss it,” Seraphina went on. “Perhaps you could tell me the truth? I truly do not believe he hunts men for sport.”

Leah’s head dipped down as her hands closed on her reins.

“My brother can be incredibly overprotective,” she began. “He does not seem that way to most, but with the women he cares about, he can become very…possessive.”

Suddenly memories of their odd courtship flashed through Seraphina’s mind. How he scared off Lord Fellon and Lord Repington. How he stopped her mother from striking her again. He had always seemed to appear right as she entered a truly uncomfortable or unwanted situation.

“A few years ago I had fallen in love with a man named Charles. His rank is not important. I had thought he had loved me too, and that we would get married, but…but I discovered that he was only trying to use me to get to our family’s fortune,” Leah explained. “It devastated me,” she went on, her heartache clear in her voice. “When he discovered that I would no longer marry him, he attempted to force me into an-” she paused, clearing her throat as she shifted uncomfortably in her saddle, “-an unsavory position that could have caused quite the scandal if revealed.”

“Oh, Leah,” Seraphina whispered, reaching out to her new sister. “I am so sorry.”

Leah gave her a weak smile as they gripped at one another’s hands.

“I told Hugo, of course, and he challenged Charles to a duel. Only Charles had paid one of the servants to disarm Hugo’s pistol so that he would have an advantage. But my brother was quick; know something was wrong with the gun the moment it was in his hand, and instead of firing, he charged at Charles; earning him a bullet to his left shoulder in the process. It did nothing to stop him though, and he bloodied Charles’s face to a pulp. I think he would have killed him if I hadn’t been there to beg him to stop.”

“Oh, my heavens,” Seraphina whispered, picturing the bloody scene. “You were there? You saw it?”

“I knew something wasn't right, so I followed Hugo,” Leah replied, finally looking up at her. “I know. It was dangerous. But I am glad I did it. I am glad that though Charles may have deserved it, Hugo did not kill him.” She hesitated, peering closely at Seraphina for an instant. “He’s never told me this, but I believe my brother is terrified of becoming our father. And that day, he really stepped into our father’s shoes. All that rage, that power. It became unleashed, and Hugo finally did to someone what our father did to him. It changed him.”

Realization hit Seraphina as she recalled her first night in Merrivale. Things had seemed to start to go well in his office until she touched his one scar.

“Your father,” Seraphina asked carefully, “Is that how Hugo got all of his scars?”

Leah locked eyes with Seraphina and gave her a grim nod.

“He did that for me too. Took all the beatings so I could be saved. People say my brother is a savage. But it is people that made him into one.”

The two women shared a silent moment. Leah calling her traumatic memories back into their mental trunks; and Seraphina putting all the missing pieces to her husband’s mystery together until she got a clearer image.

“You can make changes here, Seraphina,” Lead said after a while, turning back to face her. “Just as you changed your life in London. Take charge of your new staff. Find a way to break my brother of his ways. I know you can. You just have to have the determination.”

“Determination,” Seraphina murmured as the sound of approaching hooves drew near.

Yes, she realized. She could do that.

“Leah?”

Both women looked toward Hugo’s voice, and Seraphina was caught off guard by how handsome he looked. He was no longer in a fine suit, but instead a simple white linen shirt that dipped open and low over his chest, light brown trousers, and a pair of worn dark brown boots. His dark wavy hair was a mess from the wind, and he had the starting of a beard on his chin.

Her eyes snapped back up to his exposed chest, drawn to the muscles there, but a flicker of sympathy ignited in her when she saw the outline of several circular scars clustered near his shoulder. Even without ever seeing such things before Seraphina suddenly knew what they were. Leah said he’d been hit…but did she know he’d been burned, too?

She clamped her teeth down on her bottom lip, picturing the pure torture of such an assault, and dragged her eyes away from him.

“Brother,” Leah said gaily from her horse.

“When did you come back?” He asked her, not yet looking at Seraphina.

“Just this morning, but do not worry, I am not staying long. I only came to meet my new sister and teach her a few things.”

Hugo gave his sister a curious look before turning to Seraphina, and then his eyes widened as he took her in. She finally looked back to him, and though saddened by her new discovery, gave him a warm smile.

“Seraphina,” he said with awe, “I almost did not realize that was you. You look so different out here. Especially with your hair unbound.”

“You look quite different yourself, Your Grace,” Seraphina replied coyly, giving him the same measuring look he had given her. To her relief, he chuckled, and rode closer to them.

“I owe you an apology,” he stated, “It turns out my Steward just ran off and abandoned his post the moment he made a mistake with the town’s livestock sales so I decided to fix his mess myself. I did not mean to be gone this long.”

“Perhaps you could make it up to me by joining me for dinner this evening?” Seraphina asked tentatively.

“Yes, I believe I can,” Hugo answered instead, surprising her greatly. “Where shall I join you?”

“Why not have an evening picnic right here, you two?” Leah offered.

“You’re not joining us?” Seraphina asked, turning to her with a look of disappointment. She was beginning to enjoy time with her new sister, and didn’t want her to leave yet.

“I will come back soon,” Leah promised, “But I told Aunt Rita that I would only be gone for the day. The Sanderbys are having their ball next week, I shall stay here a little longer then so that I may attend it with you.”

“What do you say, Your Grace?” Seraphina asked, turning to Hugo. “Join me for a picnic?”