"I want you to help me monitor the Duke's younger brother, Williams." Mr Brown said as he put his hands in his pocket. The statement uttered by the old butler surprised the total guard and made him open his eyes wide. "The Duke's younger brother? Why?" he asked."I will explain everything to you later on. Just make sure you check every movement he makes and steps he carries." Mr Brown said. "Oh, Okay. I will do just that." the guard replied, bowing his head slightly. They, then, moved back to the living room to join the rest. Going inside, they met the old housekeeper, the Duchess and Duke walking down the stairs. "We will get going now." the royal guards said, smiling to the old butler. "Okay." Mr Brown answered. The royal guards headed to the entrance and left. Turning to Mr Dewhurst, the old butler walked to where they were seated. "Sister Emily!" Beauty exclaimed and ran to her sister who was also running towards her direction. "Beauty!" Emily shouted, hugging her younger sist
The royal guard quietly walked into the manor which he had seen the Duke's younger brother in. Looking around, he gave a voiceless sound at what he saw. He could not help but put his hand over his head and shake it for what seemed like forever. The structure of the manor made him wonder if it was Williams that owned it or another person. He, then, looked at the floor to see if he could sight a stick for clearing the bush that prevented him from passing.On catching sight of one, he picked it immediately and used it for the purpose. Swinging it, he made way for himself into the manor. "What type of building is this?" he said as he shook his head. He stood in front of the manor in an akimbo position. Sighing, he decided to enter into the manor. Surprisingly, the door was opened wide and this made the guard stop and look back. "Is there not anyone staying here? Why does it look so quiet?" He asked himself as he held the handle of the door. Summoning courage, he entered into the buildin
Emily raised her head from the table, feeling pains around her neck area. With her eyes still closed, she touched it slightly and groaned silently.Opening both eyes, she looked around and realized she was still in the restaurant but it was late at night. "It is already late?" she asked herself and got a reply fr the old butler who just came back from the gents. "Yes, Her Grace." he replied, walking up to her slowly. "And where is His Grace?" the Duchess asked, showing how annoyed she is through the expression on her face. "I do not think he will be..." Mr Brown had not finished talking when Emily hit the table so loud that everyone in there, turned to take a glance at what was happening. "What do you mean?! I have waited for him and yet, he is not going to make it to this place?" Emily asked angrily.The old butler did not know how to calm her down and so he just stood without uttering a sound, arms at the back, heads down.Seeing the old butler not responding, she annoyingly carri
Emily wondered how she got herself into the predicament she was in. One moment she was due to wed the love of her life, George Duke of Bedford, and the next her father shipped her off to what some would hardly call a village near Worcestershire England named Snowshill. She'd never heard of anyone from there, and she was arranged to marry a man she'd never even met. Surely the man was slipping if he wanted to turn down the Duke of Bedford for the Duke of Snowshill. What in the name of the heavens? It simply didn't make any sense to her. She knew that her father would never give her an explanation. She stared out at the vast marsh around them. It was all unsettling, to say the least. When they got to their destination, she was going to sit down to pen a long letter to her father, demanding he send for a carriage to take her back home to Bedford so she could marry George, the only man she could and would ever love. She could only imagine what he was going through. Probably threatening
Edward snorted. "To marry us of course, he brought the license with him. And Mr. Brownand the maid Helena will be witnesses."She stood near the fire, it lit up her angelic face. Most of her blonde curls were pinned up,but some hung down around her cheeks, framing her face. Her waist wasn't as narrow as some women, and he did not miss how her breasts swelled. She was beautiful, like an angel, and she did not deserve a hideous monster like him. He swallowed hard, trying to compose himself.He stepped closer, so she could see more of him, but kept his face angled in a way that would keep his scar and eye from her view. She smelled heavenly, like flowers and sunshine on a Spring morning. Shebarely came to the middle of his chest. He had an instant desire to hold her.It had been so long since he felt the touch of a woman. Since before his accident, sincebefore he became too hideous for anyone to love.Emily gasped. "Marry? Here? Now? Surely you were going to give it a week or so. Aw
Emily was shivering for more than one reason. Aside from the fear that had seeped into her blood and caused her breath to come in pants, the house was eerily cold. It made no sense to her how a house with a full staff and a lord of the manor would have the drapes lowered in the middle of the day. Candles lined the walls and provided a means to see their path, but it did nothing to alleviate Emily's dread.What had her father dragged her into?Led by Mr. Brown and with two quiet maids walking behind her with her boxes, they made their way pass a long hallway lowly illuminated by candles and emerged into a spacious hallway that had a handful of closed doors lining the path."This here is your living quarters, Miss Dewhurst," Mr. Brown announced, opening the nearest door and bowing with a flourish as she stepped past him into the room.It was as dark in there as it was in the hallway and Emily felt tears spring to her eyes. Why did everything have to be so terribly drab? She loved colour
"She'll be down any moment now, Your Grace." Mr. Brown said and Edward nodded, straightening his stance and doing his best to ignore the curious gaze of the priest. The day was far spent and eve was far approaching. He had agreed to his butler's demand to crank open a drape and allow some natural light into the room. As a result of this, the room seemed airier and more open, the dark paneled walls gleaming and the brass handles of the large door shone as a result of daily polishing. The room had been his father's, and his father's father before that, extending down to a long generation of men whose tales were still being passed down. All the men of Snowshill had spent considerable time in the study, only modifying it to suit individual tastes. When Edward came back from the war a broken and scarred man, he had taken over the affairs of the family in which he was the head and his only contribution to the study had been to lower the drapes.The ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece w
Emily's eyes ran over the room and the still-bent figures of most of the men in the room. Mr. Brown and who she figured was the priest were overshadowed by the man who was now gazing intently at her, the one part of his face that she could see fixed on her and his expression pensive and --- dare she say, hungry.His bow had been the shortest of them all and for what seemed like ages but was probably a handful of seconds, they stared at each other. She could imagine how she looked. She felt like a deer caught in headlights and was unsure of what exactly was going on.She knew that her fear and uncertainty must have shown in her face as the now-straightened priest looked at her with an expression akin to pity on his weathered face."Miss Dewhurst," her betrothed broke the silence, "meet the priest. Father Benjamin will wed us."She swallowed reflexively and turned to the priest to curtsy but he instead clasped her hands in his."I apologize for keeping you waiting, sir."He smiled, the