Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Iwill leave him in your capable hands, Miss Becker.”
The nanny curtsied before Jane, an action the duchess had witnessed a number of times that morning but still had not grown accustomed to.
“Of course, Your Grace. I will keep the little lord occupied in your absence.”
Jane nodded, stepping aside so the other woman could tend to her husband’s child for the moment, sparing Reuben another glance before she left his room completely.
It had been surprising that the child already seemed to have grown somewhat attached to her. If anything, he appeared to find her presence comforting and the knowledge of that made Jane believe that perhaps she could be of more help than she had initially thought.
However, she needed to do more for the duke.
It did not feel right to her that she had gotten to spend the day before simply playing and entertaining with a child, whereas she had yet to familiarize herself with the duties and responsibilities of being a duchess.
Jane thought it was regretful that she had not seized the opportunity to question her friend, Penelope while she had the chance, but it seemed that she would have to manage somehow.
With a determined nod to herself, she set off to find the housekeeper. As though Mrs Green sensed that she was being sought after, she was waiting for the duchess at the foot of the stairs when Jane arrived.
“Ah, just the person I wished to see,” Jane smiled a little. “Mrs Green, I would like your help with something.”
The older woman nodded curtly. “Certainly, Your Grace. I am here to assist you; however, you need me to.”
“Well... to be honest, I am very unsure of what it is I am supposed to do here. As the duchess. The duke would prefer that I focus solely on Reuben, but I do not wish to smother him with my presences so soon after our introduction. We need time to get to know each other and I – regardless of what is expected of me, I would like to be able to contribute even more to this household. Could you guide me?” Jane asked earnestly.
Mrs Greene smiled, looking quite pleased with what she had just heard.
“Of course, Your Grace. Shall we begin?”
Jane nodded, feeling nervous and giddy with some excitement. The housekeeper led her down the hallway, speaking in a tone that was gentle but still held the duchess’ attention firmly.
“The most important task you will have is to ensure that the household is running as smoothly as possible. Everything else is secondary to that, and in time, you will begin to taken on those duties as well. But, for now, the affairs of this home will be where you begin. The duchess is expected to ensure the household runs as it should – and to do that, you must know the members of your staff. I believe, an introduction to the others is due.”
She turned into another corridor and opened the door at the end of it, and only when Jane had gone through it did she realize she was standing in the kitchen.
A handful of servants and staff looked raised their heads upon her arrival and they quickly formed a line, standing as still as possible. Jane smiled nervously, mostly trying to ease her own nerves, but Mrs Greene charged forward regardless.
“These people are responsible for the care and welfare of the household, Your Grace. Firstly, Mr Percival Johnson is the butler of the estate. Everything runs as seamlessly as possible due to his fine efforts and superb keen eye for detail,” she said, gesturing at a man who stepped forward and bowed, the light glinting off his monocle.
“Good morning, Your Grace. It is an honour to meet you,” he told her, standing straight with a smile.
“Lucas is our cook – and he is quite talented! He was specially trained in France and has contributed greatly to the wellness of the household with his exceptional meals,” Mrs Greene stated, gesturing at a burly man who stepped forward proudly.
“Your Grace,” he said, his voice cheery and light.
“You are s magnificent beauty to behold. Welcome to the Ravencroft estate. We are delighted to make your acquaintance. If at any time – any hour of the day at all, you find yourself plagued with cravings for a dish or dessert, you must let me know at once. I will prepare it for you, to the best of my abilities.”
His rather energetic words were reassuring and Jane couldn’t help but smile gratefully.
“I will keep that in mind, thank you.” She replied honestly.
“James is His Grace’s valet, and Adele is to be your lady’s maid, Your Grace,” Mrs Greene informed, and Jane’s eyes slid to the young man and woman standing near the cook who both bowed.
“The others are maids that help clean, cook and manage other meagre duties. We do have a gardener; Robert and the stableboy is Christian. I am sure you will meet them eventually, as well.”
Jane faced the staff once more, willing her voice to be strong as she addressed them.
“Good afternoon. I apologize, if my introduction has arrived later than expected, but I am the new duchess of Ravencroft. This is... quite a new experience for me, as one can imagine, but I am intent on doing my very best to ensure the happiness and well-being of everyone within the estate. If you have any concerns or even suggestions about the affairs of the estate, do not hesitate to bring it up to me. I do hope we are able to do great things here. Together,” she spoke, her cheeks flushed beneath the attention of the staff.
“Yes, Your Grace,” they chorused, looking rather pleased.
Mrs Greene seemed to approve of her words as well, because she clapped curtly, then she stepped back to stand near Jane.
“Now that you have meet your staff, Your Grace, I believe it is time to get to know your house,” the woman announced, leading Jane out of the kitchen.
She began to guide the young duchess through the halls of the house, showing off different rooms and explaining their purposes.
Young Reuben had a study of his own, a few doors down from his room, mostly used during his tutoring lessons.
There was also a nursery on that floor, but Jane barely paid any attention to it after the housekeeper opened the door and there was hardly any colour to be seen within the walls.
It did not look as though a child had been raised there, at least for the first year or two of his life.
The lack of warmth Jane had noticed the day before had grown into something much more concerning as she discovered that the house lacked a woman’s touch.
As a matter of fact, it seemed absolutely starved of it.
Although the furniture was well-kept and every nook and cranny was neat, it appeared that no one had particularly tried to put together some semblance of elegant decor.
As they continued to walk around the house, Jane took note of certain areas that needed work in her mind, studying places that required changes or even a little bit of sprucing up.
Even though... this marriage was meant to end eventually, it was clear just how long the estate had been without a duchess. And she was determined to fix things up a little bit, at the very least, before she turned her attention back to Reuben.
“This is the library, Your Grace,” Mrs Greene stated as she opened a large set of doors, stepping aside so Jane could walk in first.
The room was as grand as all the others she had seen, but it held more splendour with its domed ceiling that was adorned with a mural of a flower garden. Jane felt her jaw drop in awe as she looked up at it, her feet taking her further into the room.
“My goodness,” she breathed, lowering her gaze to the bookshelves and she ran her fingers over the spines of the closest books.
There were so many, as far as the eye could see. Her family had a library as well, a collection her father had inherited from his own father, and loved to boast about because it contained many first edition publications of famous books.
And just by standing in this room, by inhaling the scent of leather and well-loved pages, she could tell her father’s collection could not compare to this.
“The late duke was an avid lover of literature. It was said that he loved to host parties on behalf of authors who were preparing to release their new works and they would be invited to read or speak about it. They were quite a lavish affair,” Mrs Greene nodded sagely.
“I can imagine,” Jane sighed, still admiring the titles she could see.
It would take a lifetime to read even half of these, even more.
Perhaps, she thought with a smile, that is why Reuben has already gotten started.
“And the duke? Is he also a lover of literature?” Jane questioned, ignoring the heat crawling up to her cheeks at the thought of her husband.
Mrs Greene paused thoughtfully for a moment, then she shook her head.
“Not as much as his father was or his son is. But ever so often, he does prefer to spend his time in that corner with a pot of peppermint tea, brewed specially with a dash of cinnamon,” the housekeeper replied, pointing at a spot near the fireplace, where a dark blue settee sat.
It was near a window, so Jane imagined it must be a favoured location within the library, given its proximity to the warmth from the fireplace and the light and air from the window.
“I wonder if the old duke misses his books. Does he visit? Does the duke’s family ever visit? To see Reuben?” Jane asked, shifting her gaze to another bookshelf.
Mrs Greene stared at her in confusion for a few seconds, then she sighed sadly.
“It would be hard for the old duke to care about his grandson, much less his belongings, when he has long since passed, Your Grace. The only family the duke and Lord Reuben have are each other. And well, you.”
The news was so unexpected, Jane felt her thoughts stutter for a moment.
“No one else? B-But... how?” she queried quietly.
“They had fallen prey to a 0 that had been making its way around then. It had claimed everyone in the family – the old duke, his duchess, his first eldest two sons and daughter. They had only been sick for three days before they began to pass. By the end of the week, they were all dead. His Grace... he had been fighting at war during that time and upon receiving the news, he returned to inherit the dukedom and carry on the family name,” Mrs Greene told her, the older woman’s voice weighed down with sadness.
Jane felt her heart clench painfully in her chest at the thought of what the duke must have felt... likely injured and struggling to survive in a battle field, only to receive news that his whole family had perished.
It must have been difficult, for him to even come to terms with the inheritance he had obtained, at the expense of the ones he loved. She wondered how he had managed to keep his head up thus far, unable to imagine what she would do if she had been the one to face such devastation.
Perhaps... that was part of the darkness she had seen within him. Only, it wasn’t darkness, but deep, heavy grief and pain in someone who had lost so much.
“The ton believe him to be cursed. A beast, they call him, because he is marred and marked by what he has survived. It is not fair,” the housekeeper spat angrily, the next moment taking in a deep breath, likely to calm herself.
“All he wishes to do – all he has done is care for us. For this household and his son. I hope that you are able to help him with that, at least, Your Grace.”
Before Jane could speak, the woman left the library.
The duchess remained for a moment longer, trying her best to think clearly. Much like the others Mrs Greene had mentioned, she too, had perceived the duke to be a dangerous man who could not be trusted. But she had been wrong, like they were.
“Why is this so difficult all of a sudden?” she whispered to herself.
Three days ago, the most difficult thing she was meant to face was a man on an alter who was known as a cruel prince. Now, it seemed as though those worries hardly held any water, not because they were founded on lies, but because they were ridiculous in comparison to what was expected of her now.
After walking around the library, a little bit and taking notes of things she wished to change, Jane walked out of it, only to find Mrs Greene waiting for her right outside the door.
Mustering up a little bit of cheer, she asked,
“Where to next?”
Jane was not sure what the housekeeper expected from her at that time, or if her expectations were met, but she supposed it meant something that the older woman went on as though nothing had happened.
They continued with the tour of the house and Jane continued to make more plans quietly. She would need to sit down later and put it all on paper, but it felt good to hear the ideas rattling about in her head.
Perhaps she really could make a difference in the house if she really tried.
Mrs Greene had pointed to a door at some point and stated that it was one of “The duke’s private rooms. No one is allowed in there without his express permission. I do not know if the rule extends to you, Your Grace, but you might want to enquire about it, to be safe.”
Memories from the night before flooded Jane’s head, along with the deep heat of embarrassment, settling warmly over her face.
She had tried to forget all about it all morning, opting to remain busy instead of bothered in a bid to find out what it all meant. It did not matter in the grander scheme of things, anyway, and was likely a mistake.
“I will keep that in mind,” she assured Mrs Greene, following her closely as she walked around a corner, into a different corridor.
The journey ended shortly after that, and Jane was eager to put some of her ideas down as soon as possible.
“Thank you, Mrs Greene. That was an illuminating walk and discussion. I am truly grateful for your guidance.” Jane expressed warmly.
“It was my pleasure, Your Grace. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you perhaps have some needs to be met, do let me know,” the housekeeper curtsied.
Jane smiled, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to see Reuben. She resisted the urge to run to him for a minute, telling the older woman,
“I know my expertise might not be as grand as those of the previous duchesses, but what I lack for in experience and skill, I am determined to make up for in determination and hard work. This estate is beautiful, but I believe it could even be more so, with a few changes. And I will need your help to carry out those changes when the time comes. I want to make this a good home. For the duke and his son. They deserve that much, after what they have been through.”
Mrs Greene smiled, slow and hopeful.
“I look forward to what you will do, Your Grace. I am at your service.”