13
Camilla White
N ever in my life had I thought I would have to sneak out and do the walk of shame, especially not in the place where I work and live. Yet, here I am, tiptoeing around this old, creaky manor, hoping no one has arrived early enough to see me.
Last night was…exquisite. It was by far the best sex I have ever had in my life, and that man has a horse kind of stamina, that’s for sure. It was an extreme challenge to stay awake after we stopped in round... I lost count.
Thankfully, he was just as worn out as I was. Not even two minutes later, he was already softly snoring deep in dreamland, with his arms wrapped around me. It was nice, though, with his body half on top of mine and the silky sheets keeping the warmth in. I was tempted to stay.
But this is just sex, and staying the night is not an option. But dear god, that man wore me down.
It’s currently past four in the morning, and the moment my feet touch the feet of my bed, I let myself fall onto it and fall asleep instantly. There’s only a small notion of a shift in the bed, and feelings of a small warmth covering my feet, lulling me even faster to sleep.
I am going over the menu for next week with Mariah when the butler announces the arrival of the duke’s younger brother.
“Prepare some biscuits, two pieces of that dessert I made earlier, and do the Assam Tea today,” I say to her. “I’ll come back to tell you where to serve them, alright?”
She nods and turns to the cupboard, starting the task I just gave her, while I head to the main visit room, where Edgar Hawthorne is already standing.
“Your Grace,” I greet.
“Camilla, how lovely to see you,” he greets me with a wide, warm smile.
“You’re very kind, Your Grace.” I smile shyly. “Do you want me to call His Grace the duke? He should be up by now, I think.”
“I can wait.” He winks, and I can’t help but blush. “Why don’t you keep me some company while we wait for him?”
“I had Mariah prepare something to serve you both, I need to find him and see where she should—”
“Isn’t this where visits are received? Let her serve it here.” He sits down on the velvet royal blue couch in the room. “Now, sit next to me and let me know more about you.”
“I don’t—”
“Nonsense. My brother will probably take a long time. Now,” sitting me down next to him, “how has it been working for him? Is he a real pain in the ass to you like he was to me?”
You wouldn’t say this man is nobility and raised to hold a specific standard of etiquette with the way he talks. He’s acting like we’ve known each other forever like we're old buddies catching up.
“It’s been unexpected,” I start.
“How so?” he asks, curiosity and mischief lacing his voice.
“He’s given me a lot of autonomy and is fine with letting me run things as they were before, mostly.”
“Is that so? That’s intriguing since my brother has always wanted things done his way.”
“And he does,” I confirm. “I think he wants it all to be a smooth transition, honestly.”
“Hmm…Alright, alright. Now, tell me about you.”
“Me? There’s nothing to–”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” He twists his bum on the couch, turning to face me. “So, tell me, Camilla. Why is a beautiful woman like you staying here and working as a housekeeper? Is there anything else you’d like to work on instead of this?”
“Ahm, I am a biologist—well, I haven’t officially worked in the field yet. The duchess fell ill right after I finished my internship, so I decided to care for her instead.”
“So selfless, hm…” he mumbles, looking away.
He seems pensive, but his short comments confuse me.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing, dear. You’re fascinating. Tell me more about you.” His pearly white teeth show in a dazzling smile just as his ankle is placed on his knee.
“That won’t be necessary,” the duke’s voice sounds, startling me.
Edgar turns towards his brother right away, who is approaching us while buttoning his shirt’s handcuffs.
“Dear brother, you’re finally here. Come join us. I was just getting to know Camilla. What a lovely lady you’ve got here.” His words make me blush violently.
Charm runs in the family, it seems. Though Edgar is much more straightforward and cheekier than Vincent, they’re both self-assured and know how to play their cards right.
Vincent eyes me for a moment before focusing on the space between Edgar and me. I have to admit, it’s not much. With his knees touching mine, he’s been slowly getting closer to my side.
There’s nothing indecent about it, but the way Vincent keeps glaring at the space, or the lack of it, makes me feel like it’s the opposite.
“Ed, stop harassing my staff. Camilla surely has more important things to do than put up with you,” he grumbles before stopping right before us.
My eyes trail up his body. His legs are apart at shoulder length, and his bulging arms are crossed over his chest, making the muscles more prominent. Those are some strong arms, and Vicent made sure to show me that last night.
Especially when he was able to keep my hips in place when I was a writhing mess on his mouth.
Stop, Camilla. Do not think about these things during work.
Easier said than done. It’s hard not to keep watching him, especially after last night. The white button-up is strained on his chest, and the fact that the top buttons are undone shows me quite a good bit of his chest.
Wait… without a tie?
I look up at his face. His hair looks brushed but not slicked with the wax he usually has. Did he sleep in?
Edgar’s head tilts as he watches his brother before asking, “Sleeping in? Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?”
“Shut up,” the duke grunts. “I had a late night.”
I can’t help but blush, especially when he steals a heated glance at me.
I need to get out of here.
“Let me bring you both some food and tea.” I rush out right after, not giving them enough time to counter my words.
Being around Vincent is even harder now than it used to be. One would think that getting it out of your system would make it better, but oh, how wrong I was.
Keeping my eyes off him is impossible, and the tension thickens every time his eyes meet mine. He looks like gluttony itself, not being able to resist and wanting more. And more. And more.
The sound of the lock clicking behind my back brings some needed relief, and I enjoy it by leaning against it and taking a few breaths.
The next second, a voice sounds, and I can’t help but stay put and inadvertently listen to their conversation.
“What was that?” Edgar asks.
“What was what?”
“Did you just eye-fuck your housekeeper? In front of me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Edgar. Camilla’s not like that,” the duke answers.
My heart squeezes in a bittersweet way. Somehow, he’s defending me, even to his brother, when we both know I am like that. A wave of guilt crashes against my heart and forces me to take a deep breath.
Do not let emotions rule your decisions.
The late duchess’ voice rings inside my head, helping me avoid a panic attack and also making me realize that I let my attraction for Vincent rule my decisions last night, and I messed up. Big time.
“Well, that’s unfortunate because I have some good news for you,” Edgar’s voice sounds slightly lower, forcing me to perk up at his words.
I shouldn’t even be listening here.
“Another rumour of yours?”
“Well, yes, but as you know, the source is trustworthy. It’s about the king.”
Okay, no. This is where I draw the line.
I will not listen behind doors to politics and royal matters. I don’t have any kind of interest in it. Technically, I shouldn’t even be listening behind doors, period.
Forcing my feet to walk towards the kitchen, I hurriedly step in and meet Mariah there. She’s wrapping up the biscuits and tea on a silver tray, and I head for the fridge and prepare two servings of one of my favourite desserts.
“What is that cake?” Mariah asks curiously.
“Japanese cheesecake with strawberry jam. I’ve made an extra one for the staff. Get yourself a slice and make sure to share with the rest of the team, alright?”
She nods eagerly, and I take the tray back to serve both Hawthorne brothers.
When I get to the door, I press the tray slightly between the wall and my hip so I can balance it with only one hand and knock on the door. It opens after a few moments, revealing Edgar’s grinning face.
“Look, my new favourite girl is back!”
“I’ve brought some snacks to hold your stomach until lunchtime. Will you be staying for lunch, Your Grace?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Both brothers answer at the same time.
“My brother is too busy to stay for lunch. Right, Edgar ?”
Edgar’s shoulders deflate when he answers, “If you insist, dear brother,” he says sarcastically. “Although, I wouldn’t mind pushing my agenda to taste Camilla’s amazing cooking.”
“Oh, I don’t always cook. They’re my mother’s recipes, and I’ve perfected them, but I only cook when I have the time to or when the chef has a day off.”
I try to explain as I set the things on the table before Edgar. Vincent joins his brother on the couch and eyes the food.
“What’s that?” Edgar points at the cheesecake.
“It’s Japanese cheesecake that I made earlier this morning.” I smile, and Edgar eagerly takes the slice to his side, tasting it.
“This morning? How early were you up?” Vincent asks with a quirked eyebrow.
On the outside, one wouldn’t understand the weight of his question, but I do.
In the background, Edgar moans at the taste of the cake. Well, at least it’s tasty.
“At five in the morning, your grace, just like every other day,” I smile guiltily at him, and he nods tightly.
“What?” Edgar’s eyes widen at my words. “You start that early? Vincent, give this woman a damn raise or cut her some slack. Darling, this is bloody delicious. Can you prepare some for me to take home?”
“Yes,” I answer, and at the same time, the duke answers, “No.”
He looks at me before answering with a grunt, “Get your own housekeeper.”
Then he takes a bite of his piece, his eyes still locked on mine. I am frozen in place under his scorching gaze on me, inspecting every little detail and fault. But I can’t, for the life of me, move.
All the while, Edgar seems unbothered or unaware of the sudden tension filling the room.
“I have one, dear brother, but you forget, I still live with mother, and our housekeeper is good old Alice.”
“Then move out. Stop being a baby. You’re twenty-four already,” he answers before taking another bite, still focused on me.
“And be responsible? Nah, I’ll leave that for when you become king,” he jokes, but I can’t help but freeze.
“ If I become king,” Vincent says after clearing his throat. It’s enough to cut off my spiralling thoughts with an intense gaze and refute his brother’s words.
He’s scratching at his jaw, the sound of it against his trimmed facial hair reminding me of all the wicked things we did last night.
How his hands touched my body, sometimes gentle, sometimes rough; how his five o'clock shadow scratched at my skin, especially my chest when I was riding him.
“Well, if you never get to be king, I’ll just keep living my best life then,” Edgar says. I can hear his voice and understand what he’s saying, but I am not paying much attention. Everything around Vincent is a blur at this point.
All I can think about is him, and what we done and how good it felt.
“What’s going on?” Edgar’s voice had risen a few octaves, snapping me—and Vincent, it seems—out of the trance.
Vincent’s head snaps to the side, looking at his brother, slightly alarmed, while I stand flustered at the realisation that we’ve probably been caught.
So much for keeping it between the both of us.
Damn hormones.
“I-if you don’t need me any longer, I’ll go. It was lovely to see you, Your Grace.” I bow and turn around, heading for the door.
“I’d like you to meet me in my office after lunch, Camilla. We have to go through the menu,” Vincent lies.
Nonetheless, I nod and exit quietly, leaning against the wall again for a moment. Just enough to take a deep breath and ground myself.
Instead, it allows me to eavesdrop.
“You have the hots for the housekeeper,” Edgar exclaims cheerfully. “If Mother were to find out, she’d throw a huge fit. I dare say, disown you! Oh god, this is outrageous! I love it!”
“Shut up, Edgar,” Vincent answers, clearly aggravated.
This is bad, but I can’t help but giggle silently at the brother’s antics, purposefully choosing to ignore the huge consequences that will come out from this. Because they will; it’s just a matter of time, and all I can do is prepare myself.