Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

fell so madly in love? He did think she spoke a little too harshly to Millie once, but he thought Olivia was just tired. The women he loved could never be vicious, or so he believed when he married her.
    Just then, he spotted a figure he had admired since he was an easily infatuated boy. Only a few years older than he, Millie had flaming red hair and green eyes that seemed to know exactly what he was thinking back then. Those days of young lust turned into a mutual fondness and when he asked Millie to tend his wife, she was honored.
    “ Millie,” he said, quickly standing up. “How happy I am to see you.” He was surprised when she quickly curtsied, but refused to look him in the eye.
    Instead, Millie headed for the luggage. “I thought we would never get here, Your Grace. I dare say I have seen more of New York than I ever care to see again.” She heard a bell ring, cringed and picked up a small handbag. “She wants her necessities.”
    Hannish reached out and took hold of Millie’s arm. “You are tired, I will see to her. He looked back just in time to spot one of the butlers coming. “Prescot?”
    “ Yes, Sir.”
    “ See that Millie and Brookton are relieved, and send someone else to tend Mrs. MacGreagor.”
    “ Bless you,” Millie breathed. “We’ve not had a bite to eat in two days.”
    Hannish could scarcely believe his ears. “What?”
    “ The duchess claims I…we are getting too fat.”
    He took the small handbag from her and gave in to his urge to take Millie in his arms for a moment. “I am so sorry.”
    “‘ Tis not your doin’.” She smiled when he released her, just to comfort her old friend.
    “ Prescot, see they are both well fed.”
    “ Yes, Sir,” said Prescot.

    Millie didn’t need anyone to show her the way to the kitchen, she was so hungry; she could have just followed the smell of Jessie’s fresh baked bread. Brookton was already there, greedily filling his empty stomach with warm bread and cold beef stew. He had curly blond hair that needed a good trim and his clothes were not in the best of shape.
    Trying to keep out of the line of Olivia’s fire, McKenna sat among the servants at the kitchen table and by the way Brookton was devouring his food, she soon suspected the truth. “She dinna feed you, did she.”
    “ Not these last two days,” Millie admitted, quickly sitting down at the table.
    “ But you have been on the train; there are meals to be had on trains.”
    “ Aye, if you’ve the price,” said Millie. As soon as Halen set a bowl of stew down in front of her, she stopped talking, put a spoonful in her mouth, barely chewed and quickly swallowed to get it into her empty stomach. Then she closed her eyes and let the tears roll down her cheeks.
    McKenna felt like crying too, but she wanted to know more. “Did she starve you on the ship as well?”
    It was Brookton who answered, “She tried to, but the captain caught on and made her pay for our meals.”
    “ But why? Hannish allows her to buy all she wants.”
    Millie exchanged glances with Brookton and then bowed her head. “We have tried, but we can see no reason for it.”
    “ She has not paid your wages, has she,” McKenna watched each shake their heads. “Why did you not tell me, I would have done something.”
    “ What could you do?” Brookton asked, “Tell your brother, and let him confront her from this many miles away? There would be hell to pay for that.”
    “ Yes, I see you are right.” McKenna paused to take a forgotten breath. “Where did you last see Mr. Graham?”
    “ He got off the train the same as we, only a bit later,” Brookton answered.
    McKenna lowered her voice. “My brother knows he stayed with Olivia in New York and suspects the worst. I pray you do not say too much.”
    “ We will be careful,” Millie promised.

    Hannish lightly knocked before he opened the door and found his wife sitting at her dressing table, brushing her long, dark hair. She was once the most beautiful woman he had ever seen; only now her glare was harsh and very unflattering.
    “ Hannish, can you not wait until tonight?”
    He drew back for a second, and then walked to the bed and set her bag down. He started to walk back out, paused at the door and turned to face her. “I have sent Millie to her rest. Another will come along shortly to help you dress for dinner.”
    “ Oh.” She went right back to brushing her hair and didn’t bother to watch him leave. As soon as he closed the door,