Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess

she got up, walked to the wall near her bed and rang her bell again.

    A half hour later, a frazzled Sarah made it back to the kitchen, set the silver tea service on the counter and slumped against the wall. “The Duchess wishes more tea and two of Jessie’s cookies.”
    Halen spun around to stare at her counterpart. “First she says you cannot cook, and now she wants two of your cookies?”
    “‘ Tis true,” Jessie said. “One moment she is as meek as a lamb and the next, the devil has her by the throat. Fortunately, I anticipated her and made her favorite cookies yesterday.” Jessie took the old cup and saucer off the tray, set them in the sink and got a new set out of the cupboard. She made certain they were spotless before she set them on the tray. “Mostly, we just hid from her.”
    “ So that is why the kitchen has no Scots in it this afternoon,” said Halen.
    “ Aye, and there are many places to hide here.” Jessie put three cookies on a plate and placed it beside the cup and saucer, arranging it just so. “She always says two, but she means three. She claims to watch her figure, you see. Pretend you dinna notice.”
    Sarah sighed. “How long until the ‘meek as a lamb’ part comes about? I am exhausted already.”
    “ I have seen it gone two days straight,” Jessie answered. “Mind you, dinna get too close to her if she turns extra mean. Excuse yourself and get out the door as best you can.” Jessie finished poring tea into the small pot and then closed the lid. “Oh, and remember to call her ‘My Lady.’ She becomes enraged when we forget.”
    Sarah nodded, picked up the tray and begrudgingly headed back upstairs.

    Hannish sat in a chair in the parlor for the better part of an hour, and was at a loss as to what to do. He hoped Olivia was napping, but when Sarah came, she said his wife was wide-awake and coming down. He noticed how quickly Sarah left and then stood up as soon as he saw Olivia coming down the stairs.
    She smiled, kissed him and stayed in his arms for a long moment. “May I see the rest of the house?”
    “ Of course.”
    Each time they walked down a hall or entered an occupied room, the servants quickly scattered and he was beginning to see why. He showed her the first five rooms on the west side of the bottom floor and opened the door to the sixth.
    On the floor lay several pool cues and a set of balls. “A billiard room, how quaint. It is missing a billiard table, dearest,” Olivia purred.
    “ I have much yet to purchase.”
    “ So you said.” She waited while he opened the door to the next room and found it completely empty. “What shall you have here?”
    She was being so much more pleasant now, and he found it difficult to ignore just how much he loved this Olivia. Adultery was such an ugly sin, but other men had managed to forgive their wives. With the right kind of sincere apology, maybe he could too…in time. “I thought it suitable for a day nursery.”
    “ It is a pleasant room and one that the maids can come to much faster than one upstairs. Indeed, it will make a fine day nursery.”
    He meant to avoid one of the rooms, but forgot which one it was until after he opened the door.
    “ What’s this?” she asked.
    “‘ Tis a servant’s dayroom for Donnel and Blanka.”
    “ A dayroom on the bottom floor?”
    “ They are old.”
    “ They are not that old. A servant’s room down here is quite inappropriate.”
    “‘ Tis hard to ask them to climb the stairs. Donnel is in her late sixties and Blanka is not much younger.”
    “ Yes, I know, and they have been with you forever.” She sweetly smiled and took his arm. “Perhaps it is permissible when there are no guests.”
    He was about to argue the point further, when he stepped back into the hallway and found Alistair waiting for him.
    “ Dinner is served, Your Grace.”
    He noticed the more formal way the butler addressed him, but ignored it for now. “Thank you, Alistair, we shall be there directly.”
    “ As you wish.” Alistair bowed and then hurried away.
    “ My how the time flies,” she said, “I had no idea it was so late. Which way?”
    He put his arm around her and guided her down the hall, back across the parlor and into the dining room. She did not recognize the American who waited to serve them and simply disregarded him.
    “ Is McKenna not joining us?” Hannish asked as Keith held a chair for Olivia.
    “ She wished to give you time alone, Your Grace.”
    “ That is