The Return of the Duke by Lorraine Heath

Author:Lorraine Heath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2022-07-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The honor of picking the lock at the servant’s entrance fell to Marcus, and as Esme watched him, she couldn’t help thinking that he would have had the job done in a tick if he weren’t breaking into what had once been his family’s residence but now belonged to the Crown. She’d considered suggesting that she come alone, to spare him what she feared might be a bombardment of memories, but suspected he wouldn’t appreciate knowing that she realized how difficult coming here might be for him. At one time, he would have inherited the grand residence upon his father’s death. It had to be infuriating to face what had been taken from him, not through any fault of his own. Neither he nor his siblings had done anything to deserve the punishment and yet it had been visited upon them because they carried their father’s blood and among royalty and nobility blood was everything.

After they’d arrived in the mews, she’d sent her driver on an errand, certain he’d return before they were done exploring the place, although she was beginning to think he might return before they’d even entered the dwelling. Then she heard the tiniest of clicks and Marcus’s sigh. Straightening, he released the latch, shoved the door open, and bent slightly, motioning with his hand that she should precede him.

It was eerie to walk into a residence that was absent of sound, the life of it hollowed out. It felt different somehow from an empty residence that one was viewing with the possibility of purchasing or letting. These walls seemed haunted, as though they knew they’d been betrayed. A shiver raced up her spine as she carried on down the hallway, aware of the door behind her closing and snicking into place and the echo of Marcus’s boots as he followed her.

Glancing in the kitchen, she envisioned all the staff who had once worked there. She reached the butler’s office and stopped. The furniture, draped in white, remained. “Do you think your father might have hidden something in there?”

Marcus had come up behind her and she was aware of the tension radiating from him. “I’m not even certain my father was aware the downstairs existed.”

She peered at him over her shoulder. “I find that difficult to believe.”

“He was a duke who yanked on bellpulls and people magically appeared to do his bidding.” He sighed. “Although I suppose there’s no harm in looking.”

No harm and no joy as it turned out. Although she did get a sense from all the ledgers and notices from shops that an inordinate number of spirits was purchased for this household. They searched the housekeeper’s room, the wine store, the laundry . . . every room used by staff. Since the servants had taken their personal items with them when they were let go, very often there was little to look through.

“I hope the staff found good employment elsewhere,” he said quietly as they trudged up the stairs. “That they weren’t penalized for having been employed by a traitor.

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