Chapter Six
Day upon day piled up like the mounds of treasure that surrounded her. Qavox brought her nicely charred field game and great clumps of greens and vegetables, obviously stolen from some poor peasant’s fields. She slept on two golden thrones pushed together, covered in furs and the decaying raiment of long ago queens...
—The Dragon and the Blue Starby Analise Crewe
Ana awoke to find sun streaming in the windows and a maid setting a tray down next to her bed. Disoriented, she rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”
“It’s half past noon, milady.”
Past noon! She should be writing the Clovercote novel. She was losing precious time. She also needed to find a noble fiancé, and quickly. She didn’t have to marry the man, only introduce him to Mr. Norwood and stay engaged until the novel was at the printing press.
Wait a moment—whose bed was this and why were the sheets so soft? For that matter, why was there a maid in her room?
It all came rushing back. The duke darkening the doorway.Her desperate escape. His huge body pressing her against a wall, his hand holding her wrists with a crushing grip.
Exploring his rooms... the stolen black silk dressing gown. There it was, hanging over a chair, a shadowy reminder of the gruff guardian who’d rescued her twice already.
“I’ve brought you some drinking chocolate, milady. Shall I pour some for you?”
The rich spicy scent of the chocolate made her mouth water. “Yes, please. Pour it at the table by the fire.”
“Very good, milady.”
Ana hopped out of bed, wearing only her shift, and stretched her arms and yawned. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so late. Her knuckles were faintly bruised from the punches she’d thrown, but other than that, she felt well rested and ready to tackle anything, even something so large and grimly silent as the Duke of Warburton.
Her gown was no longer hanging on the hook where she had left it. Her boots were nowhere to be seen, nor her cloak. “Do you know where my things are?”
“In the washing, I believe.”
“How am I to go about my day?”
“I’m sorry, milady.” The maid’s lower lip trembled and her hand shook as she poured the chocolate.
“Never mind,” Ana said brightly, smiling at the nervous girl. “I’ll simply have to wear this.” She lifted the duke’s dressing gown and slipped her arms into the gigantic sleeves. She knotted the belt. It reached to her ankles, brushing against the carpet. She lifted her arms and the sleeves, which were ten times too long, flapped like crow’s wings. “Does it suit me?”
The maid hid a smile by ducking her head. “It’s rather too big, I’d say, milady.”
“It’s the duke’s.”
“Oh.” The maid lifted her head with a frightened wide stare. “Should you be wearing that, milady?”
Ana rolled up the sleeves and cinched the belt tighter. “It appears to be my only choice. Is His Grace at home?”
“No, milady,” the maid replied. She was young, no more than seventeen, with a heart-shaped face, brown eyes, and a gentle, timid air.
Ana settled onto the comfortable chair and held her toes toward the fire. Delicious.
The maid stood there uncertainly, awaiting further orders, her nose twitching slightly, as if inhaling the scent of the chocolate. Ana paused with her cup halfway to her lips. “Would you like some chocolate?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t, milady. I must see to my other duties. They’re short on chambermaids, you see, and I shouldn’t be serving a grand Lady what with me being new, and all.” She scurried toward the door.
“Do I look like a grand Lady to you?” Ana wiggled her bare toes and grinned.
The maid smothered a smile. “You talk like a lady.”
“I used to be one and then my circumstances changed.”
“Once a lady, always a lady. You’re the duke’s ward, they say, and that makes you very grand, indeed.”