Part One: Gwendolyn
The Duke looked up as his sister-in-law came in, his brother in tow. He groaned, knowing fully well why they were there.
"I'm not giving up on you!" His sister-in-law began, hands on her hips. "At least meet her once, you will surely like her." The Duke's eyes fell on his brother. His brother only shrugged, letting him know that it's all his wife's idea.
"Martha..."
"You don't even have to mention your title to her, she will love you no matter what. Trust me, she is the best girl for you." She interrupted him, pleading earnestly. He sighed, no matter how many times he refuses, she won't give it up.
"Martha..."
"I have a plan. You can test her if you want... Don't marry her until you're sure you're in love with her."
"At least give it a try. What do you have to lose anyway?" His brother put in.
"Precious time to do more important things."
"Oh tosh! You have worked five years into the future. Also, dear brother-in-law, you can come back anytime there is an emergency."
"Please stop this, Martha. I am not..."
"Would I ever mislead you?" Her voice sounded hurt and her eyes watered immediately.
"I only want to see you happy." With that said, she turned around and ran out. The two men stayed silent for some minutes, then the younger one spoke.
"She is right, you know? We want to see you happy again. You rarely smile unless it's a fake smile to welcome your guests or it's for our new baby." He paused and looked around the study room.
"I trust Martha and if this girl is related to her, I trust that she will be the one to cure you of your heartbreak." He looked sternly at his brother. "Find her, she has a plan that will amuse even you." He left.
An hour later, after the Duke went over the plan with his joyous sister-in-law, he took his horse and headed for Durnca. All he had to do was look for Benjamin Crutoe, ask for permission to court his daughter, and then they start the next phase of the plan.
Of course he didn't understand why he had to live in the town, there may be people who would recognize him and he couldn't fake being a simple man for a long time and be away from his work.
Of course he had agreed to Martha's plan, but who said he couldn't change it up a little? Maybe think of a different approach to things and take this amateur plan closer to his Dukedom it would be easier for him to rush over whenever.
Like Rashord! It wasn't far from Arana and the house there was isolated, no one would even get to see him, let alone recognise him. Maybe he could change the plans and send Martha a letter to inform her of the change of plans; at least he's far away to hear her protests.
"I hope you are worth it, lady." The Duke muttered to himself.
He got to Durnca and stopped first at the pub as his sister-in-law had suggested. Either Benjamin was there or he could ask anyone and they will point to where he was.
"Boy." He beckoned on the skinny lad that stood by the stable next to the pub.
"Yes, Sire?"
"You look after the horses?" The lad nodded immediately, grabbing the reins of the horse.
"Look after him." The Duke threw a small bag of money to the lad whose jaw dropped.
"Where can I find Benjamin Crumtoe?"
"He... he in..."
"Relax boy." The Duke snapped lightly.
"In there, sire." The boy pointed at the pub. The Duke looked inside the pub to see different men drinking and gambling loudly.
"Which is he?"
"There Sire, the one in the brown shirt." The boy pointed at one of the gamblers, a drink in one hand and the dice in the other.
"Thank you." The Duke threw a few more coins into the lad's hand and walked into the pub, making sure no one noticed him. He sat at a far table and observed, thinking of what to say to a drunk.
"Ol' Benjamin! If I win, what do I get?" The other gambler asked Benjamin. He was also very drunk.
"One keg of rum." Ben answered, grinning to reveal equally brown teeth.
"Ah! No no no. I have won enough to last me a week. No more rum." The other said, patting the three kegs of rum by his side.
"Well, what you want?? A chicken?"
"Not a chicken! I lost a cattle to you, a cattle! Know how much that cost me? I want something big."
"My daughter won't let me touch her animals, I have nothing else except rum." The Duke's ears perked up as Benjamin mentioned his daughter.
"Bossy little lass, ain't she?" The gambler asked and everyone laughed.
"Ya won't have to worry about her anymore if ya lose her to me. Why don't you bet her instead? Then you can have the animals."
"Don't you already have enough wives and even more bastards? What you want my girl for?"
"You ask me that? She's the prettiest thing in this town, ain't any of my wives beautiful like she is. Hell, even if I put all of them together, they still won't compare." The others nodded their approval and pressed on Benjamin to accept.
"Oh, okay! The girl never wants to go away anyway. I bet my beautiful daughter." The other cheered and they continued the game.
The Duke sat uneasily in his chair as he waited for the outcome. What were the drunks thinking? You can't bet someone's life.
They cheered again and he looked from one to the other, wanting to know who won.
"Well, I just won me a new wife." They cheered again.
The Duke relaxed in his chair; things just got interesting.
"Would you please hurry up, Gwen?" I made the final stroke of the brush through my hair, then I quickly bonded it with a blue ribbon, letting its long end to fall over my shoulder. Looking up myself in the cracked mirror and proud of my work, I hurried out to Hailey."Oh, there you..." She paused, looking me up. I had spent two hard day's making that dress and even if the occasion wasn't that grand, I wanted to look good for once. I was wearing a hand made blue cotton dress with its neck cut so low, my cleavage was slightly exposed. It's a good thing Durnca wasn't so cold until early January, so I didn't need to hide my beautiful dress under a coat.With my black curly hair hanging over my shoulder and my big green eyes, I knew I was a sight to behold."Oh my!" Hailey exclaimed and I smiled with pride. She wore a brown dress the colour of her hair and eyes and it was sewn to hug her figure perfectly."Oh my!" She said again. I did a twirl, so she'd see al
I had already gone a little distance when I heard Hailey call out to me."Gwen?" I stopped in my tracks and turned slowly to look at her, she was worried."I asked that you stay awhile.""I know but I can't stay any longer." She turned back in the direction of the town square, as if in thought."I saw Albert, did he upset you? If so, I will plant him a facer." I laughed, relaxing as all my anger left me."No, he still hates pa though.""Hold on, I will say my good bye to Sammy and come with you.""Of course not. I really don't want to be a bother and ruin your evening, my friend, I know you still want to stay more with Sammy. I am going to the pub to get my pa." She frowned and I knew why, things never ends well whenever I go there."You are just going to get harassed again. I would rather have you go home instead.""I understand, Hailey. But he is my papa and it's my duty to care for him, I will try to bring him home."
"Leave? B-bought me?" I was confused and scared and I just didn't know what to feel. And here I was thinking he rescued me, he just bought himself a slave."Yes, now get on." He looked irritated and angry."Wait a moment, I can't leave, this is my home. If only you'd give me a month, I will get you your money back. I can sew a hundred dresses and I can increase my prices so the...""Quiet!" He snapped and I shut my mouth. "I've had a long journey searching for a wife and now I've found you, I have to get back to my business. Now come on." His wife?! My face felt hot immediately. I would be his wife? Just like that? Wait a moment, I didn't know this man and... marriage?! Yes, he was a fine looking young man with an impressive height and beautiful blue eyes and long dark brown hair he binded, but he was a stranger and certainly not from Durnca; I couldn't leave my home like that.Getting impatient, he made to grab me but I avoided his hand."Hold on,
The rapist jerked away from me suddenly and ran away to his horse, jumping on the beast and speeding away into the night.I was left alone with the gentleman.I got off the ground and did the best I could to shield my bodice away from the gentleman's eyes; I didn't have to try though, his attention was still on the spot the rapist had been. He was just so quiet and just so focused."Are you hurt?" I was almost startled when I heard him speak. Hurt? Was he worried about me?"I am alright. My dress is...""I told you not to try running away!" He suddenly yelled, looking up at me for the first time, anger purely written on his face."I...""What if you were raped?! What if he killed you? How could you be so reckless with your life?!" Why was he so angry? He wasn't any different from the rapist anyway."I was trying to get away from you!" I shot back. "If you are so caring about my life, you would let me return to Durnca. You made
I decided not to fight it anymore, I just had to accept my fate as it is. Albert was too good for me anyway, if I had married him, people would have mocked him for marrying a poor lady with hardly any education. Sure, I could read and write comfortably, but I had no class or status, I fit nowhere in his world. He also wouldn't have accepted pa anyway...And this man, he defended papa to the drunks and he did save me... Twice. He seems like a decent man and now he's explained himself, I understand how much in a haste he was. He needs my help after all and not as a slave but as a wife.He didn't look like he had any status and being with him would earn me a comfortable life, plus I could very well boast of his looks.I smiled and turned to him."My ma died of a fever too. What are your children like?" He didn't answer right away, he studied me first, then cleared his throat."The oldest is Alan, he is six and the brains behind all mischievous acts hi
Julien was silent throughout the ride just like before but this time, he appeared to be angry. About what? Did another governess run away? That could be it, else he shouldn't be so angry."What happened?" I asked, swallowing all my fears. If I am to be this man's wife, I need to be there for him at least; I need to take on the role."Nothing." He said flatly."But you seem angry. Did something happen while I slept? Or maybe some bad news concerning the children?" I pressed, somehow really wanting him to open up to me. He was quiet for a while."The governess sent me a letter, she will leave in the next two days, whether or not I've returned.""That can't be, no one can abandon little children like that without proper care.""Well she said she would and I don't doubt her." His body tensed up again and I decided to try comforting him instead, the man was worried about his children and the cruel governess will leave them all by themselves if we
True to Julien's words, we didn't have to walk so far to get into another town. I expected him to pay for a room in an inn, but he said something about having a friend who would shelter us.I was surprised when we stopped in front of a really big house. He has a wealthy friend? I followed closely behind him as we walked into the house, a servant approached us and took us to the living area."Wait here." Julien instructed me and walked away with the servant. I was given cake and hot chocolate, it was so yummy that I didn't mind how long Julien spent. I was nearly falling asleep when he returned with a lady on his arm.I was on my feet already; from her well made hair, her expensive gown to her leather shoes, I knew she was the lady of the house."Lady Penelope, this is my bride Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn, this is Lady Penelope, the viscountess." I didn't know if I should curtsey or kiss her cheek, I didn't know how I was supposed to behave in the presence of a v
"Why don't you dress up for your husband tonight? He looked all gloomy when you arrived, I'm sure seeing you in a pretty dress would cheer him up." Well, Julien hasn't been much happy since this morning. But how will seeing me in a pretty dress make him happy? He doesn't really care about me, I mean we are strangers."I don't think so, Lady Penelope. Julien...""Please call me Penny like everyone else and trust me, I know he will appreciate it. I do it for Greg all the time and he loves it.""I... Oh, well... Okay." She got excited immediately and left the room in quick strides. I was busy drying up my body when she returned with the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. What was that she said about not being able to buy a dress with gems? The dress she was holding was glittering as if it was sewn with silver stones. But I knew enough about clothes to know those weren't silver stones but sequence."What do you think? I had on a dress like this on my weddin