"So, how much do you want me to pay you?" Thomas asked her. Money was no problem for him, of course.
She rolled her eyes and asked for a few pence.
"Fair enough," Thomas said, before reaching into his pocket and handing her the money.
"You seem to have a lot of money," she said. He didn’t miss the way her eyes lit up at the coins. It was almost adorable.
"Now that you have received what you’ve asked for,” Thomas told her, “take me to where I want."
"Of course.” Mary Ann was more agreeable now. The money she earned must have warmed her up, melting the air of distrust and irritation that clouded her face every time she looked at him. She still wore a lingering smile. "This way."
They began to walk on and the longer they walked, the more he realized that he could easily recognize a lot of buildings on the way.
"As far as I can remember, there is no one residing at the Comeford house right now," she probed. “I cannot think of a single reason why you would want to go there other than to steal.”
"Will you join me if that is the case?” he teased, unable to help himself.
She glanced at him, a brow raised. He caught her look with his own lifted brow. Finally, she said, “Let us see how much you can pay me to do that first.”
Chapter 9
It seems like they had been walking forever. Thomas was about to ask how much longer they needed to go when they finally arrived in front of Creakys. The relief that Thomas felt was unmatched as he stood right there in front of the house.
"Thank you very much," Thomas said as he turned toward her, "I really appreciate you for bringing me back here."
Mary Ann simply shrugged. "You don't need to thank me. I was paid, if you recall."
"I am not likely to forget that any time soon," he said.
To his surprise, she laughed. The sound was light, making his chest tight. He couldn’t take his eyes off her as she looked over at the house. "What are you truly doing here?” she asked.
Thomas knew there was little he could say to avoid the truth. If she was truly curious, all she would have to do was watch as he entered the house. Then, she would come to her own conclusion about his identity.
So, he stalled, not caring to admit that it was partly because he didn’t want her to leave just yet. “I will tell you the answer if you pay me.”
Mary Ann’s eyes widened in shock at the amusement on his face. She shook her head incredulously. "I would be a fool to do such a thing. I know is that you are not even fit to be a stable boy in this rather magnificent house," she said, “as rundown as it might be right now.”
It was then that an idea came to Thomas' head. "You are right,” he said. “I am the butler of this magnificent house."
For the second time, her eyes widened and she took several steps backwards to have a better look at him. "That is impossible," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Impossible?" he echoed. "I am the one and only butler in this household. I do not understand why that is difficult for you to believe."
"You don't look like a butler at all,” she explained. “You don't even look remotely close to what a butler would look like."
"Well, this is what the personal butler to Lord Thomas looks like. A position of power in its own right," he continued, enjoying the surprised look on her face.
Mary Ann suddenly shook her head vehemently. “If so, why then you do look unkempt? And shouldn’t the Duke's butler always be with him?"
He shook his head, “Not particularly.”
She crossed her arms. Again, it only served to accentuate her bosom, the creamy flesh glowing under the bright moonlight. “I do not believe you,” she declared.
Humor tickled him. He found himself growing more invested in his lie than he’d expected. "How do I prove to you that I am who I said I am?"
She laughed lightly. "You cannot prove it because it is not true. Are you ashamed to tell me the role that you take in this household?"
"Wait for me here. I shall bring the proof right to you.”
Thomas turned and walked away, his skin tingling. She watched him go by her. When she couldn’t see his face any longer, he smiled. This was sure to work.
As Thomas entered the house, James met him at the door, wearing his usual concerned look. “Your Grace, is everything all—"
"James, it's good that you are here. I need you to do something for me right away," Thomas said.
"Your wish is my command, Your Grace,” he bowed slightly, his hands mildly shaky.
The mere thought of what he was about to say made him chuckle.
“What is it you want to ask of me?” James inquired, his voice sounding very eager.
“There is a lady outside and she needs to see the Duke,” he started explaining, intentionally stalling what he had in mind.
“But—” James’ word was left hanging when Thomas made a shushing sound.
“I know I am the Duke, there is no doubt about that.” He paused, enjoying how confused James was.
“The lady, however, does not know that and I would like to keep it that way.”
“How will that be possible, Your Grace?” James asked.
Thomas thought he heard a sound coming from outside so he began to speak more hastily.
“It will be possible once you come with me and act as the Duke,” he explained, “that is a simple feat to accomplish is it not?”
James began to stutter, but Thomas waited for him to regain his senses. He wanted to know what his butler had to say.
“I am at your service, Your Grace,” he uttered, clearly still muddled with where this is going. “How can I be of help?”
“Follow me,” he uttered before walking briskly with James close by.
His room looked very different from the last time he saw it. It had been cleaned and the furniture polished. James had always performed his duties as if it was nothing. It made him wonder if it would ever be possible for him to do the same. He took his mind off this as James closed the door behind them. He stayed still by the door as Thomas began looking for a suitable cloth.
After long searching, he raised a blue coat to the air. It had a flower pattern embroidered onto it with the insignia of his family woven at the back. He pulled the still-confused James toward the sparkling mirror.
“What do you think of this, James?” he asked, putting the coat to his chest to have a better assessment.
“I think it belongs to you, Your Grace,” he responded. His tone now sharp but still carrying a tone of respect.
“It is the Duke’s, which you are right now.” he said.
“Yes, I understand, Your Grace,” he replied.
Thomas continued to examine the room as he waited for James to get dressed.
“Your Grace?” James whispered.
Thomas viewed his butler’s transformation and was filled with joy. This plan just might work, he thought. James needed no instruction on getting dressed as he had been dressing the Duke for as long as he could remember.
“Perfect!” he commented.
“May I know what all of this is for, Your Grace?” he finally asked the question that had been on his mind since the beginning of this madness.
“Of course, you deserve to know. However, we are already running late and the Duke needs to make his appearance,” Thomas quickly told him.
Without waiting for him to respond, Thomas took his hand and raced downstairs. James did his best to keep up.
“Wait!” he said suddenly. “Remember, I am not the Duke, you are. Do you know what that means?” he waited for a response.
“That you are my butler, Your Grace,” he stated slowly.
Thomas looked at him waiting for him to realize his error. It took James a few seconds to realize.
“That you are my butler,” he corrected.
Thomas smiled and continued to the door. He could not allow a simple mistake as that to ruin his plan. James, still confused about what was happening tried to get som
e more clarification, but when he looked up Thomas was already gone.
This is sure to work.
He straightened out his clothes one last time before going through the door
Here we go.
Chapter 10
I can wager he’s lying.
Mary Ann thought after spending what seemed like an eternity standing outside of the house. She hadn’t moved more than a few steps around afraid to be seen by the real occupants of the hose.
How could I be this gullible? I bet he is a con man.
She had contemplated leaving but that would only make her seem like a coward. She was anything but that.
The fact that night was already upon the added to her dilemma.
She looked up to the black sky decorated with stars, moving her fingers down her hair nervously.
I should just leave.
She took a step toward the path that they had come from.
“Are you leaving now?” a voice asked from behind.
“That took quite a while,” she said sounding more concerned than annoyed. “You could have been caught. I meant it when I said I would turn you in to the authorities. What kind of robber are you?”
Her words kept coming but there was no reply.
“Have you gone deaf?” she asked impatiently.
Due to the dark surroundings, she could not see his amused smile.
“His Grace awaits your presence,” he said.
“What?” Mary Ann snapped, already annoyed.
“Come along, you do not want to keep His Grace waiting.” he said, holding the door open for her.
Slowly, Mary Ann walked toward the door, then turned to look at him. She could now see him clearly under the street light.
“Who are you really?” she asked.
“I am just a butler,” he said smiling at her. His face looked more pleasing the longer she stared at it.
“All right,” she said after a long pause.
As she stepped into the house, she could pick up a very pleasant scent. It was the same nice fragrance she had smelled when she was close to Thomas earlier. She slowly examined her surroundings but there was not much in the room. Along with the beautiful candles that hung on the wall, there was a large painting. It consisted of a middle-aged man in noble attire bending to kiss a younger lady who was dressed in a less-fancy dress. Before she could ask who they were, she was pulled away by Thomas.
“I do not want to keep the master waiting any longer than we already have,” he complained.
He took her through two more rooms, each having different paintings of the middle-aged man and the lady. She had also briefly glimpsed a painting of children in one of the rooms. Though curious about the paintings, they did not stay on her mind long as all she could think about was his touch. The tenderness warmed her from being out in the cold.
“We are here,” he announced in a low voice as they arrived at a door.
“Of course, we are,” Mary Ann responded sarcastically.
When he finally let go of her, she could still feel his fingers on her wrist. He entered with Mary Ann tailing closely behind him. At first, she did not see any one else in the room. She was preoccupied with the breathtaking embellishments of the room. It had many paintings on the wall like the other rooms. One had the same man standing with his foot on a slain lion. She continued to look around the room when a figure caught her attention. He was older than the supposed butler but not as old as the man in the paintings. His beard and mustache were mostly shaved off with a few strands of hair visible. His hair was sparkling, as if it and just been oiled. His face looked rough and somewhat ugly.
Could this be?
She did not get the time to finish her thought when Thomas spoke in a loud voice…
“It is my pleasure to introduce His Grace, James Comeford.”
The Duke walked over gracefully and met them halfway.
“Your Grace,” Thomas bowed and Mary Ann curtsied.
By the time she rose to a stand, she noticed that the Duke had also moved but could not quite figure out what he did. At first, she thought that he had also bowed as they did, but she quickly threw off the silly thought.
That is very strange, she thought.
The Duke had not said a word but only stared at her which made her a bit comfortable. She had never been around a noble before so she wondered if all nobles were as awkward as the Duke of Solorett.
“Your Grace, allow me to introduce Mary Ann. She is from this area of town.” Thomas introduced her as if they were old friends.
“It is nice to meet you, ma—” he paused and once again, she caught him staring, this time at Thomas who had now shriveled up behind her.
He looked away as soon as he realized Mary Ann had noticed the exchange.
“P… p… pardon me, it is nice to have you in my abode. I have heard so much about you in little time.”
“It is an honor, Your Grace.”
The awkward behavior of the Duke made her wary and she turned to take a peek at Thomas. His entertained look softened as their eyes met. As she turned back around, she realized her heart was beating quickly and she was quivering softly.
How embarrassing! she thought as she tried to fight back a blush.
After much trial and failure, she lowered her head in hopes that neither the Duke nor the butler could see.
“My butler will show you around, and attend to your every need.” the Duke slowly said, as if picking his words carefully.
She moved to decline the offer but he raised his hand in objection.
“I insist. It is the least I can do for all the trouble Your—” he paused again and stared at the floor for a few seconds before continuing his words. “My butler, Thomas, has said a lot about you and the help you offered to him. Not many people would do the same given the opportunity. So, allow me to show my appreciation,” he explained.
Mary Ann turned to look at the annoying presence behind her, who had a smug smile on his face. The Duke might be awkward, but she believed that he was nicer than his butler.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Mary Ann curtsied, intentionally keeping her gaze fixed at him.
This time, he did not move. He only smiled and nodded his head.
“I will retire to my room now,” the Duke declared.
Mary Ann lowered her head as the Duke walked past her. She turned to face Thomas, but her eyes caught something else. The Duke limped slightly. It only added to the other strange things about him such as his broken words and his appearance. She continued to examine the Duke while he and Thomas left the room.
Perhaps all nobles are like him, she thought while walking around the room.
She heard the door open once again and realized Thomas had slipped in with a smug smile and mischievous eyes.
“I suppose I—”
“Owe me an apology?” Thomas cut in walking toward her. “For calling me a conman or a robber?”
Mary Ann could not help but notice how soft his lips looked while he spoke. She couldn’t help but wonder how soft they were and how they tasted. As he spoke, she felt the urge to lock her lips with his. No! It was more than an urge. It was a strong desire that seemed to push her even further toward him; his lips. Mary Ann gulped as she took in his red, supple lips, their movement and how they revealed his flawless set of teeth.
If only I could, she thought.
She allowed her mind to linger on this for a moment but Thomas broke that chain of thought.
“What are you drooling about?” Thomas asked, the smug look now slowly disappearing. “One look at my master and you are already thinking of being his bride?” he teased.
“God forbid,” she blurted out.
If only he knew what had been running through my mind.
She noticed what she had said a little too late but she recovered quickly.
“Perhaps I should tie my tongue?” she suggested trying to dispel the awkwardness.
“That is a good suggestion,” Thomas agreed.
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