His mother looked at him knowingly before looking at Phillip.
“What about dinner?” Elisa inquired of him.
“Oh! Having Rebecca around has filled me up already and I do not want to look tired or weary for tomorrow’s function that we’ve planned for ourselves.”
His excuse seemed to work things out more than he had thought. They shone a mischievous grin his way before allowing him to leave. As he walked past them, he took a turn and stayed there.
“Thomas is a great man, I say,” Phillip commented, putting a smile on his face as he was about to move on, but he hadn’t taken a step away that he heard him speak again.
“But I hope he brings great wealth to us with the help of my daughter. Do you trust him to do so?” he asked.
This made Thomas fume. He had wanted to come out of where he was hiding but knew it would do nothing to help him.
“Of course, he has shown outstanding business prowess from a very tender age. If you ask me, I trust his decision more than I trust mine when it comes to business,” his mother defended, “but do not tell him I said that.”
They both erupted in laughter. Thomas trudged down the hallway thinking about what he had just heard. His thoughts became muddy, unsure of an exact thing to put his mind to. He walked slowly into his room, sitting on his bed as he was able to think of just one thing; Mary Ann.
He wanted nothing more than to see her, to take her in his arms while stroking her hair as he expressed his feelings to her.
“Her lady was not pleased when I delivered your message,” a voice startled him from behind.
He jumped from the bed and in a spilt second that he wanted to get a hold of his blade; he was able to process the voice better.
“James,” he turned.
James was standing by the mirror close to the window.
“I am sorry if I startled you, Your Grace,” he apologized with a bow.
“It is fine,” Thomas responded.
“Lady Rebecca?” James pointed out again.
“Well, I guess she would have to enjoy the disappointment, don’t you think James?” he laughed knowing James wouldn’t respond to his question.
Just as he was about to speak on, he heard footsteps coming toward his chamber. James switched to action to meet the person halfway. Thomas could hear it was Rebecca but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. There was silence after a while between them, then James entered the room again.
“She is displeased by your absence at dinner.”
Thomas at this point was infuriated. He knew she was an unruly person but he couldn’t believe his ears when he heard the things that were said to James. She had called him a puppet and a slave among other names and he wasn’t having it. Even though James tried not to make a fuss about it, it showed in his countenance that he was upset.
“Take the rest of the night off, James,” he ordered.
“But—”
“I can tend to other things myself,” Thomas waved off.
James finally bowed and was about leaving before he turned.
“What is it, James?” Thomas asked, his voice sounding more concerned than curious.
“Thank you,” he bowed, “for everything.”
Thomas smiled at him as he left. As he shut the door, Thomas sat on the bed. His mind swayed back to Mary Ann, then Rebecca. At the moment, everything became clear to him.
I know what to do. The thought hit him suddenly, had him leaping from the bed. As he strode toward the door, he prayed he was right.
If Mary Ann was asked what she loved at that moment, it wouldn’t be the fact that she was seated in the garden where the gentle evening breeze fluttered her released hair. Neither would the calming effect the bright full moon in the sky cross her mind. Nor the fact that she wasn’t working all the time like before.
What made her very happy was the fact that she would be heading to town with Emily that late evening. Although she would have preferred to go when the sky was still bright, but this was also a welcome idea.
She’d discovered a whole new world at the manor. There was no bullying, no snide comments. Only acceptance and happiness and belonging. Mary Ann was afraid of this just as much as she welcomed it.
She woke up earlier than she used to; it even surprised Emily that she had done so much work when she came to remind her of their plan. When she was done with her chores, she had decided to enjoy the breeze and beautiful scent from the garden.
The garden was filled with flowers of different colors. Lilies and daffodils were planted together at the entrance to the garden, acting as a guide into the main garden. Inside were green plants grown to make arch shapes multiple times directly above. Being inside felt like being in a sanctuary. The lilies, daffodils, lavender, and aster served as the congregation while roses stood before them at the opposite path as the priests.
If there was another thing that Mary Ann found thrilling about the garden, it was the fact that it was so private. Even though it had multiple entry points, large trees had been trimmed to bear resemblance with some animals. They were planted at every corner to make the garden look as if it was indoors.
This is amazing, Mary Ann thought as she kept looking around the garden, unable to close her mouth for more than a few seconds out of wonder.
Even with this, she was sure being out on the street would be just what she needed. As she waited for Emily to join her, she plucked a rose from the garden. She fiddled with it until she heard footsteps from one of the entryways. She smiled at herself as she walked toward the sound, but as she came close to it, the figure appeared in front of her with eyes that shone brighter under the moonlight.
“Thomas!” she managed to get out.
Not just his eyes as she had first thought, but his face was glistening, revealing his perfect face. His red lips shut against each other and looked to her like it wanted to drip from its redness. His once-beautiful eyes that had always shown care and a bit of arrogance was now filled with despair, sorrow and resolution. At first, she had wanted to run into his arms but what she saw scared and dampened her heart. She wanted to ask what was wrong but soon realized she couldn’t move. Thomas hadn’t moved an inch from where he stood .
Is he so happy to see me that he cannot move?, she wondered as they exchanged looks. Even though the thought whispered across her mind in jest, she couldn’t deny her slight worry.
How I’ve missed you, Thomas.
After a short while, he spoke and what he said wasn’t what she had expected.
“Mary Ann,” Thomas uttered, as if there was a blade stuck in his throat and was speaking in a way not to upset it even further. “There is something I need to tell you.”
It was at this point that her heart started racing. Her mind began to think of what he wanted to say.
“Is His Grace asking me to resign?” she managed to ask, speaking for the first time.
She staggered back as her legs grew weaker. Thomas caught her halfway to the ground. He raised her from her waist while pulling with his other hand.
“No, not at all,” Thomas assured him.
The beautiful scent from the garden mixed with the one from Thomas but instead of them stilling her, they only made her stomach rumble.
“Then tell me, what is wrong? What happened?” she asked.
From the way he looked, what he wanted to say was nothing good. It showed all over his face and his voice, sounded as if he was forcing words out.
What has happened? What is going on? Mary Ann wanted to scream the questions at him, but she told herself to be patient.
“I am fine,” she told Thomas as she placed her feet firmly on the ground.
“What do you want to tell me?” she asked one more time.
She watched as Thomas tried to push words out of his mouth.
What?
Looking at him, Mary Ann realize getting answers from him was going to be harder than she thought. She began to assess him, hoping to find an answer. While she could
n’t get a logical one, she saw something that was out of place.
“Why do you dress this way?” she asked.
“Mary Ann, I love you,” he blurted out. Mary Ann said nothing, staring blankly at him. Her mind had suddenly gone empty. “Since our path crossed, the misunderstandings, even the arguments we had have all been perfect. All the times we’ve spent together has been the most amazing times of my life.”
Still, Mary Ann said nothing. She knew she should react, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She could only stare into his eyes, watching the anxiousness creep in to match the passion. She could only watch him grow more flustered as he rambled on.
“For these past few days make me realize one thing,” he continued. “You mean a lot to me. I love you, Mary Ann.”
“Thomas—”
“Tell me how you feel, Mary Ann,” Thomas moved closer now holding her folded arms. “Tell me you feel the same about me under this bright moon. Tell me you love me.”
Mary Ann looked up, searching his eyes for nothing in particular.
“Thomas,” she called softly again.
Then, as if possessed by a something that gave her more confidence to speak her deepest thought, she raised herself to match his height by standing on her toes and laid a kiss on his lips. She had first thought it would be a quick kiss but his lips were nothing like she had thought they would feel. They were more.
They weren’t just tender as she placed hers against his. They exuded warmth that neutralized the cold breeze in the garden. As she stood back slowly on her feet, to look at Thomas’ eyes again, she was happy that his worries were disappearing.
“Do you?” he whispered still holding on to her arms.
“With all my heart, Thomas, with all my heart.”
Thomas drew her closer by her waist and landed a kiss on her lips. Mary Ann took his upper lip in her mouth while Thomas moistened her lower lip. While he drew her closer with one hand, he used the other to caress her body, stroking her hair gently too. Mary Ann wanted more, more of his lips mixed with hers, so she wrapped her hands around his neck while Thomas moved his hand even lower to her buttocks. She felt her lower part throbbing as liquid seeped down to her portal.
It was a breathtaking feeling for Mary Ann but just as she was relishing this, his look and how he was dressed appeared in the darkness of her closed eyes. She opened it immediately, reluctantly breaking away from him.
She stared into his eyes again and couldn’t express how happy she was. She grabbed his hands before falling into his embrace again.
“Thomas,” she breathed and when he answered his chest vibrated against her head. “What is it you have to tell me? Why are you dressed in this manner?”
Thomas gently nudged her away from his body.
“I love you. I really do. Nothing is going to change that,” he restated firmly again before his voice became low again, “but there is something I need to tell you, something I have been hiding from you because I did not want it to change how you felt or behaved toward me.”
Just as he said this, Mary Ann stepped further backwards so as to see his eyes clearly and conveniently.
“What is it that you have been hiding from me?” Mary Ann asked before gulping hard.
“I am not who you think I am. I am not a butler, but the Duke of Solorett himself.”
“What?” Mary Ann asked but was uncertain if he replied again.
She kept her gaze on him but could no longer feel herself or her environment. She had never thought she could be fooled so easily. Her mind went to the time they met, how ordinary he seemed to her. She felt love and anger all at once for Thomas and it made it hard for her to process her thoughts.
Why would he lie to me?
Mary Ann felt a rush of anger and she saw Thomas tense. He was undoubtedly expecting her to lash out at him — as she should! She couldn’t stand liars and was angry with herself for having trusted him in the first place. Mary Ann wanted to grab ahold of that feeling, knowing that it had been too good to be true, but it dissipated soon after.
She felt lost. Her head and heart began to ache as it felt as if the ground beneath her feet swirled. She reminisced on all that had happened between them, how much fun they had. Just then, she flashed back to the painting of the middle-aged man, how she had thought he had common features with Thomas, how the fake duke sometimes stuttered.
I knew it! I knew it all along.
She told herself, trying to make this less hurtful than it was. But the truth was, she only had her suspicions. Seeing that they were true, she couldn’t stop the tears that trickled down her eyes.
“You lied to me,” she whispered. She lifted her eyes to meet his, smoldering with the frustration she felt. He frowned, as if taken aback by her negative reaction, but she didn’t say anything to ease his mind. He deserved that at least, though her frustration was aimed mostly at herself.
Her gaze became stone hard and frown lines appeared on her forehead.
“I am really sorry. I did not mean to hurt you,” Thomas begged moving closer to hold her.
As he got closer, Mary Ann took a few steps backward.
“Did not mean to hurt me?” she snapped angrily. To her horror, her voice cracked with tears. Don’t you dare cry! she screamed in her head. “You could not have thought about how I would feel after being strung along with your charade? Thomas, or should I say Your Grace, I will take my leave now.”
Mary Ann stalked away. Thomas ran after her and pulled her by the arm.
“This does not change anything,” he told her.
She looked up at him. In truth, she was desperate for any reason to let go of her anger. Something she’d felt so comfortable wrapped in felt wrong now. “No, it changes everything,” she growled. “Don’t you see? I am a commoner in love with the Duke.”
Without saying more than this, she pulled her hand away from his grasp and stalked away. Thomas tried to hold her but he only was able to grab her bonnet which she left behind. She was angry and sad at the same time. Now that she knew the truth, she couldn’t help but blame herself for being so blind and trusting. She pushed the door of her room with much rage that caused the servants to look in surprise. But she didn’t care what they thought in that moment.
She fell on the bed with her face down, groaning into its softness. It muffled her voice and only a low mumble was audible. She rolled on her back moments later feeling betrayed and hurt.
This changes everything.
Her stomach protested with a grumble but she was too weak to stand. She had always expected the worse from people but never had Thomas being a liar crossed her mind. Just as she laid still licking her wounds, she heard a soft knock on her door.
“Please leave!” she shouted but the knock persisted.
Could it be Thomas?
She rose to her feet, longing rushing through her, and walked rapidly to open the door.
“Oh!” she exclaimed softly.
“Oh, what? Were you expecting someone else?” Emily inquired with a plate of pickled vegetables and mackerel in one hand.
“You’ve been crying, child,” Emily pointed out as she used her leg to push the door to a close.
“What gave it away?” Mary Ann asked. The last thing she wanted was to appear weak, but Emily felt like someone she could be vulnerable with.
“Everything,” Emily replied before setting down all that was in her hand. “Tell me what is bothering you.”
She moved closer to Mary Ann who fell into her arms.
“He lied to me,” she muttered. Her hand curled into a fist. “It was all a lie.”
“Slow down now, Mary Ann,” she cautioned. “How about you tell me from the beginning what happened?”
Mary Ann moved away from her embrace as Emily directed her to her bed. They both sat down, holding each other’s hands as Mary Ann began to explain her ordeal from the beginning.
Chapter 22
After a long hour, Mary Ann was done pouring her heart out
to Emily who didn’t interrupt her except to ask questions when need be. Along with that, she nodded throughout her talk.
“You are a good listener; you know?” Mary Ann commented. “Thank you very much.”
“For what?” Emily mumbled. She was clearly still trying to process what was said. “All I have done is stay quiet.”
“I know, but I needed to get it off my chest. The pain is unbearable alone,” Mary Ann let out, looking away as if to wade off the thought of Thomas that kept popping into her mind.
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