To Love A Duke

Aftermath ||

Song Recommendation: Losers by the weekend

Dearest lady A, a hot bath does not erase past events. It is but a momentarily distraction..

It frightened how how her Heart was very willing to throw all caution to the wind and break the rules, she couldn’t deny that a small part of her wanted to know what it was like to be with him, he reaction to him earlier today had scared her. That was what she did to him and if she really wanted to preserve her dignity, or at least whatever was left of it she would stay far far away from him, well technically speaking that was almost impossible to do seeing as they lived together, the mansion was a small place no matter how big in actuality. She mentally made a list of why bedding her husband was a bad idea, he had apparently blackmailed her into marriage. If she was honest there had not been blackmail involved at all. Perhaps a little manipulation but certainly no blackmail. She shut her eyes and groaned. For every reason she came up with, her subconscious had a counter reason on why her first reason held no weight. She rang for a bath, and Jules. The only two things that kept her sane. Except Jules wasn’t a thing but a person, a person with problems of her own. A person with feelings and emotions and stories. Stories she could definitely do with right now. Perhaps listening to her lady’s maid problems and thinking of proffering solutions will help take her mind off hers.

Or not. A while later it turns out Jules has no actual problems, she had leant quite a lot about her though, as Jules had washed her hair whilst in a hot bath. Jules had rattled on about her happy little family, her papa who was a farmer in the villa, her mama who owned a shop and her two younger sisters whom she loved so much. Normal really. For a moment she longed to open to Jules. Penny was so far away and it hurt to admit. She thought to herself that perhaps Jules could give her a listening ear.but servants weren’t friends papa had said as much and if that was not the case she could hardly go around telling the people of his employ just how conflicted she felt about their duke.

She had taken her dinner up in her chambers dreading facing her husband just yet. He had said she was a woman. Then a baby. She had acted petty but she didn’t care. Jules had dried combed her hair and when she had been dressed for bed Jules had told her more stories about her happy childhood. Stories Artemis could not relate to. She barely remembered her childhood, most things she remembered were as a result of what everyone else told her, she couldn’t filter the lie or truth in it and it frustrated her to no end.

“Will that be all my lady” Jules said cutting short Artemis thoughts, she smiled a little.

“Yes Jules. Thank you” Jules smiled courteously and quietly left the room. Artemis thought after her. A regular common girl who was by no means privileged or wealthy, but happy and free. Free from societal expectations at least most of them. She wondered how different life would have been if she had been born on such side of the world, a less frightening side. But there was no use imaging such impossibilities, one must embrace who they truly are to find real contentment and Hapiness. Aunty Ophelia’s words. “I suppose one must sleep as well” she said to herself, dousing out the candles she cuddled up the pillow and burrowed herself deep under green sheets dreaming of green eyed males who watched her and kept her safe.