Forced To Be The Duke's Maid

Forced To Be The Duke's Maid - Part 5

I woke up to the sound of my door being knocked. It must have been early because it was still dark outside. I pulled myself up to a sitting position in the bed before responding. “Yes, come in.”

The door opened and Rowena entered carrying a tray. “Morning Celeste, how did you sleep?”

“Very well, thank you. What time is it?”

“Just gone six, normally you need to come to the kitchen for breakfast, but Mrs Dawson said to let you have it in your room for today. You know, just till you get used to the place.”

“That is very considerate of her. Please pass on my kind thanks. Do you know what else I would normally do in the mornings? Do I have any duties?”

Rowena looked slightly perplexed by my question. “I am unsure Celeste, that would be up to his grace. He decides what duties you should and should not be doing. I am certain he will provide you with more details of your role here at Elstree in time.”

“Well, thanks anyway Rowena, I hope the duke will provide me with more details too. I need to be doing something to keep busy. Is there anything I can help you with?”

Rowena had left the tray down on the table next to my bed. She was now opening my drapes. “No Celeste, I can manage. Just get your breakfast and wash up. I believe his grace is expecting you to go to him this morning.”

How could I forget? I was to go after breakfast, knock his door and wait to be told to enter, wear a red dress and have all my hair pinned up neatly…oh, and I was to call him sir. Such precise orders, but I guess he had his reasons. “I will finish breakfast then go to see him as requested. Do you have some hairpins I may use? The duke asked that I have my hair pinned up neatly before coming to see him again.”

Rowena walked towards the dresser, there was a small wooden box sitting there that I had not looked in, for fear of being nosey. She opened it and looked over at me. “You have plenty here Celeste, if you need more, I can fetch you some.”

I walked over to where Rowena was standing, still holding the lid of the ornate wooden box open. I peered inside, a small gasp leaving my lips as I did. There were plenty pins, but also brooches, necklaces and earrings. All looked genuine gold, not that I had ever seen much gold, but this is what I expected genuine gold jewellery to look like. “Are you sure this is for me to use Rowena; it all looks very expensive? Not the kind of thing a maid would wear at all. Maybe you should check with Mrs Dawson first?”

Rowena looked at me blankly before bursting into giggles. “I am not sure who told you that, but you are no ordinary maid, Celeste. You are the duke's personal maid, a very different role to mine."

I wondered if I looked as confused as I felt. “The duke told me to get to know the staff, I just assumed it is because I would be working amongst you. Where will I be performing my duties then? In the kitchen?”

Rowena gave me a mischievous wink. “In the bedroom of course, silly. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”

“I am to be the duke’s w***e?” Even saying that word made my stomach drop to my ankles. I suddenly felt inferior to Rowena. She was a maid, a servant, but the thought of me being the duke’s w***e made me seem lower in rank than her. Even though she was the one waiting hand and foot on me!

“Oh no Celeste, you would never be considered that. His grace has very particular needs, not that I know much about it. I hear rumours though.”

“What kind of rumours?”

“It’s not my place to repeat them, I just know he likes to keep himself and his business with his women behind closed doors. All I can say is, he seems to like his women to be very ‘obedient’ whatever that means. But by all accounts, any women he chooses to spend time with are very well looked after, given a proper education and sent on to live very full, happy lives.”

Mrs Campbell had said similar, clearly there must have been some truth to what she said if Rowena had heard the same. “I shan’t press you for any more information Rowena, for fear of getting you into trouble. I appreciate you being so candid with me though. Thankyou.”

Rowena smiled brightly, then gave my hand a squeeze. “Any time love, now you had better eat some breakfast. His grace will be expecting you sooner rather than later. Best not keep him waiting, remember he likes obedience.”

I just smiled and nodded. “Of course, I will get prepared as soon as I eat. Thanks again Rowena.”

“You’re welcome, Celeste. No doubt I will see you later.” Then she turned and walked towards the door, leaving the room without another word.

I looked over at the silver tray, suddenly I had lost my appetite. Was this truly all I was here for? To be the duke’s lover? Did he have a fiancé? A wife? Surely a man like him had an abundance of women waiting to be taken to his bedchambers, so why bring me from the workhouse? Were other women too good for him to treat like a w***e? Was I better suited for the role because I was an orphan and had nothing, not even a pair of stockings without holes in them needing darned?

I walked over to the tray and lifted the cloche, there was a bowl of porridge, a slice of toast and a cup of black tea under it. I lifted the toast and began to eat it as I paced up and down, trying to reconcile with my conscience before I had to get ready to go to see the duke. Could I really allow myself to become nothing more than a bed servant to the duke? Didn’t I deserve better? Hadn’t I earned the right to expect more from life than being used as a w***e? The answer to that is probably no, I hadn’t done anything important with my life up to now, just merely existed. Maybe this is all I was destined for, and if I were lucky, maybe I would spend the rest of my life living well, just like the women before me had.

I walked back to the table and took a sip of tea to wash down the toast. I covered the tray again, I couldn’t stomach porridge right now, at least I had eaten something.

As I walked towards the wooden wardrobe, I kept replaying what Rowena had said over and over in my mind. He likes his women to be obedient.

What does that even mean? He liked them to sit and roll over on command? As I opened the closet. I let out a frustrated sigh. I let my eyes roam over the dresses hanging there, they quickly landed on a red gown. It had a round neckline, trimmed with ivory lace. It was very pretty and flattering, but for some reason I ignored it. Instead, I lifted out an emerald, green gown, which had buttons up the front of it into a high mandarin style collar. It was very simple and demure. Perfect!

As I went behind my changing screen, I could hear Mrs Campbell’s voice in my head. She was telling me to stop being so stubborn and insubordinate, rules are to be obeyed. I ignored her and the other voice of reason in my head, telling me this was a bad idea.

After tying up at least thirty tiny black buttons, I stepped out from behind the screen, and walked over to the mirror on the wardrobe to examine my handiwork. I didn’t look bad, just very mature and serious. Maybe this dress was a bad idea, but I didn’t have the time or energy to begin to untie all the buttons again. Plus, the colour seemed to bring out the green in my eyes, they shone like emeralds now too. I went to walk over to the small wooden chest to pull some hairpins out, then stopped in my tracks. Turning back towards the mirror, I looked at where my long black curly hair cascaded over my shoulders. It looked untamed, some of the curls falling softly round my face. That settled it…no hairpins required. The duke was going to take me as I was or not at all. Either way, I planned to make him realise that women were not obedient by nature, we had thoughts and feelings of our own just like men. I turned around towards the door with a new sense of indignancy. Maybe it was time to teach the duke a few lessons in how to treat women fairly, not as obedient pets.

As I walked the short way towards the duke’s chambers, anxiety had begun to rear its ugly head. There was no backing down now though, I had to see this trough. When I reached his door, I knocked softly, kind of hoping he would not hear it and I could leave again. Unfortunately, he answered immediately. “You may enter.”

When I entered the door, I immediately spotted the duke standing over by the window. He looked very casual. He wore only smart black pinstripe trousers with a white shirt and a matching waistcoat. He was looking out the window with a cup and saucer in his hand. He looked over his shoulder at me when he heard the door click shut. His blank expression gave nothing away, maybe he had forgotten that he told me to wear red and tie my hair up neatly? “Good morning, Celeste, please take a seat. Would you care for some tea?”

I walked over to the wooden chair next to the dining table. I was trying to keep my distance for now. “No thank you sir, I just had some.”

He turned around fully to face me now, I couldn’t help but give him admiring glances, he was so tall and broad, with an air of authority. His chiselled jawline, dark eyes and perfectly quaffed hair made him look breathtakingly handsome. “Are you quite well today, Celeste?” He walked over to the silver tray at the end of the dining table, pouring himself more tea.

“Yes sir, I am well. You?”

“Do you have a fever?” He said, completely ignoring my asking after his health too.

“No sir.”

“Did you trip and hit your head over the course of the last twelve hours?”

What was this about? Did he hear rumours from the staff? Did I look poorly? Maybe I was coming down with something? Surely, I would know if I was though? Wouldn’t I? “No sir, I have not had any trips or falls.”

“No concussion, double vision, headaches?”

This was getting weirder by the second. “No sir, I had a well-rested night. No trips or falls, no concussions or fevers. I am feeling healthy and well. Thank you for asking though.”

He eyed me closely as he walked over towards the armchair by the fire. He sat down and crossed his legs. With a sigh he looked over at me, a look of disappointment across his face. “That is unfortunate Celeste, I hoped you had a good reason for disobeying my orders. I am left with no choice in the matter. I didn’t want to have to do this so early in our relationship.” He placed his cup down on the table next to his chair and stood up, unbuttoning his shirt sleeves.

“Do what sir?” My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest. I was sure he must have been able to hear it, probably half of London too.

He looked over at me, his eyes had darkened now, almost to the point of looking sinister. He rolled his shirt sleeves up slightly above his wrists. “Punish you Celeste, disobedience will not be tolerated.”