Chapter 6

Maggie was still shaking as she washed off the remnants of paint from her skin. It was sticking to her, and it felt itchy. But the water didn't seem to be doing anything. If anything, it was making it worse.

"Your clothes are already getting washed," Mrs Harpenden said as she appeared in the doorway. "And you can use one of our spare uniforms until you get to your room. We can't have you walking through the house in just your shift."

"Thank you, Mrs Harpenden." Maggie gave her a small smile. "Do you think my clothes will be rescued?"

"Let's hope so. I've not had to get paint out of clothes like that before, but the washerwoman is confident she can do it." The Duke of Banbury's housekeeper slipped into the room and shut the door. "How are you doing, dear? That must have been a shocking thing to go through."

That was an understatement. All Maggie wanted to do was walk to get some fresh air and time to herself. And she had come upon someone sneaking around with a bucket of paint. Something bad was going on here; she was sure of it. The duke had a lot of problems, more than he was willing to admit.

"At least he didn't take a swing at me," she said as she scrubbed her arms. "It could have been a lot worse."

"There is that. And thankfully, you didn't get your hair covered in that stuff. I've heard that people need to cut their hair off because they can't get the paint out."

Maggie was also glad about that; she didn't want to lose her hair because of that. She stared at the lukewarm water, which was now stained bright red. Paint dribbled down the sides of the sink like rivulets of blood.

"Does this happen often around here?" she asked. "Do you normally have people sneaking around with paint?"

Mrs Harpenden hesitated, and Maggie immediately knew the answer. This had happened before. The housekeeper glanced towards the closed door.

"I shouldn't talk to anyone outside of the household about what's going on regarding this," she said quietly. "The duke doesn't want it to get out that things are … not as they seem around here."

"Like what? What else has happened?"

"It's not my place to say. That's on the duke's orders," Mrs Harpenden added before Maggie could protest. "If it were up to me, I'd happily tell you what's going on, but we were all told not to say anything."

Maggie snorted and gestured at herself. The paint had gone through her uniform and stained her shift, which was now sticking to her. She felt exposed, even in front of a nice lady like Mrs Harpenden.

"I think you might need to say something soon, given what's just happened to me. What if it had been my mistress who had come upon the intruder? Or the baron himself? You would certainly have to explain why it's going to be hazardous walking around here."

Mrs Harpenden looked unsure about it all, biting her lip. Maggie was sure she would tell her everything if pushed, but her loyalty was to the duke. She had to admire that.

A knock on the door jerked both of them out of their silence. Mrs Harpenden pointed towards a maid's uniform folded on a nearby table.

"Put that on, quickly," she said. "I'll make sure nobody comes in."

"Thank you."

Maggie hurried to the table and was shaking out the uniform when she heard the duke's voice.

"Where's Maggie? I was told she was in here."

"Your Grace …"

"I need to see her. Is she alright?"

Maggie paused. He sounded genuinely concerned for her. It threw her a little bit, hearing the worry in his voice.

"She's just making herself presentable, Your Grace," Mrs Harpenden said gently but firmly. "Just give her a moment, and she'll be able to speak to you."

That jerked Maggie out of her daze, and she hurried to get dressed without tearing the dress. It was a tiny bit loose, but it would be enough to get her back to her room and change into her spare uniform. Deciding against putting her bonnet back on and simply holding it, Maggie opened the door to see Banbury and Mrs Harpenden outside the door, Banbury pacing away with a lot of tension in his body. It was practically steaming off him.

He turned and stopped when he caught sight of her. Nobody moved for a moment, Maggie and the duke simply stared at each other. She could feel the tingling along her skin again, and she had to stop herself from shivering. Mrs Harpenden gave a pointed cough.

"Did you wish to speak to Maggie, Your Grace?"

"What? Oh, right." Banbury swallowed and turned away abruptly. "Follow me."

Glancing at Mrs Harpenden, who gave her a reassuring nod, Maggie followed him through the house and into a room that appeared to be his study. It was big, spacious, and very tidy. Maggie was reminded of how things were at Baron Atterbury's house and how untidy his study was. He just could not keep anything in place, which was slightly endearing.

Wait, why was she comparing the tidiness of two men's rooms? And why were they the only two in here?

"Should we wait for someone else to join us?" she asked as she turned to Banbury. "We shouldn't be alone, not after what happened last time."

"Nothing happened last time, did it?" Banbury didn't take his eyes off her as he shut the door. "Nothing that would be considered inappropriate, anyway."

"Even so …"

"I'll keep myself at the other end of the room if that makes you feel better." He remained by the door, leaning on it as if showing that he wasn't going to let her out. His eyes drifted over her. "How are you feeling? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Apart from throwing paint all over me and shoving me over, no." Maggie held up her hands, which were still stained. "The paint's going to take forever to come out, I'm sure."

"I'll have Mrs Harpenden fix a bath for you in your room. That should help."

Maggie's mouth fell open.

"I couldn't possibly …"

"You may be a guest here along with your employers, but I look after everyone who comes into the house. And if it will help remove the paint, I'll offer you the bath to wash yourself."

Maggie didn't know what to say to that. She didn't think she knew of another occasion where a servant had been given a tin bath that the guests and family used. It felt strange, but rejecting it felt like she was insulting him.

"So, tell me what happened." Banbury folded his arms. "Why were you outside in the stables?"

"You think I had something to do with it?"

"I don't know. I've got to suspect everyone. So you tell me what you were doing out there."

Maggie huffed. She didn't like the implication that she had done something wrong. Sure, if he was paranoid about this happening to him, she could understand, but Maggie didn't like that she was being subtly accused of something.

She drew herself up and spoke coolly towards him.

"I had some time to myself, so I thought I'd go for a walk. While I was passing the stables, I saw someone wearing a cloak sneaking into the stables."

"Did you see who it was?"

"No, they had a scarf covering most of their face with the hood up. I followed them and saw they were carrying a bucket of something. They got a paintbrush and began painting something red onto the wall."

"And what did you do then?"

Maggie frowned. She felt like she was under interrogation.

"I asked him what was going on. Something didn't seem right, and I had a feeling something bad was happening. They suddenly ran at me and pushed me out of the way. I fell, and they ran out of the courtyard. So, I gave chase."

Banbury frowned.

"Why would you give chase? Why not sound the alarm?"

"And give them a chance to get away? They might be gone before I found anyone." Maggie smoothed her hands down the front of her dress. "Anyway, I ran after them, but they must have been waiting around the corner for me. As soon as I came into view, he threw the paint on me. Then he shoved me onto the ground again. After that, he started to run, leaving me on the ground."

That was when the clarity of the situation hit her. The intruder could have had a weapon, something that could have harmed her, or worse. And she had just run after them.

She began to shake. God, why did she have to think about that? She could have got herself killed trying to confront someone doing the wrong thing.

Her brother did call her foolish at times. And on this occasion, he would be right.

#

Adam saw Maggie begin to tremble, and he instantly felt awful for making her so scared. But he couldn't deny to himself that he was feeling scared because of what he had just heard. Someone had tried to vandalize his home and attacked an innocent person in the process. This was getting too much now that other people were getting involved.

"I … I don't …" Maggie began to rub her hands together. She didn't seem to notice that she was doing it. "I … he could …"

She bowed her head, and her shoulders shook. It took Adam a moment to realize that she was crying. He didn't even think about the impropriety of it as he approached her and took her in his arms. Maggie stiffened, but after a moment, she leaned into him, resting her forehead against his chest, her hands clutching his shirt. Adam was sure her tears were staining the fabric, but he didn't care. He just held her close, slowly rubbing her back.

"It's alright, Maggie," he whispered, and then he realized that he was gently rocking her back and forth. "It's going to be alright."

Adam had no idea what he was saying or if it was true, but he wanted Maggie to stop crying. It was hurting him to see her in such a state.

What is wrong with you? You're behaving really oddly about this maid, and that's not right. You shouldn't be holding her in such an intimate fashion, either. What if someone comes along?

I don't care. I really don't.

"I think you need to go to your room and rest," Adam said gently, easing Maggie back a little so he could see her face. He cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled at her. "You've had a shock, and I'm sure the baron will agree that you need to rest after such an ordeal."

Maggie bit her lip.

"It's not the baron I'm worried about," she whispered.

Adam didn't need to ask. He suspected that Lady Phoebe wouldn't be too impressed. But surely she wouldn't care about propriety if her maid had just been attacked. Adam hoped that Lady Phoebe would understand.

"Let me escort you," Adam said, guiding her towards the door, but Maggie pulled back with a gasp.

"We shouldn't!"

"Why not?"

"Because people are going to see, and they're going to assume …"

Maggie's cheeks went bright red. Adam couldn't help thinking that she looked really pretty when this happened. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't need to worry about anything. You're under my roof, and I'm the one in charge here. I'm going to make sure you're safe and settled, and nobody can assume otherwise." He squeezed her fingers, still clasped in his hand. "I promise you, it will be fine."

Maggie still didn't look too sure about it, but she nodded slightly and followed him into the hallway. Adam was aware that people were going to see them and wonder what was going on, but he was more concerned about Maggie. He would rather look out for her than leave her alone.

When it came to Maggie, Adam found he couldn't trust anyone else. And he didn't know what to think about that.

They reached the end of the hallway, and Maggie stumbled. Adam caught her.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess my legs are still a bit shaky." Maggie gave him a tiny smile. "Forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive."

Then Adam did something that startled him as much as it did Maggie. He bent and picked her up, an arm under her legs and the other around her shoulders. Maggie gasped and clutched his shoulders, her eyes wide in horror.

"Your Grace! What are you doing?"

"I'm making sure you don't fall over."

"But … you can't! You mustn't …!"

"Why mustn't I, Maggie?"

Maggie spluttered. Her cheeks were redder now, but Adam could see her eyes and how much they darkened as she looked at him. God, it was taking all his self-restraint not to kiss her right now. Maybe he should have put her down so he could stop himself from doing that.

Then he heard voices, and before Adam could put Maggie back on her feet, Lady Phoebe and Baroness Atterbury came around the corner. Both of them stopped when they saw Adam holding onto Maggie in his arms, and they momentarily stared at them with their mouths open. Adam could feel Maggie trying to squirm in his arms, but he held onto her. He was not going to let them intimidate her.

Lady Phoebe was the first to speak, and she sounded outraged.

"What … what is going on here, Your Grace?" she demanded loudly. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Your maid has just witnessed a potential crime, Lady Phoebe," Adam said crisply. "She's in a state of shock."

"What?" Lady Atterbury gasped. "What do you mean, a potential crime?"

"I'll explain everything to you once I come back from escorting Maggie to her room, Baroness. It's something I should discuss with all three of you. Right now, Maggie is my priority."

Lady Phoebe looked shocked at the thought of someone looking after a servant. Her eyes narrowed, and she scowled at Maggie.

"I don't know what Maggie's doing, but you shouldn't be pandering to her. She's a maid, nothing more."

"And you think nobody should also look after the servants?" Adam shot back.

"I … well …"

Lady Phoebe faltered, but Adam felt she would have said servants were not worth anyone's time. There were lots of people who thought that way, but it wasn't Adam's mentality. He didn't like the idea of being cruel to those who weren't of the same social standing. In his mind, nobody in the ton would be able to do anything if they didn"t have any servants.

He fixed her with a hard glare.

"I will speak with you and your parents about the current situation in a moment. Once I've taken Maggie to her room and made sure that she's settled."

"You would do that with a servant?" Lady Atterbury asked, looking just as perplexed. "It's … it's not the done thing."

"It is in my house, Baroness. Now, if you'll excuse me?"

Adam stepped around them and headed into the foyer. He was aware of them staring after them, but he didn't stop to look. Right now, he needed to get Maggie to her room so she could rest. Only then would he be able to relax.

And once he had dealt with Atterbury's family, Adam would hopefully figure out what was wrong with him to be this concerned with a maid who set his blood on fire just by looking at him. That was unnerving, no matter how you looked at it.

"I think you should put me down and let me go upstairs on my own," Maggie said quietly as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Her head was bent, and she was refusing to look at him. "I think it's better that you do."

"Nonsense," Adam scoffed, and he began to climb the stairs. "I won't say one thing and then ignore it the next minute. And I look after those who are under my roof."

"But this is not …"

"Enough." That one word made Maggie fall silent. "I said I'm going to look after you, and I'm going to follow through on that promise."

"You made it a promise?" Maggie actually looked up to frown at him. "Not to me."

"It's a promise to myself." Adam tore his gaze away from her beautiful eyes and focused on climbing the stairs. "I don't break those promises."

He had promised himself years ago that he would never treat anyone who worked for him badly. His father and grandfather were the same when they were alive, believing that mistreating servants would never end well, and servants were people, too.

From the brief interactions Adam had experienced with Lady Phoebe, she was not of the same mindset. If anything, she seemed willing to be rude towards Maggie. That perplexed Adam. Why would anyone want to be rude towards a member of their household in such a way? And how did her parents let her get away with it?

He would have a word with her father about that. If it weren't for Maggie, Adam would not have made any intention of courting Lady Phoebe at all.

And he felt awful for it. He was leading a girl on because of someone else. That was not ideal at all, yet he couldn't stop himself. Adam couldn't ask Maggie if he could court her – a duke and a maid would be shocking, and Maggie's reputation would be forever ruined. And Adam wasn't about to ruin his family's reputation – his sisters deserved better.

What about Maggie drew him to her so fast and so suddenly? It didn't make sense.

Maggie was silent as Adam made his way upstairs and into the servants' quarters, merely pointing at the room she was sleeping in when Adam asked for directions. The room was small, and she would be sharing with another maid.

The beds were small and looked very uncomfortable. Adam made a mental note to check on the servants' living quarters later on; they should have some better beds, at least, which was better than what some people got.

"There you go," he said, placing Maggie on her feet but keeping his arms around her. "I'll leave you to rest."

"What about my duties? I can't …"

"I'll find someone to help Lady Phoebe tonight and speak to Baron Atterbury as well." Adam brushed a thumb over her cheek. "You don't need to worry about anything, Maggie. I'll take care of it."

Maggie still looked unsure, and she was still rather flushed. She bit her lip, and Adam fought back a groan. Now he really wanted to pull her in and kiss her. She was far too enticing for him.

What did she have that made her so much more attractive to Adam than any ladies in the ton? He had no idea what was going on.

Realizing that they were still standing close together, Adam jumped away, making Maggie sway a little.

"Yes, right … I …" Adam cleared his throat. "I'll leave you alone, Maggie. And make sure you rest properly. I'll ensure that you're left alone for tonight."

"There's no …"

"You've had a shock. The least I can do is to attend to your welfare."

Maggie still looked uncertain, but she nodded and gave him a small smile.

"Thank you, Your Grace. I appreciate it."