Chapter 5

CHAPTER5

By the time Katherine thought the honeymoon had started, it had already ended. It was no rush of excitement that made the time pass quicker, but a peculiar stillness that caused time to become a strange concept. Before she knew it, she had now become the newest inhabitant of Powell Manor.

“This place still remains of utmost beauty,” she mumbled to herself as she stepped inside after a morning stroll. She even took a small moment to slowly spin around and take each detail in.

She thought she had become familiar with it all by now, yet she continued to find herself in awe. Gold-trimmed paintings, spiral banisters, and lush, red carpets. The house she grew up in was nice, but Powell Manor was straight out of a fairytale.

“Good day, Your Grace.” A woman’s voice startled her.

Katherine was still not used to being addressed by her new title, but she had to grow into it eventually. She turned to see a short, petite lady with red hair and dozens of freckles. It made her smile.

“Good day… uhm.” She looked at the woman with wide eyes, unsure how to address her. Katherine gathered that she was a maid due to her attire.

“Anne, Your Grace,” the maid replied with a slight curtsy.

Katherine smiled at her, happy to see someone with a bit more cheer than Gerald had been showing. “Pleasure to meet you, Anne,” she returned with a slight nod of her head.

She was still struggling with accepting the fact that this was now her home and that now she had her own maids.

“May I escort you to your room, Your Grace?” Anne asked. A red lock had escaped from underneath her bonnet, and she hastily tucked it back in.

“That would be wonderful, thank you,” Katherine replied.

She had been curious about her new bedroom in Powell Manor but didn’t want to bother Gerald with her inquiries. She had been temporarily assigned a large guest bedroom, as the staff were still preparing her quarters for her, causing her curiosity to grow even more.

“Here you go, Your Grace. The room is all yours,” Anne said as she led Katherine into a large room.

It was larger than Katherine’s bedroom at her parents’ house, but not large enough to be regarded as the master bedroom. But Katherine couldn’t complain, for the room was more beautiful than she had ever imagined.

The room was decorated in soft pinks and greens, each piece of furniture fitting the next. Katherine liked it, she had always thought pink and green to be the best colors for her.

“Thank you for your help, Anne.”

She hoped the maid got the hint that she wanted to have a few minutes alone in her new chamber.

“The room is all yours.”

Anne’s words rang in her head. To have her own chambers meant to have a place that belonged completely and solely to her. A place where she could hide if life became rough.

Katherine proceeded to take herself on a small tour through her bedroom, gently touching the velvet curtains as she walked by. She turned to the doorway to make sure no one was approaching before throwing herself on her bed. She let out a hushed giggle. Somehow, she thought she was bound to enjoy her life here, even if it were different from the life of other married couples.

A knock sounded at the door, causing her to swiftly rise from the bed and stand up. She called, “Come in!”

As the door opened, she had somewhat been expecting to see Gerald, but instead, it was yet again Anne’s kind face. She looked over at the bed, before turning back to Katherine. She had to have seen the dent Katherine’s body had left in the sheets.

“Tea is to be served in ten minutes, Your Grace,” Anne announced promptly and gave a professional smile.

“Thank you for reminding me, Anne,” Katherine responded as she watched the maid make her way out of her bedroom.

She was hoping to befriend someone in this household, even if it were just the maid. Someone who she could talk to when the day felt right. She doubted that she would be able to do that with Gerald or his family.

“Wait,” she suddenly whispered to Anne, causing her to turn her head around, before re-entering. “Excuse me for calling you back, but I just have one strange question.”

“Of course, Your Grace, I am at your service,” Anne said with a smile, taking a brief second to straighten her apron.

“This may sound peculiar, but are the chambers always so…” Katherine trailed off as she tried to find the right word.

“Cold?” Anne suggested with an uncertain expression, hoping that was what Katherine had meant.

Katherine laughed slightly, causing her to let out a sigh of relief. “Indeed. I suppose that is the best way to describe them.”

She smiled nervously. This was a conversation that both ladies had to keep to themselves.

“I’ve been employed here at Powell Manor for nearly four years now, Your Grace, and I can confirm to you that it has always felt like that. I am no snoop and thus don’t know much about the dynamics of their relationships, but from what I’ve witnessed, I can’t say they are the warmest family,” Anne admitted.

Katherine had noticed a tension escape the maid’s body. She hoped that she had shown Anne that she didn’t have to be overly professional around her.

“Just another thing to get used to.” She waved a hand dismissively.

Anne let out a faint chuckle before turning around and exiting the room. Katherine, however, remained standing in the same area. She was still trapped in a daze that felt like some feverish dream. Like she was bound to wake up any minute, sweat-drenched and heaving with memories of a strange dream that haunted her. Yet not haunting in a bad way.

“Duchess.” Gerald bowed to Katherine as she entered the drawing room.

Each room had its own color palette, and that of the drawing room was a beautiful baby blue that reminded her of the seaside on Sunday mornings.

“Your Grace, you really do have a lovely home,” she commented as she took a seat.

Anne carried a tea tray over to them and then scurried away to the kitchen.

“Thank you, but it’s my pleasure to inform you that it is your home now as well,” Gerald said sarcastically, yet in a slightly lighter mood than usual.

Katherine could only imagine him being confused at her newfound admiration for the manor, but she had barely had time to tour the entirety of it. Most of the time, her mind had been fixated on trying to figure out Gerald’s routine.

“Tea,” Gerald uttered whilst pointing toward the tray adorned with tea cups, biscuits, and sugar.

Katherine poured herself a cup of tea. “May I prepare you a cup of tea as well, Your Grace?” she asked as she stirred a sugar cube into her tea.

Gerald shook his head. “No, thank you. I am quite specific with how I prepare my tea and would prefer the task to be done by a kitchen maid.”

He was still standing upright, unsure of what to do. Eventually, he took a seat across from Katherine.

“Might I offer any pastries for the afternoon tea…?” Anne asked as she returned to the drawing room, but her words faded as she turned to face Gerald, who had sat down neatly in a chair.

“Everything all right, Anne?” he asked.

Anne stared at him, her lips twitching. Eventually, a smile spread across her face.

“You gave Her Grace your seat, Your Grace! Forgive my surprise.” She chuckled, though she tried desperately to conceal it.

Gerald’s answer was a look of displeasure.

Nonetheless, Anne stepped toward Katherine and placed down a plate of pastries in front of her. Before returning to her duties, she briefly whispered, “His Grace had never allowed anyone to sit here besides him, Your Grace,” before scurrying away once again.

Katherine had to suppress her own laughter. “My apologies, Your Grace. You are more than welcome to return to your seat,” she offered as she stood up, her lips curling into a wide smile.

She didn’t know if she was imagining it, but the Duke’s cheeks had started to turn pink.

“No, do sit. I have no trouble changing seats,” he said, motioning for her to sit back down. He looked around the room for a second, visibly irritated by the conversation. “Anne seems to have taken a liking to you.”

“Really?” Katherine asked, though she wasn’t truly surprised. She happened to like the maid as well. “I am happy to hear that from you, Your Grace.”

“As long as she doesn’t cross any boundaries,” Gerald huffed.

Katherine could only guess that he regarded Anne’s remark as an unprofessional statement. He took a sip of his tea, and she followed suit.

“Well, she is a very kind maid,” Katherine pointed out.

Gerald smiled. “Indeed, she has been one of the few holding up in this household. She has an inner strength, I suppose,” he acknowledged.

“I simply don’t believe the household to be as bad as you make it sound, Your Grace.” Katherine placed her cup of tea back on the tray while simultaneously grabbing a pastry.

“Oh, Duchess, why do you think I had to agree to an arranged marriage? After all, my looks are attractive enough, in my opinion,” Gerald joked, pulling at his jacket in mock arrogance.

For a brief moment, Katherine didn’t even laugh. She was stunned that he had started to joke with her.

“Oh, how terrible of you to blame it on the family, Your Grace,” she teased. Her blonde curls bounced as she shook with laughter, and she caught him looking at them.

“My family is quite all right,” Katherine started to say, taking this as a cue for them to start sharing personal stories and feelings with one another. “A bit status-aware, but no complaints other than that. I guess my poor luck with courtships is to be blamed on my leg.”

She looked at the Duke expectantly, hoping he would elaborate on his feelings and his family history.

“The limp is not that apparent,” was all he had to say, before taking another sip of tea and shifting his gaze to the window.

Katherine sighed but continued to eat her pastry.

“I was thinking we might enjoy a card game together this afternoon, Your Grace. Would you enjoy such an activity?” she asked after a while, having already finished her tea.

“I must attend to some duties, I will not be able to participate. But I’m sure Anne would be more than willing to accompany you in the set,” Gerald said as he rose from his seat, patting it down in an attempt to smooth it. Katherine made a mental note of his perfectionism.

“I wish you luck then, Your Grace.” She sighed as she watched him head to the door.

Her attempts to engage him in any conversation or activity seemed to fail as soon as she started to get a glimmer of hope.

The Duke reached the doorway, before slightly turning in Katherine’s direction. He stood in silence for a second, his thoughts roiling.

“But if you’re open to it, I might have a bit of free time for a brief walk,” he hesitantly offered, his back still mostly turned to her. “Due to the unfortunate event at the estate, I believe it best if I were to accompany you on a walk today.”

Of course.Of course he’s inviting me on a walk to lessen my burden and not simply because he wishes for company.

“That would be delightful, Your Grace,” Katherine replied as she rose to her feet. She was trying her best to suppress a grin.

Outside, she took a moment to appreciate the several arrangements of flower shrubs and neatly cut hedges. Neat and tidy, yet beautiful. She could only guess who had given the orders to maintain the gardens.

“It’s a lovely day outside,” she commented in an attempt to fill the silence.

The Duke looked around them. “It is a rather nice day, if I must admit so myself,” he agreed, picking a mint leaf and rubbing it between his thumb a forefinger. He took a small sniff, before handing it to Katherine.

“They use these often in the kitchen. I believe my herbs to be the best in the entirety of London,” he elaborated as he happily gazed over the several planted herbs.

Katherine smiled, not at the herbs, but at his subtle attempt to engage with her.

“Come look here,” Gerald said as he crouched down beside a plant.

Katherine followed suit.

He held out his hand and gently touched a basil leaf between his fingers, being careful not to bruise it. “The finest basil one could ask for, used in those pastries we had just consumed,” he murmured.

Katherine continued to look at him.

He tilted his head in her direction. For a brief moment, their faces were inches away from one another. And for a second there, Katherine was convinced he was going to kiss her.

Instead, he plucked the leaf and handed it to her.