Chapter 8

CHAPTER8

Asmile started to spread across Katherine’s face. She felt like she had accomplished something. If Gerald wanted to engage her in conversation, he was more than capable. She just promised herself that she would no longer be forcing him to do so.

“Already finished, Your Grace?” Anne asked with a surprised expression.

Katherine hesitated to answer the maid’s question, still unsure of what had just happened. Yet, she knew she felt slightly better, although a bit guilt-stricken.

“Indeed, I am,” she replied hesitantly, yet Anne still looked surprised.

A couple of hours ago, Katherine had been tossing pillows across her chamber, and now she appeared to have her life back on track.

“I tend to enjoy a good cup of tea more than the average person.” She widened her eyes as she spoke, causing Anne to laugh.

“Well, Your Grace, I am more than happy to hear that. As I said, a cup of tea always makes one feel better on a dull day.” Anne picked up the basket at her feet. “Any other activities you have planned for today, Your Grace?”

Katherine furrowed her brow, in deep thought. She didn’t know what else she could do today.

“Well, I suppose I might take myself on a stroll around the manor. After all, I am not yet quite familiar with all the hidden corners of my new home.”

Katherine, indeed, was not very familiar with her new home. Gerald hadn’t made much of an effort to show her around, so she decided to take the task upon herself.

“That sounds lovely, Your Grace. I especially love all the art and oil paintings the manor has on display. They are just lovely.” Anne smiled, tucking in a red strand of hair.

“You just have the loveliest hair, Anne,” Katherine commented as she started to make her way up the staircase. “I am quite jealous.”

“Why, thank you, Your Grace.” Anne slightly blushed at the compliment.

It became increasingly apparent to Katherine that the maid wasn’t used to compliments in Powell manor, and she just decided to change that.

“But your hair is just marvelous!” Anne added.

Katherine smiled widely at her before she continued her journey up the stairs. She still had to get used to climbing so many stairs with her limp. Her parents had even assigned her a bedroom on the lower floor of their house, leaving her all by herself during nighttime. Yet, she wouldn’t complain. She enjoyed the view outside the window of her new bedroom window.

* * *

Since Gerald was a rather silent man, he also happened to be very observant. He knew Katherine was unaware of his lingering presence near the hall, allowing him to listen in on her conversation with Anne. He felt a bit hurt while listening to their conversation, however. Katherine’s voice was much more animated than he had ever heard it, but that was his own fault. He knew it was his duty to keep her at arm’s length, and that had caused this.

Yet, the cold treatment he received in return during the afternoon tea had left him feeling uneasy and increasingly guilty. Perhaps he had indeed been too cold toward her, but he could never be sure. He still clung to the idea that it was best to keep her away from him as much as possible. Otherwise, he would hurt her, and he knew that.

That was until he heard her comment on how she hadn’t been shown around Powell Manor.

Guilt overcame him. In his effort to keep his distance from her, he had completely forgotten to do the basic, gentlemanly thing—to introduce her to her new home.

How stupid!

As he pondered this new, unwelcome feeling, he quickly made a decision. He would ask Anne to take Katherine on a tour of the estate, and thus he would still be able to keep some distance between them.

“Anne,” he said in a low voice as he approached the maid.

Anne whipped around, startled, but Gerald maintained a stern expression. “Take the Duchess around the manor. Show her all the corners, paintings, details, the servants’ quarters, and whatever else there is to see.”

“At once, Your Grace.” Anne bobbed a curtsy.

Gerald nodded once, and after a brief moment of silence, he turned around and headed toward his study. He had duties to carry out, and he wouldn’t allow himself to get distracted.

* * *

Katherine sat in a moment of reflection. Something in her attempt to appear cold didn’t feel natural, and she doubted that she could ever keep up such an attitude. She was a soft woman, and she didn’t want to lose that.

A light knock sounded at her bedroom door, causing her to spin around in anticipation. For some odd reason, she thought it was Gerald, but the knock was soft and thus recognizable.

Anne.

“Come in, Anne!” Katherine called. She sat completely still, awaiting the door to swing open.

As the door opened a crack, she saw Anne’s small frame. She let out a small sigh of relief.

“Your Grace,” Anne said with a smile, “I have been ordered to take you on an in-depth tour of Powell Manor.” She gave a small, nearly unnoticeable wink that Katherine was sharp enough to catch.

Katherine raised her eyebrows as she rose from her seat. “Why, I wonder who might have made that order?” she muttered under her breath. “That would be lovely, Anne.”

Anne stepped back from the door to allow ample space for Katherine to pass. Then, she proceeded to lead Katherine down the hall. It appeared as if she already had some pre-constructed map of where to go first.

Katherine felt confused as she followed closely behind Anne. On the one hand, she wished Gerald was the one taking her on a tour, but on the other hand, she was glad to be in the presence of someone she didn’t continuously fight with.

“I believe the mural to have been painted by a Frenchman,” Anne explained as she motioned toward the ceiling of the drawing room they had just entered.

Fat, little cherubs with bows and arrows flew about the ceiling amongst clouds and silk sheets. Katherine observed them with a keen eye.

“Asked to come to England for this exact task, which he gratefully agreed to. I believed the mural cost His Grace a pretty penny.”

“Good artwork comes at great expense,” Katherine commented as she remembered how her father used to collect only the most expensive paintings when she was younger. He thought it improved the status of the family, showed guests that they had a fair taste and a fair amount of money.

“Indeed, Your Grace.” Anne nodded, stuck in her own trance. “But these are some of the drawing room’s tales and intricacies.”

“They are quite magnificent,” Katherine agreed. “They have done wondrous work in making these pieces.”

“Though I do enjoy marveling at the drawing room, Your Grace, I am quite eager to show you the grand ballroom,” Anne said.

Katherine had completely forgotten about the rest of the manor. She nodded at Anne, allowing her to continue showing her the rest of Powell Manor’s intricacies.

It was a longer walk to reach the entrance of the ballroom. Katherine had been aware of its presence but hadn’t seen much of it other than brief glances as she walked past.

As they stepped through the wide doorway, Katherine was surprised at the vastness of the room. Large chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and there was a luxurious corner reserved for orchestras and other musicians.

“My goodness, how beautiful!” Katherine gasped, imagining herself dancing in the room along with others.

She would love being the hostess of a ball in such a lovely room, but she doubted the walls would see any form of entertainment soon. Gerald didn’t strike her as the type to host parties and balls at his home.

“It is a lovely room, Your Grace.” Anne nodded in agreement. She traced her fingers over the keys of a grand piano but withdrew her hand in what Katherine could only guess was hesitation.

“The former Duke was fond of extravagant parties and soirées within this room. They were exciting nights with all of the members of the high society. When I had just started my employment at the manor, I was always the most excited about the nights of the balls. Though I did not participate, it was a great sight to behold.”

Anne smiled, reminiscing on the days the ballroom had been filled with music and laughter.

“It’s exquisite,” Katherine remarked after a moment’s pause. A pause that allowed her to take in the beauty of the room.

“Do stop me if I move too hastily, Your Grace. I would love to show you to the library next,” Anne offered, looking at Katherine with a questioning look, awaiting approval before she led them to the next wonder.

“Of course, Anne. I am quite eager to learn about all these rooms,” Katherine said, starting to follow the maid, who had already made for the door.

“The library had the best leather-bound books!” Anne’s voice echoed down the corridor, as she had unknowingly walked way too fast for Katherine.

Katherine could only smile and head in the same direction.

As she stepped into the large corridor, she spotted Anne standing still, her eyes on the left wall. Katherine narrowed her eyes in confusion, wondering what could have averted Anne’s attention so abruptly. Yet, as she neared the maid, she came face to face with one of the most wondrous paintings she had ever had the privilege of seeing.

A large painting of a deer, with dewy eyes and a delicate stance. Katherine found herself completely lost in each brush stroke, no longer questioning Anne’s strange sense of wonder. She felt as if she were looking at some anthropomorphic version of herself, tender and soft.

“I am rather proud of the lovely pieces we are able to hold in Powell Manor. My mother and father had handpicked them during their early years of marriage. An outstanding heirloom.”

Katherine swung around, only to find Gerald a few steps behind her.

“Your Grace,” she greeted. She hadn’t even heard him approach them. She knew him to have loud, heavy footsteps, but she had been so lost in the painting that she hadn’t even heard him pass by. “The painting is beautiful.”

Heirlooms for the heir.

But she wouldn’t dare tell the joke out loud, she was intelligent enough to spare herself the embarrassment.

“I have quite a love for this piece myself,” Gerald admitted, gently wiping a bit of dust that had been barely visible from the frame of the painting. “Painted by a well-known artist from Paris. He had passed away now, but my parents were eager to buy this piece from him during their visit to France.”

“They brought the loveliest pieces from their travels,” Katherine murmured, her entire focus still on the shining eyes of the deer.

When she looked to the side, she noticed that Anne had vanished without a trace. She had been there a second ago, Katherine could’ve sworn on the fact, but now she found herself alone with her husband.

“Let me introduce you to our famous, or infamous, portraits down this hall,” Gerald said as he started down the long corridor.

After Katherine hesitantly stepped away from the painting, they ended in a large hall lined with plenty of portraits. Katherine looked at them with some confusion but didn’t allow it to show.

“All the Dukes of Powell on one wall,” Gerald explained.

From where they started, Katherine gathered that the man in the nearest portrait was one of the first Dukes. The painting was a little faded, and the style was slightly outdated.

As they walked on, Gerald mentioned each duke’s full name, but the names went in one ear and out the other. Her attention was caught by each brush stroke the artist had used and how carefully they had mixed colors to create realistic skin tones. Even the wrinkles in the corners of one duke’s eyes were drawn perfectly.

Katherine had been a lover of art all her life. She had even been a practicing artist during the majority of her teenage years. Unfortunately, her parents had persuaded her to drop her passion and focus on more important things, such as finding a suitable husband with a good status.

She used to love sitting in front of canvas and placing dollops of oil paint onto a palette. She preferred painting nature and landscapes mostly, but she still had a large admiration for those focusing on portraits, such as the artists who had painted the portraits of the Dukes of Powell.

“My father,” Gerald said at some point.

That piqued Katherine’s curiosity. The man in the portrait looked young, and Katherine concluded that the former Duke must have inherited his title at a relatively young age. Yet, she still mistook the portrait for Gerald every time she looked at it.

Was Gerald such a striking copy of his father?

Even the lines and sinews in their necks appeared identical, and Katherine couldn’t help but find it slightly uncanny. The only thing that differentiated the portrait of the former Duke from Gerald himself was their facial hair. Gerald didn’t have such a large mustache as the one his father had in the portrait.

“My goodness,” Katherine gasped as she continued to study the painting. She turned to look at the one next to it, the portrait of Gerald himself. “The artist might as well just made two copies of the exact same painting.”

Her gaze turned from one portrait to the other, finding joy in figuring out how the artist had differentiated the two from one another. It had to have been the same artist, as the method of brushstrokes and blending appeared similar.

Katherine awaited a reply from Gerald, but as she turned to face him, she saw that he was clenching his jaw. Had she angered him in some kind of manner?

“Excuse me, Your Grace, had I upset you?” she asked hesitantly.

After all, he had just started to say more than three-word sentences to her , and she didn’t want to ruin that by upsetting him.

“I don’t believe we look that much alike,” Gerald said as he averted his gaze, before shifting it back to the portrait of his father. “At least, I hope not,” he added in a quieter voice.

Katherine gathered that he had said that last part to himself, but she listened nonetheless. She looked at him questioningly but made sure not to pry. If he decided to ignore the question in her eyes, then so be it.

Gerald had noticed the curiosity in her eyes. He held her gaze for a while longer before shaking his head. “I apologize. My father just wasn’t the kindest man. Not a bad man, but certainly not the best,” he mumbled as he stared at the portrait.

Katherine felt like he was talking more to his father’s portrait than her.

“If you feel comfortable, Your Grace, you are more than welcome to talk to me about the matter,” she offered with sympathetic eyes.

She didn’t want to push him too hard, but she thought it might do him well if he started to release some of his pent-up emotions.

“I’ll always lend an ear.”

“Ah, no, but thank you,” Gerald said.

He looked rather confused, and Katherine couldn’t pinpoint whether it was because of his father or because he had been talking so openly to her. Whatever it was, she had already decided to support him. She got the feeling that he wasn’t naturally cold and distant as he pretended to be, but rather he was hurt.

“It’s just that after the accident, My thoughts of him have become so immensely confusing that I can barely drag myself to even look at that portrait. Let alone my own,” Gerald elaborated.

He appeared increasingly astonished at every word he spoke, but he continued nonetheless. Katherine couldn’t tell who was more surprised at the fact that he was opening up to her.

“What accident, Your Grace?” Katherine asked curiously, yet she kept the tone of her voice low and spoke with few emotions.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to erase it from my head, if I’m quite frank,” Gerald admitted as he leaned his head against the wall, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “My father had decided to take me with him on one of the trips he took once a year, but this time, I⁠—”

Both Gerald and Katherine turned in the same direction as an urgent knock sounded at the front door. It couldn’t even be described as a knock—far more like a bang.

“What on Mother Earth,” Gerald mumbled as he pushed off the wall and straightened upu.

He started to walk toward the door, his strong arms firmly at his sides. Katherine followed after him, curious as to what could possibly be causing the commotion.

By the time Gerald had reached the front door, another round of sharp bangs echoed through the manor. Katherine covered her ears to drown out some of the noise, for the bangs seemed to reverberate throughout her entire body.

Gerald swung the door open, his body in a defensive stance and ready to confront whoever had been causing such noise. He looked at the person, whoever it might be, and his shoulders dropped. Katherine was unable to see who it was, as his body blocked the majority of the doorway.

“Is anybody there, Your Grace?” she asked, unsure of what was taking place outside the door. She shifted her head left and right in an attempt to get a better view, but she could only see Gerald’s back.

“Ah, the new Duchess!” a voice said from outside.

The sarcastic way in which her title was uttered wasn’t lost on her.