The Duke's Maid & Lover

Chapter 1 -- The Escape

"Bring out my evening gowns. Make sure no green. I don't feel like wearing something green today." Lillian commanded, ignoring the desperate sobbing of the maid.

She wants nothing to do with the maids. They came for the money, so that is all her family provides; of course, the resident maids are supplied with a place to sleep, along with food. This maid wasn't a resident. She likely came from a nearby village and will return in the evenings. Lillian kept her emotions a guard; she trusted not one. All of them addressed back to her mother, so keeping them off her back was another means of keeping her mother away. Thus she wanted no emotional involvement with them.

The maid quickly got up and did what she was told. She was praying to God with all the strength she had that she won't be dismissed. When Lillian was ready, they both went down to the study, the young maid following behind like an invisible tail Lillian couldn't get rid of.

Lillian was excited to meet the dance teacher; she was excited to learn more complex ballroom dance steps. Her morning had started rather unpleasant, and she was determined to make the rest of the day better.

The dance instructor sat on one of the chairs in her father's study room. The study room was filled with books she had yet to discover. She loved to read adventure and romance books. She liked how the women were freer in the books, with no one expecting them to live up to society's expectations.

The force of love surprised her, the way the gentleman came to save the day. A single kiss would make everything all right, and how love makes people act silly. She has laughed and cried with the characters. Reading books has become an escape with no consequence.

However, when the books are far away and she is forced to be in the real world, everything crumbles. The imperfection of the natural world is painted at every little dirty corner she looks at. The way her mother treats her and her father blamed her saying that she is keeping her little brother from having what he wants, which is more land and wealth.

She was blamed for being the firstborn. Her father wanted his firstborn to be a son, an heir who would grow up to be a great man-- a man, who will take over the family estate and prosper it even more. Unfortunately, her little brother was a snake. Losing money gambling and blaming her for his misfortune while her fortune stays locked up. That was the reason she preferred to live in the world of books. Life is simple and everything turns good. By the end of the day, everyone is forgiven and the crying maid is now married to the wealthiest man in the world.

Even though if she thinks logistically about the stories she read about, everything would be impossible. There are more maids than rich men, so what about the rest of the maids. But she made herself ignorant in order to find false happiness. The books made false promises and like a little girl, she believed. Dreaming about her perfect man in the dark tangled mind of hers, where no one could tell her to do what he or she want.

The only freedom she had was her heart. And she let herself believe that if she finds that love, she wouldn't need the wealth. She would give up her fortune to her greedy brother if it meant she was in love and someone loved her back. Loved her for who she is, not seemed to appear to be. Not for her wealth, not for her looks but for her, for her ability to think. Love her just because she is who she is.

"Lady Lillian," the maid called, abruptly pulling Lillian from her daydream. Lillian faked a smile, even though all she wants to do was scream and cry. She held her head high when the only thing she wants to do was fall and explode all these unbearable emotions out. But instead, she smiled, be the good girl she was taught to be. She still remembers her mother scowling at her when she was six years old.

Smile Lillian. Don't hang your shoulders, Lillian. Don't scream Lillian. Share your toys, Lillian. Go to sleep Lillian. Don't stare at people like that Lillian. Don't touch that Lillian. Go say good afternoon Lillian. Everything she seems to remember of her childhood was the black and white No that escapes her parents' lips. Everything she does displeases her parents. Her father was angry with her for not being a boy. Her mother was angry with her for not standing straight or smiling.