The Duke and the Deal

07. Maids and a Dark Red Rose

Ella mustered a genuine smile for the maids because they all looked rather uneasy or so.

"Thank you, Freda -"Ella started courteously. "But it is my wish that you do not serve nor attend for any of my needs whenever that may be. I dislike seeing people of my status serve a commoner as myself. It is not right."

She must have inflicted a trigger of fear within the maid because she abruptly bowed along with the other two maids who bowed in trail

"Please, milady. If you must insist, his grace will surely not be pleased that we have not followed as what has being instructed for us to do. Please, I beg of you, milady to reconsider your words." Freda said in begging tone.

Ella was quite stunned and yet wholeheartedly cautious of what she had just said. Maybe she could at least save these ladies a whole lot of hell letting loose from their instructed grace, judging by their quick actions and begging tone.

"Fine." Ella finally answered feeling regret and sorrow for the maids and what they must be going through.

They must have found peace in their selves because they abruptly stood back up straight and beamed with gladness at Ella's reply.

He must be pretty scary. Ella thought suspiciously towards the duke, noting that she was not at all.

"Thank you, milady," Freda said in glee, smiling with the other two in lead.

"If it is right in your eyes, then it is all I can do," Ella said returning the smile. "But please, call me Ella. And it is nice to meet you Freda and may I ask for your names?" Ella said looking towards the two maids.

They both stepped forward and bowed before Ella as the maid with blue eyes answered first.

"My name is Lizabeth, milad...err...Ella."

"And my name is Delia, Ella." The maid with brown eyes later replied.

Ella chuckled at their formality.

"It is nice to meet you Lizabeth, Delia, and Freda. And please, from now onwards you will not be formal with me and we'll get along just fine." Ella replied.

The maids hesitated for a moment but smiled anyway.

"Yes, Ella," Freda replied.

"Adequate," Ella said as she began to walk around and analyze her 'until further notice' room.

She studied the room and its breath-taking structure. To her far right, there was a comfortable and probably expensive settee facing a fireplace accompanied with two arm chairs on either side of the settee. And above that fireplace hung a great painting of Dalton Castle. It was so beautiful and realistic that Ella took a bit of her time to admire the painting.

To the center of the back wall, a queen-sized canopy bed situated that area. The canopy bed consisted of a color that was a dark blood red for the canopy curtains, the thick bed sheets and the so many countless pillows of different sizes formed in an orderly display. Ella walked around to the left side of the bed and slowly sat down on its edge as she ran her hands over the softness of the warm woolen sheet. It was so soft that Ella closed her eyes as she admired and breathed in the rose-like aroma scented within the room.

Ella opened her eyes and noted to the far left of the room which was right before her, there was a short set of stairs leading towards a large golden bathtub, and not far to the right side of that tub stood a plain white panel screen and also a long varnished wardrobe. But to the left side, there was an average sized drawer occupied with a large fancy mirror.

Everything was perfect and probably too much. The walls were covered in flowery patterns of a soft cream color. There was various animal fur used as carpet occupying different parts of the room. Also, in a few areas of the room displayed a few pot plants and flowers that were too beautiful to describe which species they derived from.