The Duchess

Chapter 2

If you're reading this, then you've successfully made it through the boring part of the book (chapter 1). This is where it starts to get interesting, so please enjoy! Love ya!

*1743, England. The Barrett family estates*

The light pitter patter of rain against her parasol provided a comforting rhythm as she wandered through her favorite garden. Her parents' estate went far and wide, and even walking out in the open, she was hidden from anyone who might be searching for her in the house. The rain scared away most birds, so she only heard the sweet calls of a couple of them. It was a blissful escape from the world of eighteenth century aristocrats.

As she strolled, she noticed a loud thunder and an extravagant flash of lightning behind a tall wall of bushes. Promptly, the young woman picked up her skirts and ran to where she'd seen the lightning. Lying there, in the now pouring rain, was a young man dressed in the oddest of clothes.

"My goodness, are you quite alright?" she exclaimed, immediately sitting beside him as he shot up and looked around, panicked. The lady held her parasol over the two of them to shield from the rain. When he looked to her, his eyes widened.

"You're her," Taehyung muttered. He was in awe of her delicate features. Her auburn curls shined with an almost gold undertone. Her pale porcelain skin was like silk stretched over stone, showing no blemishes or imperfections. Her eyes held the ocean in them. Her plump pink lips curled at the edges into a perfect smile. And her rosy cheeks were dusted with light freckles.

"What is your name?" Taehyung asked, barely able to process the beauty in front of him. She giggled in the sweetest voice he'd ever heard.

"I'm sorry, but I do not think it possible for me understand you. That is, unless you speak English?" the girl stated cheerily. Taehyung shook his head.

"No. Actually, I don't speak English," Taehyung replied. "My name is- Taehyung. What- is your name?" asked Taehyung, using the only phrases he knew, and reaching his hand out to shake the girl's. She simply stared at his hand.

"My name is Lady Eugenie Barrett. I'm the daughter of Robert Barrett, the third Duke of Emprishire. It is a pleasure to meet you," Eugenie said. Taehyung hesitantly took Eugenie's hand and put it into his own, showing her the gesture. Shyly, Eugenie pulled her hand away shortly after.

"You should know not to touch a woman. How ungentlemanly," she said flirtatiously, not really meaning it. She knew it was etiquette, but they were alone and he obviously didn't know English manners. Not knowing what Eugenie had said, Taehyung stood up and reached a hand down to help Eugenie stand, unintentionally disregarding what she'd just explained. With amusement, she took it.

Looking up between her lashes, Eugenie timidly asked, "Well, where are you from? Are you titled?" Taehyung blinked before responding. "I am from Korea." Eugenie frowned.

"Where is Korea? I have not heard of such a place," the Lady said. Taehyung didn't know enough English to reply, so he shrugged and hoped he understood her correctly. Eugenie giggled at this.

"You can't tell me where you are from? Or can you not say?" Eugenie asked. Taehyung tried to reply: "No much English... Uh, where am I? Is this... dream?" Eugenie tilted her head. "A dream? I surely hope not. I do not picture myself as simply a figment of your imagination," Eugenie pondered.

"I-I'm sorry. No English..." Taehyung mumbled. Eugenie smiled to him, causing his heart to skip a beat. "That is alright. I understand you are probably very off put by the situation. Might it help if we got you inside and into decent attire?" asked Eugenie, gesturing to Taehyung's pijamas. Taehyung picked up that she was commenting on his clothes.

Then, he realized how oddly she was dressed. Eugenie's beauty had distracted Taehyung from the elegant, gold threaded dress she had on. It reminded him of one of the dresses from the museum. This confused him even more than he already was.

"If you follow me, I know a secret way into my rooms. Once there, I can ask a maid to bring us one of my brother's suits," Eugenie suggested, turning toward the direction of her home. Taehyung, not really knowing what was happening, nodded. He cautiously followed as Eugenie began to saunter through the garden.

By the time they reached what looked like a stable, Taehyung was starting to realize something was very wrong. He was sneaking into a handsome estate with an ethereal girl he had seen in a painting, and pinching himself wasn't working. Was this really happening? Was this real?

"Um, what time is it? Uh... what was the word for it... uh, what is... year?" Taehyung stumbled with words. Eugenie, understanding of his struggle, did her best to use hand motions as well as her voice to communicate.

"The year is one seven four three," she said, counting on her fingers for Taehyung. "The day is April 6th." Taehyung nodded, only understanding the part about 'year'. He didn't mind not knowing what she'd said; her sweet voice was all he needed to hear.

Eugenie interrupted his time admiring her by taking Taehyung's hand and pulling him through a tall oak door. The room behind it was dark and slightly chilly from the rain outside. There was a faint glow a little way away from the two. Eugenie pulled them toward it, and Taehyung's eyes eventually registered the grand stone walls and oak furniture in the flickering candlelight.

The Lady pulled him to a corridor with steps, and she proceeded to hop down them quickly. Taehyung soon followed, in awe of the way Eugenie's face took on a gold glow from the candles which lined the walls. He was enamored after only 20 minutes, and he wondered how she could so effortlessly pull him in.

"You may not understand me, but you also may be curious as to where we are. This tunnel is one which travels under the estate. It was built as an escape route for myself and my family. It connects directly to my rooms, so we shall have no trouble remaining hidden on our way," Lady Eugenie explained. She was right: Taehyung didn't understand.

He nodded anyway, the way he did whenever he was on an English talk show with Bangtan. Speaking of them, I wonder if they've figured out I'm missing yet, Taehyung thought. He was already missing the warm embrace of his maknae that he had fallen asleep in.

The two made their way to a fork in the path. Eugenie stopped, trying to recall which stone tunnel to follow, with Taehyung watching her attentively. The Lady nodded to herself after a few seconds, keeping up a quick step as she headed left. Taehyung followed mindlessly.

There was a flimsy wooden door at the end of the stone hallway. It looked to be deteriorating from disuse, with its slight rotting around the edges. "If I have guessed correctly, my bookshelf should reside on the opposite side of this door," Eugenie spoke.

Her pristine gloved hands reached for a grimey rope handle, tugging to release the door from its hold. A creak echoed through the tunnel as Taehyung shielded his eyes from the intense light of the opening door.